Naturalists At Large - Outdoor Learning Sites

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Outdoor Learning Program Sites

Camping at a Naturalists at Large Outdoor Learning Center program is a great way to introduce your students to the natural world.

We establish a base camp and provide all group equipment as well as a complete outdoor program. The Naturalists at Large central kitchen delivers wholesome meals and healthy snacks.


Naturalists at Large provides trained naturalists certified in CPR and first aid, camping technique instruction, academic instruction and individual field journals. Camping has never been so easy!
Our Outdoor Learning Centers provide your students with a great sense of group and individual accomplishment.


		We also provide all group equipment (i.e. tents, kitchen equipment, etc.), wholesome food, pre-program information (equipment list, bibliographies targeted to the area), other logistical support.
If requested we're happy to also send one of our naturalists to your school for an orientation meeting prior to departure.

Calaveras Big Trees — is California's northernmost grove of Giant Sequoias. Located east of Stockton, the Big Tree grove was actually the very first ever discovered. The Park has two main campgrounds with a total of 129 campsites, six picnic areas and hundreds of miles of established trails. Other attractions in the Park include the Stanislaus River, Beaver Creek, the Lava Bluff Trail and Bradley Trail. See the site description!


Salt Point State Park is located about 90 miles north of San Francisco on State Highway 1. For you to explore are 6,000 acres of diverse and fascinating habitats including a large open "prairie" and a rare pygmy forest of stunted trees. See the site description!
		Adjacent to Salt Point, Kruse Rhododendron Reserve is a unique example of the succession that follows the burning of a redwood forest.

Because Salt Point is such a large coastal park it offers a rich variety of botanical, geological, marine biological and historical topics for Naturalists at Large to explore with your students and faculty. The rugged coastline of the park varies dramatically from protected sandy beach coves on the northern end to the sharp bluffs and sheer sandstone cliffs that plunge straight down to the sea at Salt Point and Gerstle Cove. Several rocky beaches provide an opportunity to study the tidepools and the inter-tidal zone. As the terrain rises northeast of Highway 1, coastal chaparral and grassland blend into lush growths of bishop pine, Douglas fir, madrone, tanoak, redwoods and upland meadows.

Animal life at Salt Point is abundant. Blacktail deer, raccoon, coyote, bobcat, gray fox and badger inhabit the park and the surrounding area. Bird life is plentiful and varied: rare brown pelicans, osprey, red tail hawks and numerous water birds.
Between December and March, gray whales pass close to shore during their yearly migration.


Located along the transition between the Coast Ranges and the San Joaquin Valley, Pinnacles National Monument is a great outdoor education site. An introduction to rock climbing is one of our most popular options.
The slopes of the Monument are a mosaic of chaparral, brilliant wildflowers during the spring and numerous spire rock formations. Pinnacles is also the last remains of an ancient volcano, eroded over geologic time by water, heat and frost. Because of all these features, Pinnacles National Monument offers interesting studies in volcanic and tectonic geology along with the botany of the transition vegetation between the Coast Ranges and the San Joaquin Valley. Activities can also include hiking and outdoor skills.

Whitsett, Southern Sierra — Whitsett is 27 miles north of Kernville. At 4700 feet above sea level, Whitsett is situated in a ponderosa pine forest that merges into a mixed white fir and yellow pine forest. The lower elevation and southern location give us a longer season than similar sites at higher altitudes. During Naturalists at Large programs, schools have the complete use of Whitsett and its excellent facilities and there are no urban distractions. Numerous backpacking opportunities for novice backpackers are located nearby. We have access to a ropes/challenge course with numerous low and high elements which can be included in your program. A five-acre lake provides an opportunity for kayaking, swimming or canoeing. A whitewater rafting option is available in the spring. There are also a limited number of cabins available.

Joshua Tree National Park is an excellent outdoor education site and it's only 2.5 hours away from Los Angeles. Our main options are backpacking and rock-climbing. Please visit our deserts page for more information on Joshua Tree National Park.

The largest State Park in the United States, Anza-Borrego lies within the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Whether it's walking to a desert Palm oasis, taking a short hike or strolling to the Visitor's Center for a visit, Anza-Borrego is easy for first-time campers. In our campground there are modern facilities with showers and flush toilets.

Discover the Colorado River by Canoe! The Colorado is the largest and most important river in the Southwest. Paddling the calm lower section is a unique way to explore the Sonoran Desert. For more information on these exciting and educational adventures, please see our Colorado River page.

Here are some more excellent Outdoor Learning Sites:

— Samuel P. Taylor State Park See the site description!

— The Eastern and Southern Sierra
— Sequoia National Park
— Giant Sequoia National Monument
— Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon National Park See the site description!

— The Central Coast

— Santa Monica Mountains See a site description!
— Or, call us! Let NAL help you to chose your own site!

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