On Monday, June 13, following nearly three years of closures due to the pandemic and hazards resulting from wildfires, R.M. Pyles Boys Camp will celebrate serving disadvantaged youth from Southern California in a full re-opening of the camp.

For over 70 years, Pyles Camp has served close to 30,000 youth in its multi-year youth development program. The pandemic and hazards resulting from the Castle Fire prevented this award-winning program from fully serving the needs of the community in 2020 and 2021.

With the reopening of the camp, located in the beautiful Giant Sequoia National Monument, over 300 deserving youth, including a dedicated seasonal staff made up of many young men who were once campers themselves, will populate 4 full camping sessions serving communities in the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Orange, and Kern.

The camp owes specific recognition and appreciation to the office of Representative Kevin McCarthy, U.S. Forest Service Supervisor Teresa Benson, District Ranger, Eric LaPrice, and local Forest Service staff for their efforts through the pandemic and Castle Fire to support the reopening of this critical public resource.

Jeff Wilson, President of the Pyles Camp Board of Directors said, “This is the first time in the camp’s 74-year history that we were faced with 2 once-in-a-lifetime challenges that prohibited youth from taking part in the full use of our camp resource and program. With the challenging societal impacts that the pandemic has presented, programs like Pyles Camp have never been more in need. We remain forever grateful to our federal, state, local, and private partners, and our dedicated Board of Directors in their tireless support during these unprecedented times to reopen this critical program.”

Campers gathering at the bus for session 1, 2022

Adam Bell, Executive Director of R.M. Pyles Boys Camp said, “During the last 2 years, the life-changing program that the staff of Pyles Camp provide has never been more in need. It was unfortunate that we were unable to serve our boys and young men fully and we are excited to fully reopen and be there for the boys who need the Pyles program the most. We are so thankful to all those who made our 2022 reopening possible, including our passionate group of staff, board, and volunteers, the U.S. Forest Service, and our elected representatives.”

Pyles’ goal for 2022 is to serve over 300 young men and to provide $25,000 in college scholarships. It costs approximately $2,500 to send a young man through our program with no cost to them or their family. Pyles is funded by community members, foundations, special events, and community-minded companies. Organizations and individuals from California’s energy industry have played a major role in supporting the camp since its inception in 1949.