Pali Adventures — Local services in Running Springs

I cannot say enough great things about Pali. My kids (currently in 3rd and 5th grade) have attended twice—both times through school programs. This summer, they'll be going back for multiple weeks of summer camp.

I accompanied them as a chaperone for their school's 5-day/4-night camp in Spring 2024. In short, Pali runs a top-notch program.

Staff: The counselors and administrative team are efficient, effective, and well-trained. My daughter just returned from her latest school trip and said it was even better than the first! She’s already counting down the days until summer. You can clearly see that Pali invests in hiring and properly training their staff.

Customer Service: Their response time is impressively fast. They go out of their way to accommodate special requests, and even when they can’t, they explain why in a reasonable and respectful way.

Health & Safety: Like any parent, I was concerned about my children’s well-being. But after observing things firsthand over multiple days, I no longer worry when it comes to Pali. Their attention to safety is evident.

For example, my kids and their classmates are in the elementary age group, and Pali makes sure that walking paths between activities are separated from older campers as much as possible. While minor conflicts can occur between groups, it's clear the planning is thoughtful.

On one occasion, I saw a group of high schoolers messing around unsupervised, and staff members were immediately on site to address the situation.

Food: Absolutely top-tier for a camp. I’ve been to other camps where the food quality left much to be desired (and led to a few extra trips to the restroom). At Pali, the food is fresh, well-presented, and clearly labeled on the buffet line. They also offer options for all dietary needs.

Most importantly, my children not only had fun—they also developed independence, surrounded by people who genuinely care about their safety and growth.

I truly wish every child could...

It was fun and the counselors were really nice but I felt like I was literally dying and the wellness people did nothing. I would have to sit down for 5 minutes from just climbing up to my bunk and would wake up in the night unable to breathe and whenever I went to the wellness center they would just tell me to sit down and drink water and that I "shouldn't exert myself so much." That is literally impossible because for the senior girls you have to walk down the side of a mountain down VERY steep, unpaved paths at least 4 times a day. The entire place is hills and there are next to no flat areas. If I tried to go to the wellness center they would not do anything. I literally BEGGED them to let me use my inhaler and they wouldn't let me. They said they wouldn't give it to me unless I was "audibly wheezing." They would just take my vitals and say that my heart was beating really fast but I was probably just "panicking." I looked at the thing and it said I had 180 bpm but they did nothing. I woke up in the middle of the night completely unable to breathe but they refused to send anyone to help and said I had to come to them even though it was on the top of a steep hill and I couldn't get there. I ended up having to just go back to bed and hope I could wait until the morning.I had filled out the form to bring my inhaler and I had brought it with me and everything and yet they wouldn't give it to me. I am not exaggerating when I say I didn't know whether I would ever go home again. It was genuinely the worst week of my life and I will never return because of how they treated me. The wellness people had no regard for my life and seemed to think I was just dramatic even though they could see me struggling to breathe and they knew I had asthma and they were perfectly capable of giving me my inhaler and yet they didn't. They simply didn't care about me. If you have asthma or any similar problems DO NOT...

My kid had a mostly great time! It was house first sleep away camps experience and I couldn't imagine him ending this amazing summer any other way than Pali! He loved his specialty. He is planning next summers trip already and plans to do the same specialty. He actually is planning the following year as well and knows which specialty he plans to switch to his 3rd year🤣 he will likely be there until he ages out at 16! He raved about the food and especially the dessert from one specific day! He loved eating there and went through meals for every day with me. He told me what he liked (most of it) and what he didn't like (on spaghetti day the meat eaters got chicken and the vegans meatballs-he wanted meatballs with meat and not chicken.😖🤣) He skipped desert the last night and that made him sad😭

His one serious complaint is that he was not allowed to put more than his feet in the pool I'd he didn't pass a swim test. This included the shallow end. He was not allowed in 3 feet of water unless he could swim the entire length of the pool, tread water, float and i believe backstroke. He and I both found that unfair and think kids should have been allowed in the shallow end if they failed the swim test. I believe this should have been mentioned somewhere between advertising and registration materials that your kid won't actually be allowed in the pool if they fail the swim test. Other than the pool complaint it was a wonderful experience! He loved his time there,i loved seeing pictures throughout thee week while he was there. I love that loved ones could send him emails that were printed out for him during the week. I love that he felt comfortable. All the activities look so amazing, I want...