Roughing It Day Camp

What Roughing It Day Camp does

Roughing It Day Camp is a privately held, family-owned summer day camp founded in 1972 by Ann and Hobie Woods and operating continuously for over 50 years from a single outdoor site on the Lafayette Reservoir in Lafayette, California. The camp serves children ages 4-16 (PreK through 10th grade) and offers 2-, 4-, and 8-week sessions across differentiated programs including Little Raccoons (PreK-K), Day Camp (1st-4th grade), Outdoor Explorers, Teen Activities, the Level Up! skill-development module, and the GRIT team-building program. A Junior Counselor volunteer pathway is available for teens in 11th-12th grade. Core operations are all-outdoor and activity-based (swimming, waterfront, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, sports, crafts), with no proprietary technology product; instead, the company relies on third-party platforms — CampMinder for registration and the internal Camper Caboodle for community/photo sharing.

The business model is direct-to-consumer: families enroll online via CampInTouch for the upcoming summer, with pricing tiered by session length (specifics not publicly disclosed). Free, professionally driven bus transportation from 25+ Bay Area cities is bundled into tuition, and free extended care is offered to families who drop off directly at camp. A one-day Sample Camp experience at $100 ($75 with early registration) is the only separately priced entry point. Marketing is driven entirely by community channels — parent referrals, school partnerships, city-specific SEO landing pages, blog content, virtual/in-person tours, and parent reference networks — with no paid advertising. The workforce is highly seasonal: 4-6 year-round staff supplemented by college-age summer counselors drawn from 60+ U.S. colleges, with year-round part-time employees receiving free camp tuition (up to $9,000 per child) as a non-cash benefit. The company is ACA-accredited and a WAIC member, and operates a charitable Foundation providing scholarships.

Name

Roughing It Day Camp

Legal name

Roughing It Day Camp

Website

https://roughingit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Roughing It Day Camp is a privately held, family-owned summer day camp founded in 1972 that serves children ages 4-16 at the Lafayette Reservoir in the San Francisco Bay Area through 2-, 4-, and 8-week all-outdoor sessions, with free bus transportation from 25+ cities and tuition-based direct-to-consumer enrollment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Summer Day Camp Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Coding, Game Design & Computer Science Camps (EDAMALAD)

Keywords

• Summer day camp
• Outdoor youth programs
• Children's camp services
• Summer childcare
• Youth recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Summer Day Camp Tuition: Families pay tuition for their children to attend multi-week summer day camp sessions (2, 4, or 8 weeks). Transportation is included at no extra cost. The primary revenue stream, with free extended care available for families who drop off directly at camp.
2. Sample Camp Fee: One-day sample camp experience offered at $100 (or $75 with early registration) for prospective and returning campers to try camp activities before committing to full sessions.
3. Year-Round Staff Benefits (Free Camp Tuition): Year-round part-time employees receive free camp tuition (up to 8 weeks, valued at up to $9,000 per child) as a employee benefit, offsetting the need to recruit and retain talent through non-monetary compensation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Roughing It Day Camp operates an all-outdoor summer day camp for children ages 4–16 at the Lafayette Reservoir lakefront in Lafayette, California, offering PreK–Kindergarten, 1st–4th Grade, and Older Campers/Teen programs in 2, 4, and 8-week session formats that include swimming, waterfront, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, sports, and crafts. Tuition bundles free bus transportation from across the SF Bay Area and free extended care for direct drop-off families, and registrations are processed online through the CampInTouch/CampMinder system.

