Camp Tawonga

Camp Tawonga is a Jewish overnight summer camp founded in 1925, located on the middle fork of the Tuolumne River just outside Yosemite National Park in Groveland, California. For a century, Tawonga has offered children, teens, and families an immersive outdoor experience that combines classic camp activities—swimming, hiking, climbing, and campfires—with a strong foundation of inclusive Jewish community and values.

Tawonga’s four-part mission is to foster positive self-esteem in children, build a cooperative and inclusive community, inspire a partnership with nature through tikkun olam (repairing the world), and strengthen Jewish identity. Beyond its flagship summer sessions for kids and teens, Tawonga runs family camps, adult retreats, and specialized programs such as a Family Camp for Jewish Families of Color, extending its reach up and down the mountain and throughout the year.

Headquartered in San Francisco with its camp property near Yosemite, Tawonga operates as a nonprofit and has been recognized for its commitment to radical inclusion, addressing gender and race equity within its community. Generations of alumni credit the camp with shaping their Jewish identity, self-confidence, and lifelong friendships.