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Call of the Wild Camps
Saturday Single-Day Nature Camps
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Hike, read, write & play!
Nature camps for outdoor enthusiasts, curious naturalists, eager readers, budding writers, and nature-inspired artists in the East Bay
Second Saturdays of the month for the 2025-2026 school year: single-day nature camps in Berkeley, Oakland, and Castro Valley.
Upcoming Session with SPACES OPEN: February 14th at Berkeley's Tilden Park.
Hiking, nature connection, and science exploration are not only for the summer. We hear the call of the wild during the school year, too. K-5th graders explore, hike, play, and learn in parks, forests, and museums in single-day camps on weekends during the school year. Nature is our living classroom in Call of the Wild Camps. Kids enjoy small groups of up to ten children. Kids share a love of nature, science, learning, and friendship in weekend day camps.
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Ages: 5-10​
Grades: K-5​
Child to staff ratio: most sessions 4:1 or 5:1
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​View the main Call of the Wild Camps page to learn camp prerequisites for registration and attendance and what to wear and bring.
Rain or Shine: Outdoor lovers enjoy the outdoors rain or shine. Like all Call of the Wild Camps, the Saturday single-day camps for the school year are held rain or shine. Please bring your child with clothing and gear appropriate for the weather to set your child up for success and to be a happy camper! Proverbial wisdom: There is no bad weather, only bad clothing choices. Museum visits are planned for months that normally get the heaviest rainfall, plus kids may also have nature walks and hikes outside in the rain.
Appropriate clothing and gear make for a happy camper in many types of weather.
Activities
Saturday Call of the Wild nature camps are outdoor nature camps, plus some indoor museum trips! Below is a sample of varied activities for campers to enjoy.
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Hikes, nature walks, boating, and nature connection at different East Bay sites on the second Saturdays of the month, like Lake Chabot, Roberts Regional Park, Joaquin Miller Park, Dimond Park, Lake Merritt, Tilden Park, Shorebird Park, and Tilden Nature Area.
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Exploring science museums and centers, such as Chabot Space and Science Center, UC Botanical Garden, The Lawrence Hall of Science, Tilden Environmental Education Center, Shorebird Nature Center, and more
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Nature-inspired reading, writing, storytelling, visual arts, and environmentally friendly crafts
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Free play, exploration, and opportunities to make friends
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Experience Call of the Wild Camps a single day at a time, so newcomers get to know camp educators and returning campers
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Sample activities that are similar in 3-day and 5-day camp sessions that your camper can separately join, such as fall break, winter break, spring break, and summer break camps
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As with all Call of the Wild camps, kids get to deepen their sense of wonder for nature, learn animal rights, become more eco-conscious, learn biology and environmental stewardship, strengthen stamina, and more!​
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Some sites and museum visits may flexibly overlap and repeat by popular demand. For example, Chabot Space and Science Center is accessible by hiking in three different park sites.
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East Bay Weekend Camp Locations
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Call of the Wild Saturday nature camps are in Oakland, Berkeley, and Castro Valley. Kids enjoy a different site each session. ​​​​​​​​​​​​Click the buttons to learn more!​​
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Saturday Single-Day Camps 2025-2026
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Dates: Oct 11, Nov 8, Dec 13, Jan 10, Feb 14, Mar 14, Apr 11, May 9
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Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (sign-in time from 9:00 AM-9:30 AM and sign-out time from 4:30 PM-5:00 PM)
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Single Session Price: $129.99
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Multi-Session Discount: 8-session package with $75.00 off discount: $964.92.
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Sessions with Museum Trips: the costs of camper museum tickets are included in your registration.
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Locations: Lake Chabot, Shorebird Park, Roberts Regional Park, Joaquin Miller Park, Chabot Space and Science Center, The Lawrence Hall of Science, Tilden Regional Park, Dimond Park, UC Botanical Garden, and Lake Merritt
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Scholarships: scholarships for 50% off are based on financial need and are funded by generous donations from camp registrants. Scholarship Application​
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Oakland Saturday Camps
​Roberts Regional Park & Recreation Area, Oakland
Call of the Wild Camp Date: December 13, 2025
Redwood Bowl Staging Area, 10060 Skyline Blvd, Oakland, CA 94611
Redwood Bowl is a super convenient location with a short hike to Chabot Space and Science Center, across the street from Joaquin Miller Park.
Call of the Wild weekend explorers get to enjoy educational nature walks through the forest in Roberts Regional Park.
Roberts playground is a fun place for Call of the Wild adventurers to play after hiking in the redwoods.
Roberts playground also has educational activities on the play structures for kids to enjoy.
Call of the Wild weekend nature explorers can climb and do field games at Roberts playground.
A place to hike, read, and play in the redwoods. Does that not look like the stump in Dr. Seuss's The Lorax?
Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland
Call of the Wild Camp Date: December 13, 2025
10000 Skyline Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619
Chabot Space and Science Center has interactive exhibits for kids to enjoy, like the science of color. Do the apples look appetizing? Will your appetite change when you press the button to see their real colors?
Call of the Wild weekend museum explorers enjoy hands-on learning, like studying lunar ice crystals.
Call of the Wild science enthusiasts can test and explore flight and paper airplanes in Chabot's wind tunnel.
Call of the Wild Camp explorers can experiment with magnetic blocks on an air table at Chabot Space and Science Center.
Kids can replicate the Moon's surface using their hands and shaping tools on Call of the Wild's Saturday visits to Chabot.
Call of the Wild museum explorers can exercise their creativity, designing spacesuits for different EnviroZones.
Dimond Park, Oakland
Call of the Wild Camp Date: March 14, 2026
3860 Hanly Rd, Oakland, CA 94602
Dimond Park has three playgrounds and a unique progression Call of the Wild kids get to make from urban park to wild green spaces.
