Sly Park Conservation & Environmental Education Center — Local services in Placerville

My Sly Park experience began 4 years ago when my eldest son went with Sequoia Elementary School... He was so ecstatic and full of joy when he came home, his stories of how "Fern" led him on a "crazy cool night hike" and even though it was snowing at the time, he pushed through every adventure, and perservered despite the challenges that were presented. My eldest son grew as a young adult, learning skills of independence, confidence, and responsibility as well as a plethora of knowledge provided by the amazing Sly Park teachers! I have been waiting 4 years to be able to go with my youngest children (Sophia and Noah) this week!! I was as excited (if not more) than both of them to enjoy this experience! Each day brought new challenges from a 5 mile hike to the lake with beautiful scenery, and a hike to the local creek. We explored many live organisms, the planetarium, and developed our own skit for "skit night". I really lucked out to have such an amazing co-part of a "cabin leader" (Carly from Bancroft Elemantry)... We worked well to keep all 25 girls on a strict schedule as our days were FULL from 6:30a.m. until 9:30p.m. The Sly Park teachers were amazing in preparing each and every activity on a daily basis, they ran as a "well oiled machine". I don't even know where to begin to explain how great they were with each student! They were empathetic and understanding, well prepared, and prompt all while making sure to share an abundance of scientific knowledge of how to preserve this beautiful place we call "Earth". My "hiking group" leader was "Thunder", and a history teacher by trade, he told amazing stories before each "exploration" to grasp the attention of the students. My favorite was the "acorn pancakes" made in a mortar and pestle, and the challenges the Native Americans had, simply to make a meal for their family.... It was very humbling for each student, as they realized how "easy" the westernized modern culture has it!! It was an emotional departure, as every child left and thanked me for all I did for them, however, each student, school teacher, Sly Park teacher, kitchen staff, maintenance crew, and Chris (the director) made this an AMAZING experience for myself!! I am so grateful for my children to have been able to experience this outdoor education...

In 2022, my daughter had a really good time at Sly Park Educational Center, making it a 3-4 star experience for our family. However, our experience in 2023 was very different and deeply disappointing.

Despite numerous requests, neither the Education Center staff, director, nor Rocklin Academy Gateway school provided ADA accommodations for my son with autism. They wouldn't even have the director call me to discuss my concerns. As an educational facility, it is imperative that they abide by ADA laws and regulations. For this lack of compliance, I would give our 2023 experience 0 stars.

While my neurotypical daughter had a decent time, there were several issues with the staff being overly controlling and not accommodating enough. For instance, smartwatches, emergency devices, or GPS safety watches were not allowed. There was no calming area or breaks for kids who needed to decompress from activities. Communication with parents was only permitted in emergencies, and there were no special accommodations for sleeping arrangements or mandatory showering, even if kids were uncomfortable with it.

On the positive side, my oldest daughter mentioned that the food was good and allergy protocols were followed. She enjoyed the hikes, stargazing, and reptile experiences, which were definite highlights.

While there are commendable aspects, it's crucial for Sly Park Educational Center to become more inclusive and accommodating. Every child deserves kindness, empathy, and support, regardless of their needs. With autism, ADHD, and other spectrum disabilities being so common, these kids should be treated with the same consideration as those with peanut allergies. The law requires it, and parents should not have to threaten legal action to have their children's...

This wasn’t all that great. The food was terrible (literally none of the nearly 500 kids ate the chicken Alfredo), but the cabins were alright. They were very small though, and some were better then others (two had carpet flooring, while every other one gave you splinters when you walked two feet) and they have almost no showers (3 in my cabin). “Free Time” only had two activities (basketball and ping-pong) and they were always full. The hikes are what got this place the three star, though. The Children’s Forest was pretty, but my instructor made a very big point of saying “Don’t go off the path” and then what does she do? Lead us off the path. The creek hike was very pretty, but the creek was very fast moving and cold. The lake was amazing, and as I’m writing this I’m planning on going back up there to do it again. The other activities were cool too, such as the planetarium, the Stem Room, and geocaching. All in all I would do it again but I would rather go...