Enjoy a summer leading a group of kids through our engaging nature activities!

Montecito-Sequoia Lodge is located in Sequoia National Forest, just minutes from Sequoia National Park, and has been privately owned since 1963. Our mission is to make learning fun for our guests and provide a hospitable stay while visiting the parks. We are located along Highway 198, which can be accessed by Highway 180 East, a total drive of 1 hour and 30 minutes from Fresno, California. Our elevation is approximately 7,400ft and offers majestic views of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

From June 7th through August 15th, families come up for one week to experience our wide variety of activities throughout the day. During the day, we have four periods, with each of our activities offering something unique. Our activities include Arts & Crafts, Paintball, Fort Building, Hiking, Air Riflery, Archery, Fencing, and many more! Our Kids Group Leaders have the role of taking the kids group around camp to experience all areas of Montecito, and to entertain them between activities. Each group is separated by age: Minnows and Tadpoles (2-4), Chipmunks (5-6), Marmots (7-8), Bobcats (9-10), Cougars (11-12), and Bears (13-18).

At night, we have activities including Carnival, Free Choice Night (sunset hike, henna, soccer, wine and watercolor, etc.), a themed Dance Party, Coffee House (open-mic night), and Variety Show. During one of these nights, kids groups also get the opportunity to have an overnight across the lake with their friends to play games, eat smores, and tell campfire stories.

We also look for staff who can offer additional activities such as guitar lessons, outdoor education, or some kind of specific craft or skill like origami, dance, or acrobatics. Certifications such as Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or CPR/AED are preferred but not required. We also provide on-site certification for First Aid and CPR during staff training, June 3-6.

 If we do not have guests who participate in activities, program staff help out other activity areas. The ability to bring enthusiasm and work well with kids and adults is more important than skills or experience with the activities themselves.

Room and Board: Taken out of the paycheck biweekly, as housing is on-site and we provide three meals a day served buffet-style. Housing is shared with 4-5 other staff in each cabin in our Counselor Village, and there are two shared bathhouses. Each staff member is provided with a bath towel, bed linens, pillows, blankets, clothing storage, and complimentary laundry once a week. Staff have 24/7 access to our breakfast room (cereal bar, microwave, bread, bagels, condiments and toppings), staff and leftover refrigerator, coffee, juice, and snacks (fruit, trail/Chex mix, chips, gummies).

Weekends and Off-Time: Staff like to explore the National Park together by relaxing along beautiful lakes, rivers, and streams, hike among some of the tallest and largest trees in the world, and learn more about the park at visitors centers and sites like Crystal Cave. Staff often carpool, so it is best to bring a car if possible. For those without vehicles, we can coordinate pick-ups and drop-offs for arrival and departing camp at Fresno Airport or Amtrak.