From Dimond Park, Call of the Wild explorers get to nature walk along Sausal Creek and even do a couple of creek crossings.
Call of the Wild Camp young naturalists practice their own environmental stewardship, like 5th graders did at Sausal Creek.
Call of the Wild biology enthusiasts learn about native wildflowers and grasses that were planted on Dimond Canyon Trail. Campers practice Leave No Trace to respect the diverse habitat for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.
Call of the Wild Camp adventurers take risks and build confidence with their outdoor skills, including part of the hike with a rope to grip after a creek crossing.
Call of the Wild Campers take plenty of breaks on hikes and nature walks. Tucked away by the creek trail are rocks like natural seats to relax, journal, read, have story time, and listen.
​Lake Merritt, Oakland
Call of the Wild Camp Date: May 9, 2026
Kids' Kingdom Playground, Oakland, CA 94610
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Berkeley Saturday Camps
Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley​
Call of the Wild Camp Date: February 14, 2026
Tilden Park Indian Camp, Fire Trail 4, Kensington, CA 94708
Call of the Wild explorers hike around Lake Anza after a rock scramble.
Call of the Wild adventurers traverse logs by Lake Anza.
Call of the Wild bibliophiles enjoy a fictional story about a boy addicted to screens.
At Tilden Little Farm, Call of the Wild kids enjoy visiting the animals. Tilden no longer permits feeding the animals, for their health, but kids can pet them and enjoy learning about them.
Call of the Wild kids enjoy free play at Tilden Nature Area playground.
At Tilden Environmental Education Center, curious Call of the Wild campers reach into the mystery touch box.
The Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley
Call of the Wild Camp Date: January 10, 2026
1 Centennial Dr, Berkeley, CA 94720
Call of the Wild campers start and end the day outdoors at The Lawrence Hall of Science
Call of the Wild explorers enjoy a hike in the Berkeley hills beside The Lawrence
Among other outdoor learning opportunities, campers explore the watershed in Forces That Shape the Bay Science Park
Campers get to enjoy free play to start and end the day
Call of the Wild hikers also venture in the hills above The Lawrence, overlooking the bay
Call of the Wild kids get to enjoy live-action dinosaurs at Dinosaur Lookout
Campers get to snack among dinosaur exhibits and try to spot living dinosaurs in the sky (birds are modern-day dinos!)
Campers enjoy hands-on activities like experimenting with making and flying paper airplanes
Among many other interactive exhibits, Call of the Wild campers get to experiment with sound and music
Call of the Wild Berkeley campers enjoy a 3D nature show in The Lawrence
Shorebird Park, Berkeley
Call of the Wild Camp Date: November 8, 2025
160 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710
Call of the Wild adventurers can build and play at Adventure Playground, where the play structures are created by children!
Call of the Wild kids also get to play on the structures at Shorebird Park Playground, plus play field games.
At Shorebird Park Nature Center, young naturalists at Call of the Wild Camps learn biology and environmental education.
Animal lovers at Call of the Wild Camps can enjoy wild turkey sightings, among other animals at Shorebird Park.
Call of the Wild outdoor enthusiasts get to go on nature walks along the bay and explore tidepools in the estuary.
Windy days by the bay are great for Call of the Wild kids to craft and fly kites and learn the science behind kite flying.
University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Call of the Wild Camp Date: April 11, 2026
200 Centennial Dr, Berkeley, CA 94720
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Castro Valley Saturday Camp
​Lake Chabot Regional Park, Castro Valley
Call of the Wild Camp Date: October 11, 2025
17404 Lake Chabot Rd, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Park map​
Call of the Wild weekend adventurers can go boating at Lake Chabot.
Call of the Wild Camp explorers get to hike in the hills above the lake. One day, a raccoon was hiking on the trail, too!
The loop hike around Lake Chabot is 9 miles. Call of the Wild hikers won't be doing the full loop but get to build their stamina hiking around parts of the lake.
Pedal boats for kids to navigate and the Lake Chabot Queen tour boat await!
Call of the Wild children get to explore biodiversity on Lake Chabot hiking trails, including the roles in the ecosystem played by trees, mosses, lichens, fallen leaves, and more!
There's no swimming allowed in Lake Chabot, but kids get to explore by the lake shore and have their snack breaks with scenic views.
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Call of the Wild Camps on second Saturdays for the 2025-2026 school year are open now for registration.
Your requests are always welcome! Bay Area outdoor day camp locations and specific trail requests are considered by popular demand for Call of the Wild nature camps in the Bay Area! For requests or inquiries, feel free to reach out with an email for the quickest reply.
Call of the Wild Camps
* Summer Camp
* Fall Camp
* Winter Camp
* Spring Camp
Email: info@inspirebehavior.com
Phone: 510-296-5519
Fax: 510-296-5780
Hours:
M-F 8:00 AM-7:30 PM
Sat 9:00 AM-6:30 PM
Sun Closed
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area
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Alameda County
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Albany​
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Berkeley
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Emeryville
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Oakland
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Alameda
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San Leandro
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Castro Valley
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Pleasanton
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Dublin
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Fremont
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...and more!
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Contra Costa County
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Concord​
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Pleasant Hill
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Walnut Creek
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Antioch
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Brentwood
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Orinda
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Lafayette
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Alamo
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Danville
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San Ramon
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...and more!
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Santa Clara County
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Milpitas
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San Jose
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Cupertino
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Saratoga
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Los Gatos
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Santa Clara
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Sunnyvale
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Mountain View
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Los Altos
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Palo Alto
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Solano County
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Vallejo
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Benicia
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Cordelia
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Suisun
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Fairfield
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Vacaville
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