Julian, CA, USA
Camp Winacka is a Girl Scouts San Diego overnight camp in the Cuyamaca Mountains near Julian. The camp covers 625 acres of varied terrain and includes two small lakes, cabin facilities, and rustic camping areas. Its summer sleepaway programs are built around outdoor adventure, friendship, skill-building, and themed camp experiences.
The camp is best suited to girls who enjoy being outside and are ready for overnight camp life. Listed summer sessions include options for Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors, with many programs serving campers entering grades 4 to 8 and additional leadership or extended-adventure tracks for older girls. Some sessions are gentler and more imaginative, while others lean into hiking, canoeing, horseback riding, survival skills, archery, high ropes, conservation, and leadership.
The atmosphere is playful but purposeful. Campers may solve mysteries, care for horses, explore trails, cook at campfires, build shelters, try outdoor art, learn navigation, join ranger-style missions, or take part in camp-wide celebrations. Older campers can move into Program Aide and Counselor-in-Training pathways, where they support younger campers and practice leadership.
This camp will appeal most to girls who want a real overnight outdoor experience, not a hotel-style or classroom-based summer program. It is especially relevant for campers who like nature, hands-on activities, themed adventures, and growing independence away from home.
| Ages: | 7–17 |
| Type: | Overnight |
| Month: | Summer |
| Gender: | Girls-Only |
| Setting: | Mountains |
| Lodging: | Cabin |
| Sports: | Sports, Shooting, Archery |
| Water: | Water, Swimming |
| Adventure: | Adventure, Challenge, Obstacle Course, Ropes Course, Exploration, Backpacking, Hiking, Trekking, Horse, Horseback Riding, Nature, Conservation, Tactical Skills, Scouting |
| Academics: | Academics, Career, Leadership, Life Skills |
You won’t be charged yet. The camp will contact you to confirm all terms first.
| Dates | Days | Price | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20 - Jul 24, 2026 | 5 | $450 | |
| Jul 20 - Jul 24, 2026 | 5 | $995 |
Camp Winacka is a sleepaway camp. Campers stay overnight on the camp property during their selected session. Housing varies by program and may include open-air cabins, enclosed cabins, tents, hammocks, or sleeping under the stars, depending on the session.
Most listed Winacka sessions are held in open-air or enclosed cabins. Some older camper programs offer more rustic overnight options, such as tents or sleeping under the stars. This gives families different levels of outdoor immersion to consider. A younger camper may feel more comfortable in an enclosed cabin, while an older, more adventurous camper may be excited by a survival-style or outdoor sleeping experience.
Families should review the housing type for the exact session before registering. This is important because the camp offers many themes, and the overnight setup is not identical across all programs.
Camp Winacka is not a commuter day camp. It is designed for campers who are ready to stay away from home, live with a cabin group, and take part in evening camp activities.
The available camp information states that sleepaway campers should not bring snacks due to wild animals at camp. Daily snacks are provided and may include cereal bars, fruit, pretzels, chips, and similar options.
Dietary restrictions should be shared through the Camper Health and Medication Form during registration. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice. All Girl Scouts San Diego day and sleepaway camps are nut-free, so families should not send any items containing peanuts or tree nuts. Families should confirm meal details before arrival, especially if a camper has allergies, religious dietary needs, strong food preferences, or medical food requirements.
For care packages, regular U.S. mail is allowed, but packages are not. This matters for food planning because families should not send treats or snack packages to camp.
Camp Winacka has several safety structures described for sleepaway camp. All day camp and sleepaway camp staff are certified in First Aid and CPR and carry a first aid kit with their unit at all times. If a child becomes sick or injured, a trained medical professional on-site assesses the camper and provides immediate care.
For serious medical situations, parents are contacted immediately. If needed, the camper is transported to a local clinic or hospital by camp transport or EMS, accompanied by a staff member and parent-provided medical consent forms.
Outdoor safety is also built into specific activities. Horseback riding sessions include a Monday riding evaluation, and campers are grouped by demonstrated skill level for riding activities. The listed rider weight limit is 200 pounds. Other sessions include high ropes, archery, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, swimming or lake activities, and outdoor challenges, so families should match the session to the camper’s maturity and comfort level.
Campers are also screened at arrival for health concerns, including a lice check and temperature check.
Camp Winacka has the feel of a classic Girl Scout mountain camp: cabin groups, campfires, songs, outdoor skills, themed weeks, and shared challenges. Many sessions are built around a camp-wide storyline or creative theme, which gives the week more shape than a list of unrelated activities.
One major theme for 2026 is the mystery of Rusty, the camp mascot. Campers may collect clues, crack codes, practice spy skills, explore trails, and work with their cabin group to help solve the mystery before the end-of-week campfire. That gives campers a reason to work together and keeps the week playful.
Other traditions include campfire cooking, stories around the fire, outdoor art showcases, stargazing, night hikes, camp-wide celebrations, and leadership roles for older campers. Some sessions end with special moments such as a Starlit Showcase, camp-wide color celebration, global tasting, or “Campfire Under the Stars.”
The strongest tradition is simple: campers spend the week outdoors, build friendships, try new skills, and return home with stories that sound like camp.
Camp Winacka offers themed sleepaway sessions rather than one standard program repeated each week. Campers can choose from mystery, horseback riding, outdoor adventure, arts, survival skills, night exploration, cooking, conservation, leadership, and camp traditions, depending on grade level and session availability.
Younger campers may join imaginative nature and outdoor skill sessions, while Juniors and Cadettes can move into bigger challenges like navigation, survival skills, archery, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, conservation missions, creative outdoor art, and team problem-solving. Horse sessions add riding evaluations, trail rides, grooming, and horse care. Older campers can choose leadership and extended adventure tracks, including Program Aide, Counselor-in-Training, and 12-day survival-style programs.
The program is active, social, and outdoors-focused. Campers should expect group living, cabin teamwork, campfires, skills practice, and outdoor challenges. This is a strong fit for girls who want a real mountain camp experience and are ready to try new things away from home.
Included in selected session types
Camp Winacka is a sleepaway camp, not a day camp.
Housing type varies by session.
Some programs have prerequisites, especially PA/CIT leadership tracks.
Horseback riding includes a riding evaluation and skill-based grouping.
Horseback riding has a 200-pound weight limit for riders.
Dietary restrictions must be submitted in advance through the health form.
All day and sleepaway camps are nut-free.
Campers are screened upon arrival, including health questions, lice check, and temperature check.
Campers with special needs may be accommodated with sufficient notice.
Families should contact the camp at least four weeks before the session for specific accommodation needs.
If a camper is sick before camp, she should stay home; transfer to a later session may be possible if space allows.
