Catalina Island Camps

What Catalina Island Camps does

Catalina Island Camps, Inc. (CIC) is a privately held, family-operated sleepaway camp and outdoor education organization operating primarily from Howlands Landing on the west end of Santa Catalina Island, 22 miles off the Southern California coast. Founded in 1922 by USC's Arnold Eddy and Gus Henderson as Catalina Island Boys Camp, it merged in the 1970s with the separate Girls Camp to become a coed resident camp and has been run by Tom and Maria Horner since 1995. The company sells four interconnected programs on the same physical site: a Summer Camp for grades 1–10 with one- and two-week sessions at $2,650–$5,100 per session, the Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp (since 1997, up to 20 cabins per year at $4,450–$4,850 per cabin), the CILT/CIT teen leadership track, and the year-round Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) for school groups in grades 4–12.

The underlying operating technology is modest and consumer-facing rather than differentiated: CampBrain handles online registration and the staff portal, SmugMug hosts daily camp photos, and Calendly powers scheduling calls with the Program Director. Marketing is driven by an extensive SEO-oriented blog, organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), email capture, regional camp fairs (e.g., LA Camp Fair at UCLA), and a formalized 10% refer-a-friend rebate. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the company's website, with logistics delivered through Catalina Express boat service from San Pedro (Berth 95); CELP is sold directly to schools. Strategic depth is anchored by a multi-decade partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society — making CELP the first Ambassadors of the Environment site — and by ACA accreditation and WAIC membership. Revenue is generated through per-session tuition, cabin rentals at Family Camp, ancillary camp-store sales, and CELP program fees, with no disclosed funding, institutional investors, or audited financials.

Name

Catalina Island Camps

Legal name

Catalina Island Camps, Inc.

Website

https://catalinaislandcamps.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catalina Island Camps is a family-operated, ACA-accredited coed sleepaway camp on Catalina Island, serving grades 1–10 with summer sessions, the Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp, a CILT/CIT leadership track, and the CELP school-year environmental education program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Summer Camps

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Sleepaway summer camp
• Youth outdoor education
• Residential camp programs
• Marine environment camps
• Environmental leadership program

Headquarters

HQ city

Altadena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Per-session tuition for 1-week ($2,650-$2,800) and 2-week ($5,100) coed sleepaway camp sessions for grades 1-10, including transportation from San Pedro. Early-bird discounts of $50-$300 available before December 1, February 1, or April 1. Non-refundable $250 deposit at registration.
2. Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp: 5-day/4-night family camp held August 5-9, 2026. Pricing per cabin: Beach Front $4,850, Beach View $4,650, Canyon View $4,450 (first 6 people included; $675 per additional person up to 12 max). Includes transportation, staff, food, and programs. Optional liveaboard boat rate of $500/person for boat-owning guests.
3. Camp Store / Extras: Camp store accounts for snacks and souvenirs at Family Camp; daily camp store at summer camp. Additional cost beyond tuition.
4. School-Year Outdoor Education (CELP): Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) — residential 3-day and 5-day environmental and outdoor education programs for school groups grades 4-12, partnering with schools for hands-on experiential learning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Catalina Island Camps operates a coed sleepaway summer camp and residential environmental education program at Howlands Landing on Santa Catalina Island, 22 miles west of Los Angeles. It delivers one-week and two-week summer camp sessions for children in grades 1-10, a teen leadership track (CILT/CIT), an annual Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp, and a school-year environmental education program (CELP) for grades 4-12, built around an Unplug/Connect/Discover mission.

Product overview

Catalina Island Camps (CIC) is a single, unified sleepaway-camp service — not a modular SaaS platform — delivered at Howlands Landing on the west end of Santa Catalina Island, 22 miles off the Southern California coast. Its product portfolio is structured around one core offering (the Summer Camp program with one- and two-week sessions and the embedded Badgework progressive-skill module), supported by a teen leadership track (CILT and CIT), a branded family retreat (Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp), and a school-year environmental education track (the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program / CELP). All four programs share the same physical site, staff pool, and Unplug/Connect/Discover mission, with the sub-programs differentiated by audience: Summer Camp and Badgework for child/teen campers, CILT/CIT for leadership development, JMC Family Camp for multi-generational families, and CELP for visiting school groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CELP (Catalina Environmental Leadership Program): Residential environmental and outdoor education program for students grades 4 through 12, operated jointly with Ocean Futures Society; CELP was the first Ambassadors of the Environment (AOTE) program.
• Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp

Products and services

• Summer Camp (1-Week and 2-Week Sessions) Co-ed sleepaway (resident) summer camp for children currently in grades 1 through 9, run in one-week and two-week sessions at Howlands Landing on Catalina Island. Built around the Unplug/Connect/Discover philosophy with cabin-group-centered programming that includes skin diving, kayaking, sailing, stand-up paddleboarding, powerboat activities, ropes course, climbing, archery, arts & crafts, gardening, day trips, and the Badgework progressive-skill program.
• Camper Leadership Programs (CILT and CIT) Two-stage teen leadership track: the Camper in Leadership Training (CILT) program for campers currently in 10th grade, featuring the multi-day CILT Hike along the Trans-Catalina Trail from Avalon to Howlands Landing, followed by the Counselor in Training (CIT) program for 11th graders who have completed CILT or equivalent experience, which actively trains and involves teens in camp operations, activities, and traditions.
• Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp Annual 5-day, 4-night cooperative program between Catalina Island Camps and Ocean Futures Society hosted at Howlands Landing each August. Led by Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Richard "Murph" Murphy, and Holly Lohuis, the program combines family cabin stays, guided snorkeling trips, naturalist talks, evening programs, and a Talent-No Talent Show; capacity is limited to roughly 20 family cabins per year.
• Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) Residential environmental and outdoor education program operated at Howlands Landing for school groups in grades 4 through 12, delivered in partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society. Offers 3-day and 5-day curricula covering marine (snorkeling, kayaking, shoreline investigation, kelp forest slide show, microscope lab), terrestrial (ecology hikes, sustainable living, art in nature), and team-building (low/high ropes, climbing wall) experiences aligned to California State Science Standards and the EEI framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to ~20 families served per year at Family Camp due to cabin capacity limits
• +3 more outcomes

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Ocean Futures Society / Jean-Michel CousteauflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative partnership spanning the annual Jean-Michel Cousteau Family Camp (since 1997, except 2020) and the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP). CELP was the first Ambassadors of the Environment (AOTE) program in Cousteau's global network. Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Richard "Murph" Murphy, Holly Lohuis and the Ocean Futures team visit Howlands Landing each summer. Co-branded logo displayed on CIC website.
• Tom Sawyer CampscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister day camp in the Pasadena area. Shares the Altadena mainland office with Catalina Island Camps; co-hosted the Earth Day celebration at Hahamongna Watershed Park in April. Tom Sawyer Camps launching its 100th anniversary summer — Catalina Island Camps highlighted this milestone.
• Catalina ExpresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarine transportation provider; campers depart from and return to the Catalina Express terminal at Berth 95, San Pedro, CA 90731. Boat transportation is included in camp tuition and is the gateway logistics provider for all CIC campers, staff, and supplies.
• Ship Camps (Camper Luggage Shipping)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOptional luggage-shipping service for campers (linked from Family Dashboard to shipcamps.com/catalina-island-camps).
• American Camp Association (ACA)coreOthersAccrediting body — Catalina Island Camps is ACA accredited and displays the ACA logo in the website footer. Leadership regularly attends the ACA conference.
• Western Association of Independent Camps (WAIC)minorOthersIndustry membership organization; CIC is a member and displays the WAIC logo in the website footer. Leadership regularly attends the WAIC conference.
• Association for Experiential and Outdoor Education (AEOE)minorOthersIndustry association whose conferences CIC leadership regularly attends alongside ACA and WAIC.
• Camp Owners and Directors AssociationminorOthersIndustry association whose conferences CIC leadership regularly attends for professional development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Camp Augusta: Northern California sleepaway camp focused on personal growth and adventure programming for similar grade ranges. Comparable in independent-camp positioning, session structure, and price tier in the California overnight-camp market.
• Camp Marston / YMCA Camp Marston: San Diego-area residential camp serving similar grade ranges with traditional outdoor programming. Comparable peer in the Southern California overnight-camp competitive set, though operated by the YMCA rather than an independent family operator.
• Pali Adventures: California-based sleepaway adventure camp serving similar grade ranges with multi-activity programming. Comparable in operating model, session length structure, and target demographic of Southern California / nationwide families seeking specialty summer experiences.
• Catalina Sea Camp / Catalina Island Marine Institute: Direct Catalina Island-based sleepaway camp focused on marine science and ocean programming for kids and teens. Closest comparable peer by location, target audience (grades K-12), and marine-education curriculum; competes for the same Catalina-bound Southern California families.
• Camp Oakes: Big Bear-based Southern California sleepaway camp with multi-week sessions and traditional cabin programming. Comparable in pricing tier, session structure, and family demographic in the California overnight-camp market.

Regional players

• Camp Winacka / Camp Whispering Winds (Girl Scouts): California-based resident camp offerings comparable in scale and marine/outdoor programming focus, though operated under a national membership organization. Competes for similar camper demographics in the Western US.
• Camp Kesem: National nonprofit running overnight camp sessions for children affected by a parent's cancer. Adjacent in operating model (resident camp, multi-week sessions, ACA-accredited) but serves a different beneficiary population.

Others

• Tom Sawyer Camps: Sister day camp in Pasadena sharing the Altadena mainland office with Catalina Island Camps and jointly hosting community events. Same ownership family operates both camps, making it an affiliated rather than competing entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CatalinaIslandCamps
• Facebookfacebook.com/catalinaislandcamps
• Instagraminstagram.com/catalinaislandcamps

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Catalina Island Camps