Product overview

Roughing It Day Camp is a single-location all-outdoor day camp operating since 1972 at the Lafayette Reservoir in Lafayette, California. The core offering is the Day Camp Program for PreK through 10th grade (ages 4-16) available in 2, 4, and 8-week sessions. Supporting programs include Little Raccoons (PreK-K), Outdoor Explorers (1st-6th grade), Teen Activities, and the Junior Counselor leadership program. The camp operates its family communication through Camper Caboodle and registration through CampInTouch, with free transportation and extended care included.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camper Caboodle: An internal website for camp families to access photos, news, and stay connected during camp and year-round.
• Roughing It Horse Camps

Products and services

• Summer Day Camp Sessions (PreK–10th Grade) An all-outdoor day camp program serving children ages 4–16 (PreK through 10th grade) at the Lafayette Reservoir in Lafayette, CA, offered in 2, 4, and 8-week summer session formats with activities including swimming, waterfront, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, sports, and crafts. Tuition includes free bus transportation from 25+ SF Bay Area cities.
• Little Raccoons Program (PreK–Kindergarten) A specialized day camp track for preschool and kindergarten-age children (PreK–K) designed for young, first-time campers with nurturing all-adult staff in a safe environment.
• Day Camp Program (1st–4th Grade) Day camp track serving 1st through 4th graders with age-appropriate outdoor activities including swimming, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, sports, and crafts led by all-adult counselors.
• Older Campers & Teens Program Day camp track designed for older campers and teens featuring age-appropriate challenging activities and leadership development opportunities.
• Sample Camp (One-Day Trial) A one-day sample camp experience offered at $100 (or $75 with early registration) for prospective and returning campers to try camp activities before committing to full sessions; open to ages PreK through 10th Grade.
• Junior Counselor Program A volunteer leadership program for teens entering 11th or 12th grade who have previously attended as campers, providing youth leadership development, community service credits, and priority hiring for future paid camp positions.
• Extended Care Before- and after-camp supervision available at no extra cost to families who drop off and pick up their children directly at camp.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children return year after year and campers grow up to become counselors, then bring their own children — demonstrating deep loyalty and lifetime value.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CampMinder, LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationCampMinder provides the secure camper registration system used by Roughing It. All sensitive information including financial and health information is transferred over a secure server via the CampMinder service. CampMinder's security measures protect camper and family data collected through the registration system.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Pediatric Health & Safety Consultants (industry service provider): The American Camp Association (ACA), of which Roughing It is a member, serves as an industry standards body and comparable ecosystem reference for accredited camps. Listed for industry/regulatory context rather than direct competition.

Direct peers

• Camp Doodles: Bay Area day camp offering arts, sports, and outdoor activities for elementary-age children. Comparable in multi-activity programming, regional market, and traditional day camp delivery model.
• Galileo Learning (Camp Galileo): Galileo Learning operates Camp Galileo, a multi-location Bay Area day camp for PreK-8th graders with similar multi-activity programming (arts, science, outdoor play). Most direct head-to-head competitor in the same geography, age range, and price tier.
• Camp Tawonga: Camp Tawonga is a Bay Area-based Jewish summer camp serving similar ages with outdoor programming, though primarily residential rather than day camp. Comparable in mission, Bay Area market, and outdoor activity mix.
• Steve & Kate's Camp: Steve & Kate's Camp operates multi-location day camps in the Bay Area (and nationally) serving similar ages with flexible enrollment, similar all-outdoor programming, and comparable premium pricing. Direct competitor for SF/East Bay families.
• Aim High: Aim High operates summer enrichment day programs across multiple Bay Area locations serving similar ages with academic enrichment plus outdoor activities. Comparable model and target demographic of Bay Area families seeking premium summer programming.
• Berkeley Day Camp: A Bay Area day camp serving similar elementary-age children with multi-activity outdoor programming. Comparable in geographic market, age range, and traditional day camp model.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the East Bay: Operates summer day camps across the East Bay including locations near Lafayette. Comparable in providing supervised summer programming for Bay Area children, though at lower price points with broader youth-development mission.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Bay: Operates summer day programs across the East Bay including Lafayette, serving similar age ranges at lower price points. Comparable in serving Bay Area families seeking summer childcare and enrichment, though broader mission.

Emerging players

• TechKnowHow (TechKnowHow Summer Camps): Bay Area summer camp provider offering enrichment programming for school-age children. Comparable as a Bay Area summer day camp serving similar demographics, though more STEM/tech focused than Roughing It's traditional outdoor programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/roughingitcamp
• Facebookfacebook.com/roughingit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roughing-it-day-camp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roughing It Day Camp