Calvin Crest Conferences

Name

Calvin Crest Conferences

Legal name

Calvin Crest Conferences

Website

https://calvincrest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Camp & Retreat Center

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Christian summer camps
• Outdoor school programs
• Retreat center rentals
• Camp ministry services
• Faith-based hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakhurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Camp Program Fees: Primary revenue stream from registration fees for summer camps (Family Camp, Sherwood Forest, Middle School, High School, AIM, Week in the Forest, Outdoor Adventure), winter programs, retreats (Women's, Men's, Quilter's, Advent), and Outdoor School programs. Fees are tiered based on program length and lodging options.
2. Donations and Charitable Giving: Calvin Crest operates as a 501c3 non-profit organization. Donations support general operations, camperships (scholarships), capital campaign for facility improvements, and endowment fund. Tax-deductible contributions from individuals, families, and churches.
3. Capital Campaign Contributions: Three-year pledge campaign targeting $2M for Lakeview Lodge construction, renovations, debt retirement, and endowment funding. Cash and pledge goal at 64% completion ($1.28M raised).
4. Merchandise and Camp Store: Online shop selling apparel, drinkware, souvenirs, snacks, and care packages. Operated through LightSpeed e-commerce platform.
5. Guest Group Retreats: Year-round booking of facilities for church groups, organizations, and private retreats. Revenue from lodging, meals, and activity fees for custom retreat experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Calvin Crest Conferences is a 501c3 Christian camp ministry and conference center that sells multi-day overnight camp programs, themed retreats, and outdoor school curricula delivered on a 340-acre Sierra Nevada campus near Yosemite. Revenue is generated through per-person registration fees, guest group retreat bookings, school Outdoor School tuition, and tax-deductible donations including a multi-year capital campaign.

