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Historic Sturtevant Camp

98%
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· Sierra Madre, Los Angeles, California
Hosted by Deb B.
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Sturtevant Camp is an organizational camp permitted through the US Forest Service.It is owned by the Friends of the San Gabriels and is open to the public to rest, revitalize and/or rent cabin space. The Camp was established in 1893 and is the last remaining resort camp in the Big Santa Anita Canyon (Angeles National Forest, California). When the Camp was first opened, sleeping quarters were tent cabins. Beginning in 1945, enclosed guest cabins were built along with a manager’s cabin, a retreat cabin (a fully self-contained cabin with a kitchenette, restroom, and sitting area) and a bathhouse. The last remaining “honeymoon cottage” still stands below the bathhouse.The Camp sleeps up to 42 guests. Couples and groups of 5 or more may rent individual cabins or the full camp can be rented. In Camp, there is lots to do or nothing to do depending upon your preference.Croquet, badminton, volleyball, horseshoes, a big swing, zip line, a nature hike and various games are all available to guests. Over a century ago, this was one of several mountain resorts, complete with “honeymoon cottages,” tennis courts where ladies played in long dresses, men wearing white shirts and string ties to dinner, and everyone danced to the fiddle underneath the stars.From the late 1890’s until the Great Depression, thousands upon thousands of people rode the electric trolley cars out of Los Angeles to the end of the line in Sierra Madre, and then hiked the trails or rented horses/mules to ride into Camp and stay.There was a post office in Camp where guests could send and receive mail (picked up and delivered by the daily pack train) and a store where supplies could be purchased for “adventuring.” Where the Main Lodge is today, Wilbur Sturtevant built the “Swiss Dining Hall” in 1897. At that time it was an open pavilion with a kitchen underneath. During prohibition, it included a still and slot machines!When the United Methodist Church purchased the Camp in 1945, they enclosed the dining hall, added a kitchen and a fireplace room. Today, you can play cards, games, table tennis (ping-pong), or read, sit by the fire, eat meals with friends or family, do arts and crafts, or just enjoy the view from within the Main Lodge.
Activities
Biking
Hiking
Wildlife watching
Natural features
Forest
Waterfall
Not currently accepting bookings on Hipcamp
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    98%
    79 Ratings · 42 reviews
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    Vitaly K.recommends
    August 2, 2020
    Honeymoon Cottage
    Amazing place!
    Amazing place! We loved every minute!
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    Vicki W.recommends
    July 26, 2020
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    A hidden gem
    The hike in was difficult but well worth it! The site was awesome and the Honeymoon cabin was adorable. The perfect weekend getaway to really and truly get away from it all. Teah was an amazing host who not only made great treats but taught us so much about the history of the site and the wild animals in the area asa a well.
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    Chelsea B.recommends
    June 16, 2020
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    Great Escape From the World
    My boyfriend and I had an amazing time, and our volunteer Teah was so cool! She taught us about the land and history of the camp. Being out in nature, yet so close to our home (Los Angeles) was crazy! We were able to de-clutter our minds for the weekend and escape the city. Loved our trip so much! We saw so many deer, birds, butterflies, and even a bear!
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    Chirag P.recommends
    June 11, 2020
    Retreat Cabin
    Our Volunteer Hosts (Just Dave & Jane) were awesome. They were very conscious of persecutions of COVID and got up there the night early and cleaned and sanitized the cabin before we got there as we were one of the first folks up there in months. Beyond that they let you be, but do spend some time talking to them, you'll learn a few things and get to hear about all the adventures they've had. You'll be inspired to get out and do more. Be mindful of how much food and things you bring so you are not wasteful. We brought more food than we needed (thankfully not too much more) so we had to throw some away. Also, we carried back our cooler bags with us on the hike down but if we hadn't it would be a another week before the mules would get them for us to pick up. Something to be mindful about.
    Avatar
    Jace D.recommends
    June 8, 2020
    Retreat Cabin
    Sturtevant Camp was such an amazing find. The retreat cabin was perfect for our group and the hosts Jane and Dave made it such a great experience. I will definitely be going back.
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    Bonnie F.recommends
    March 4, 2020
    Guest Cabins
    Homesick for Sturtevant Camp
    We loved our weekend at Sturtevant Camp! The hike was no picnic, but it was worth every aching muscle. Sarah, our camp host, made sure we had everything we needed and on top of that, she was extremely warm and kind. She even invited the kids to help her check the water pumps and shared yummy treats she had prepared for herself. The camp itself was everything we hoped for. It’s not sparkly clean and it’s a little rustic, but some of the buildings are over 100 years old, so we expected nothing more. The kitchen was outfitted with everything we needed. We opted to have our food packed in, by the Adams Pack Station donkeys, which really enhanced our experience. We were able to enjoy delicious meals, that made the weekend feel decedent and special. The game room even had musical instruments, including a piano! When you consider the fact that there are no roads to the camp, that’s pretty impressive. The bunk houses were equipped with clean sheets and plenty of blankets. We felt like kids again, giggling in our bunk beds until we fell asleep. The only negative experience we had all weekend, was with the inconsiderate hikers that passed through the camp. Sarah handled the situation as best she could, but I think it would be helpful if the camp made signs, advising hikers (especially the early morning hikers) to be considerate of the people staying in the camp. They helped themselves to our coffee and rang the large dinner bell loudly, starting at 7am. It needs to be said Sturtevant Camp should not be held responsible for the behavior of those hikers. But maybe some extra signage would be helpful. We’ll be back, for sure!
    Location
    Sierra Madre, Los Angeles, California, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Tongva (Gabrieleno) First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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    Hosted by Deb B.

    Joined in November 2015
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