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Camp Sacramento changes reservations, adds short sessions and expands scholarships
Summary
City staff reported that Camp Sacramento restructured reservations to a single release date, saw 100 cabins book in 24 hours, plans bonus short sessions and a free resident 'day at camp,' and relies on Friends of Camp Sacramento for scholarship placements.
Camp Sacramento’s leadership told the Parks and Community Enrichment Commission on March 5 that a new reservation process and additional programming aim to broaden access after two years of demand and wait lists.
"We now have one reservation date where all of our cabins that are available each summer go live online the August preceding said summer," Chad Richardson, Camp Sacramento supervisor, said. He told commissioners that when cabins for 2025 went live, more than 100 cabins were booked within 24 hours and about 88% of those reservations were new campers.
Richardson described program changes for 2026: a bonus summer weekend session (Friday–Sunday) with no rebooking to give second chances to families who missed the main registration; a free "day at camp" for Sacramento residents; and an extended effort to move families off wait lists. He also listed facility repairs being handled with the city’s facilities and utilities teams, including a replacement walk-in freezer, electrical upgrades and water intake line repairs.
On scholarships, Richardson said Friends of Camp Sacramento partners with Cottage Housing and Beyond Sacramento to identify families; the nonprofit budgeted funds for eight family cabins this summer ("about $10,000"), covering all costs for selected families. He explained that Friends of Camp Sacramento vets candidates and there is no direct public application for that scholarship.
Commissioners asked practical questions about capacity and fees. Richardson said overall camp capacity is roughly 200 people including staff and that nonrefundable deposits are required ($100 for mini sessions, $160 for weeklong sessions).
What’s next: Registration for bonus sessions and day-camp slots opens April 8 at noon; staff will continue to refine accessibility fixes and outreach to bring new families to camp.