Product overview

Calvin Crest Conferences operates as a summer camp ministry, conference center, and outdoor school on 340 acres surrounded by the Sierra National Forest. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of programs including summer camps (Family Camp, AIM, Sherwood Forest, Middle School Camp, High School Camp, Week In The Forest, Outdoor Adventure), year-round retreat facilities and events (Women's Retreat, Men's Camp, Winter Camp, Women's Backpack, Quilter's Retreat, Advent Retreat of Silence, Fall Crest Fest), and an Outdoor School educational program. The integrated offering combines lodging accommodations (Cedar Lodge, Mountain View Cabins, Westview Cabins), meeting spaces (Lake View Lodge, Fireside Room, Vespers amphitheater), recreational activities (aerial adventure, zipline, climbing wall, boats, pool), and dining services to serve approximately 7,500 guests annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Camp Multi-day overnight camp where families worship, recreate, and lodge together with customizable activities, off-site adventures, evening campfires, and nightly theme nights; includes 15 family-friendly meals and three lodging tier options.
• AIM (Assistants In Mission) Two-week intensive discipleship program for students entering 10th grade through college freshman, combining worship, Bible study, one-on-one discipleship, and service in small group settings; includes 12 nights lodging and 36 meals.
• Sherwood Forest Robin Hood-themed overnight camp for 3rd-5th graders set among sequoia trees; campers stay in huts grouped into hamlets, participate in themed adventures, campfire worship, and a culminating Sherwood Faire.
• Middle School Camp Week-long residential camp for 6th-8th graders featuring worship, small groups, theme nights, aerial adventure, zipline, swimming, climbing, and nightly Campfire with speaker Alek Bohigian; includes 15 meals and cabin lodging.
• High School Camp Week-long residential camp for 9th-12th graders focused on faith, identity in Christ, small groups, challenging physical activities, and nightly Campfire worship with speaker Cory Piña; includes meals, lodging, and activities.
• Week In The Forest Inclusive 4-night camp for teens (16+) and adults with developmental disabilities, offering adapted activities (swimming, boating, talent shows, dances, hayrides) and a special adventure day at Sugar Pine Railroad; tiered pricing $795-$925.
• Outdoor Adventure Intermediate backpacking expedition camp for 7-10th graders journeying through the Ansel Adams Wilderness; includes Leave No Trace Certification, spiritual formation practices, 14 meals, permits, and group gear.
• Outdoor School Multi-day and day-use educational program partnering with public, private, charter, and home schools to deliver hands-on science, ecology, geology, history, conservation, survival skills, and nature study curriculum; pricing $75/student day, $260/student 3-day, $300/student 4-day.
• Guest Group Retreat Facilities Year-round retreat venue rental for churches, youth groups, and organizations featuring premium Cedar Lodge, Mountain View cabins, and rustic Westview cabins, plus meeting spaces (Lake View Lodge, Fireside Room, Vespers amphitheater, The Den) for groups of 12-250.
• Women's Retreat 2-night women's retreat weekend featuring worship, teaching, rest, and recreational activities with Cedar Lodge ($345/person) or Mountain View Cabin ($295/person double occupancy) lodging options; includes 5 meals.
• Men's Camp 2-night men's weekend retreat featuring worship, fellowship, teaching, and recreational activities including ziplining, hatchet throwing, and Irish Road Bowling with speaker Ian Hodge; Cedar Lodge $325/person or Mountain View $275/person.
• Winter Camp 2-night winter weekend for high school and middle school students featuring worship, faith growth, snow play, crafting, ziplining, and a Broomball Tournament; $295 per person including 2 nights lodging and 5 meals.
• Women's Backpack Backcountry wilderness trip into the Ansel Adams Wilderness offering spiritual formation and fellowship; $410 per person including 1 night Cedar Lodge, 2 nights backpacking, 9 meals, group gear, permits, and professional guiding.
• Quilter's Retreat (Artist's Retreat) Creative arts weekend retreat for quilters featuring fellowship, spiritual inspiration, mini-workshops, and a pop-up quilt shop; 2-night $280-$330 or 3-night $375-$425 options.
• Advent Retreat of Silence 2-night contemplative retreat the first weekend of Advent where men and women spend time in silence engaging spiritual practices and stations; led by Tiffany Staman with Cedar Lodge $325 or Mountain View $275 lodging.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,500 guests served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles9 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Firefighters for Christ InternationalminorOthers · 1 January 2021Volunteer crew deployed for 12 days to help with recovery efforts after the Mono windstorm devastated Calvin Crest in 2021. Crew of 8-12 volunteers provided food service, tree removal, debris clearing, and structural repair work. Estimated value of food alone exceeded $3,200. They have asked to return for additional volunteer weeks.
• Sierra National ForestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalvin Crest operates some activities under a special use permit with the Sierra National Forest. The camp is surrounded by the forest and utilizes the natural environment for programming including hiking, backpacking, and wilderness experiences in the Ansel Adams Wilderness area.
• Nelder Grove of Giant SequoiasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent to Calvin Crest property, the Nelder Grove provides access to giant sequoia experiences for Outdoor School and camp programming. Natural landmark enhancing the outdoor education offerings.
• Local Quilt Shops (Pop-up Vendors)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal quilt shops invited as pop-up vendors during Quilter's Retreat events. Provides extra supplies for participants and supports local businesses.
• Sugar Pine RailroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeek In The Forest program includes a special adventure day at Sugar Pine Railroad, providing historical tourism experience for developmentally disabled campers.
• Alpenglow (Camping Equipment)minorOthersRecommended camping equipment and gear supplier listed for Outdoor School and retreat participants preparing for wilderness experiences.
• Churches (Donor/Referral Network)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of churches, primarily Presbyterian and evangelical congregations in the Central Valley, serve as major donor base, camper referral source, and retreat group clients. Many churches have multi-generational relationships with Calvin Crest.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pine Cove: Pine Cove operates multiple Christian summer camps and family camp locations across Texas and the Southeast. Directly comparable faith-based overnight summer camp ministry serving families and youth with similar program structure, multi-generational camper base, and retreat/conference capabilities as Calvin Crest.
• Camp Tawonga: Camp Tawonga is a residential summer camp in the Sierra Nevada near Yosemite National Park offering overnight camp experiences, family programs, and retreat facilities. While Jewish-affiliated rather than Christian, it shares Calvin Crest's Yosemite-adjacent Sierra location, family camp programming, and conference/retreat hosting capabilities, making it a strong operational and geographic peer.
• Forest Home: Forest Home is a Christian camp and conference center in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California offering summer camps, family programs, retreats, and guest group facilities. Operates the same integrated camp ministry + conference center model as Calvin Crest with similar faith-based programming across age groups.
• Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center: Mount Hermon operates a Christian camp, conference center, and retreat ministry in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California - same faith-based camp + conference center + retreat model as Calvin Crest. Direct geographic and operational peer serving similar Presbyterian and evangelical church networks with summer camps, family programs, and guest group facilities.
• Pinerock Retreat Center: Pinerock operates as a Christian conference and retreat center in Prescott, Arizona, hosting church retreats, family camps, and guest group events. Closely mirrors Calvin Crest's conference center + summer camp + retreat programming model for faith-based groups and organizations.
• Aldersgate Retreat Center: Aldersgate is a United Methodist retreat center offering summer camps, year-round retreats, and guest group facilities. Comparable faith-based camp and conference ministry model with similar retreat programming for adults, families, and youth groups.
• Westminster Camps: Westminster Camps operates as a Presbyterian-affiliated camp and conference center network serving similar Reformed/Presbyterian church networks as Calvin Crest. Direct faith-tradition peer offering summer camps, retreats, and conference programming with comparable theological programming and church partnership approach.

Broad incumbents

• Kanakuk Kamps: Kanakuk operates as one of the largest Christian family camp networks in the US, with multiple locations serving thousands of campers annually. Comparable faith-based overnight camp model targeting Christian families with tiered programs, family camp experiences, and multi-generational appeal similar to Calvin Crest's portfolio.
• Young Life: Young Life is a national Christian youth organization operating multiple camp properties and year-round programs for adolescents. While much larger and focused exclusively on youth ministry rather than multi-generational programming, Young Life shares Calvin Crest's core mission of faith formation through outdoor camp experiences and serves overlapping evangelical church networks.

Emerging players

• NatureBridge: NatureBridge operates outdoor science schools in Yosemite and other national park locations, providing K-12 environmental education programming. Directly comparable to Calvin Crest's Outdoor School business unit (which serves public, private, charter, and home schools with ecology, geology, and conservation curriculum) and represents the strongest peer for that specific revenue stream.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calvin-crest-conferences

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Calvin Crest Conferences