Outdoor School at Camp Rancho Alegre Back Open After Devastating 2017 Fire

On a blazing hot Saturday afternoon in July 2017, just a few hours after the Cub Scout Resident Camp at Rancho Alegre had let out for the week, the Whittier Fire ravaged the campgrounds, tearing through the 217-acre site and destroying nearly 50 buildings — about 90 percent of the entire camp — in less than 45 minutes.

Luckily, only a handful of young staffers and an administrative assistant were still on-site, and no one was injured as they escaped alongside families fleeing nearby Cachuma Lake while flames jumped along Highway 154.

But the devastating fire took its toll on the Rancho Alegre property, which has traditionally been home to the Outdoor School, run by the Los Padres Council for more than a half a century as a place for youth to learn essential life skills and appreciation of nature through the Scouting America core principles. In that time, hundreds of thousands of children attended summer camps at that same site, which also hosted various retreats and wilderness getaways.

“This calamity dealt a severe blow to our organization and profoundly impacted the landscape of outdoor education within the communities of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties,” said Carlos Cortez, the executive director of Los Padres Council and the Outdoor School.

Now, after nearly six years of rebuilding and restoration of the campgrounds, thanks to a combined effort by the Los Padres Council and the local community, the Outdoor School announced it will be reopening in full for the first time for the 2024-2025 school year. 

“It is so exciting to be back as the Outdoor School director and welcome back local schools allowing us to continue providing valuable, enriching experiences for students and teachers alike,” said Outdoor School Camp Director Amanda Chick.

This spring, the Outdoor School held a “soft opening” with 5th- and 6th-grade campers from 11 local elementary schools testing out the new campgrounds, which can house more than 150 campers per week and is expected to serve more than 5,000 campers next school year.

The rebuilding effort, as detailed on the Rancho Alegre website, was hit with unexpected delays during the pandemic and included estimated building costs of more than $18 million due to extensive damage to residential cabins, dorm-lodges, and the camp’s water and sewage infrastructure. 

“While dealing with the aftermath of the destruction of the 2017 fire has been a challenge,” Cortez said, “it also created an opportunity to dream big for our kids.”

“Thanks to local community leaders, supporters, construction crews, our dream is coming to reality,” he said. “We look forward to affording all of our local youth an impactful outdoor experience for the next century.”

For more information, or to sign up for the 20245-2025 Outdoor School term, visit theoutdoorschool.org.