Dates & FAQs

At Deer Crossing’s 6500 foot (1950 meter) elevation, days are usually quite pleasant, low 80’s to mid-90’s F (27–35° C). Nighttime temperatures can get very cold. Sleeping bags should be rated for at least 30° F (-1° C) so you are warm at night. During our mountain summers, it occasionally rains—and sometimes hails—typically just for a day or two.

Typically, each staff member gets some Internet access three evenings per week and perhaps on days off. Because Deer Crossing is an electronics-free zone for our campers, any use of electronic equipment at camp by staff—whether cellphone, iPod, or laptop—must only be done when campers are out of the lodge or have gone to bed. Part of our community agreement is to commit to working on local relationships which means little time spent online. There is no cell phone service at camp. The nearest cellphone signal access is a 3-mile (5 km) hike away. When the satellite antenna is on, Wi-Fi calling, iMessage, and WhatsApp can work, while regular SMS may not.

We recommend using regular mail. They can send you letters and postcards at:
Your Name
Deer Crossing Wilderness Camp
P.O. Box 1227
Pollock Pines, CA 95726 USA

We pick up mail about once a week, a 90-minute drive one way. Because of the time it takes to reach camp, all mail should be sent to you no later than the first few days of August. If sent later, it may arrive after you have left and will not be forwarded.

For emergencies, give family and friends camp’s Summer Emergency number 805-637-4776. They can also email the camp office mail@deercrossingcamp.com. In either case, the camp office will let you know what’s going on as quickly as possible.

Yes, you can park in the wilderness parking lot, usually at no charge, or directly across from camp on 2nd Dam. So far, the only break-ins have been committed by bears looking for food. So as long as nothing in your vehicle smells like food, looks like food, or looks like it might contain food (e.g., pack of gum, vanilla car scent, empty soda can or cooler), all should be well.

If you bring a vehicle and are willing to use it on behalf of camp (reimbursed at the federal mileage rate), we will ask for proof of registration, insurance, and driver’s license in advance. A driver’s report will be requested.

If you have the same day off as another staff member with a vehicle and are invited to join them on a trip to town, you may visit nearby historic towns, run errands, eat out, visit a laundromat, or just hang out in a café. Staff who remain at camp on days off can sleep in, read a good novel, go explore a new lake or peak, participate in camp activities (e.g., learn rock-climbing), or lounge in the sun during Open Beach. Staff at camp on their days off still eat all meals with the rest of camp.

Deer Crossing is an international camp community and we usually hire about 50% international staff. That said, the camp runs in English, and we want our staff to have a great summer connecting with people - which requires conversation in English. You'll be leading activities, keeping children safe, comforting a homesick camper at night, and chatting with campers and other staff all day long. Children often talk quickly, use slang, and don't slow down for listeners. If English conversation is a struggle, the summer can feel lonely and exhausting, and it would be very hard for us to give you the good experience you deserve. The level that works well at camp is comfortable conversation: you can tell someone a story from your own life, such as a trip or a funny family memory, and they understand you without asking you to repeat or rephrase very often. Your grammar does not need to be perfect. On the European (CEFR) scale, this is about level B2 in speaking. A simple self-check: try telling a fluent English speaker about something that happened to you, in some detail, at a conversational speed, for three minutes, and then answer their questions. If that feels comfortable, you are probably ready. If that feels difficult, we encourage you to keep practicing English and apply again in a future year. If you have taken an English test, the scores below are a guide. Please look at your Speaking score if your test has one. - IELTS: Speaking band 6.0 or higher (6.5+ is ideal) - TOEFL iBT (new 1–6 scale): Speaking 4.0 or higher (4.5+ is ideal) - TOEFL iBT (older 0–120 scale): Speaking section about 20–22 or higher - Duolingo English Test: 105–115 or higher - Cambridge English: B2 First (FCE) passed, or C1 Advanced (CAE); Cambridge English Scale 160 or higher - Linguaskill: 160 or higher - PTE Academic: Speaking 59 or higher - TOEIC Speaking: 160 or higher - Trinity College London: GESE Grade 7 or higher, or ISE II or higher - British Council Aptis: B2 or higher in Speaking - Oxford Test of English: B2 or higher in Speaking Some tests do not include speaking, so they don't tell us much on their own. These include TOEFL ITP, the TOEIC Listening & Reading test, and China's CET-4/CET-6 (a CET-SET spoken grade of A or B is helpful).