City extends Camp Mather run by two weeks
By: Beth Winegarner
Examiner Staff Writer
January 21, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO — Folks hoping to get a reservation at Camp Mather — The City's family getaway located near Yosemite — may have an easier time this summer.
The Recreation and Park Department, which owns the popular campground in the Sierras, is adding one extra week at the beginning of the Camp Mather season and another at the end, creating a 12-week run from June 6 to August 22, according to department spokeswoman Lisa Seitz Gruwell.
The first and last weeks come when San Francisco public schools are still in session.
"Camp Mather has been so popular, we've had waiting lists," Seitz Gruwell said.
In 2008, 35,000 people visited the site San Francisco has owned since the 1920s. That year, the facility earned $1.9 million from concessions and fees, according to Rec and Park documents.
The added weeks should bring an additional 5,000 attendees, according to Seitz Gruwell.
San Francisco resident Caroline Grannan has attended the camp with her family for the past 11 years.
"It's a big social thing for us — a chance to spend time with friends we see in passing all year," Grannan said.
The deadline to sign up for spots at Camp Mather this year is Feb. 8.
