The Mather Corral, built and run by the Barnes Family, has been part of Camp from the very beginning. Jay Barnes and his wranglers offer hay rides, trail rides, trail breakfasts, sunset rides, and for the little one, burro rides.

The family patriarch, Joe Barnes, established the pack station near Hetch Hetchy dam in 1929. Earlier that year Curry Company of Yosemite expanded their horse operation and Barnes stepped up to help run Curry’s pack station. The Barnes patriarch acquired the proprietorship in 1931 when Curry Company decided the pack station was too far from their home base.

The O’Shaughnessy Dam, which would provide water to San Francisco, had just been completed and a work camp, Camp Mather, had been established nine miles from the dam to house the workers that flocked to the dam project. The City of San Francisco retained ownership of the camp after the work was finished on the dam and it was decided to turn the property into a family camp for residents. Joe Barnes applied for and received a concession through the city for operation of a riding stable.

Patriarch Joe left the business in 1980 to run the Golden Gate Stables in San Francisco and he left the Mather Pack Station in the able hands of his son, Jay. It was an easy transition; Jay had spent his entire life learning the ropes at his father’s side and had been handling much of the work since he was a teen.

One of the trips offered by the pack station is a breakfast ride, which has Jay cooking a good, old-fashioned cowboy breakfast over a campfire in a Dutch oven that’ll stick to your ribs for a long ride on the trails in God’s country where there’s nothing but wildlife, nature and the sound of the wind whistling through the trees.

Joe Barnes passed away in 1988 but his stories live on at Mather Saddle and Pack Station, taking on legendary status as the storytellers embellish a little here and there (just like Joe used to back in the day).

For more information on the Mather Saddle and Pack Station, or to make reservations, call 209-847-5753 or 209-379-2334 or send an email.

Owned by the City of San Francisco
Camp in session June - September
Claudia Reinhart, Camp Manager

2011 - there will be 10 summer sessions starting June 11 and ending the week of August 13.Easiest week to get in is Week 10 (8/13) when SF schools are in session.

Fall Camp is back,September 8-12 and September 15-19.Interested individuals may visit the city's Camp Mather web site,call the Mather desk of the San Francisco Park and Recreation Department at 831-2715 or 831-6800 or visit McLaren Lodge, 501 Stanyan, in Golden Gate Park on the corner of Fell and Stanyan Streets. APPLICATION ONLINE, available until deadline.

Proof of residence requires updating annually. If you miss the application deadline for Summer  ~ After the notification date  you may call the Mather Desk, 831-2715,  to see if there are any openings.  You may also call 1 or 2 weeks before the week you want to go to see if there have been cancellations. The waiting list is only for those who applied by the February  deadline, but did not get a reservation. Call Camp Mather directly,  209-379-2284, Thursday nights to see if there are any last minute vacancies for the following week.  Mather Manager, Claudia Reinhart, offers available reservations from last minute cancellations on a first come first served basis at camp.

Open 10 full weeks June 11 through August 20, 2011 for families and groups. Cabins, tent sites, meals, horse stables, lake, pool, tennis, badminton court, ping pong tables, softball-soccer field, volleyball courts. Organized programs, campers choose events or relax at camp. Programs and activities for every age group every day: crafts, fishing, archery, hikes, mountain biking, special teen activities, tournaments, talent shows, bingo, dances, movies, swimming.

Cost for San Francisco residents for a week, 2 adults and 2 children in a 4 person cabin, is on the SFR+P website; higher rates for non-SF-residents.  Short Fall Weeks, when offered, are prorated. Fees are increased yearly that reflect the cost of living. More information HERE.

ADA Accessibility: Camp Mather paved several roads through camp many years ago for ADA accessibility. We have 6 cabins which are designated Accessible as they have ramps and paved path to the door. 3 of the 6 bathhouses are accessible: Bath House B, Bath house C and the Pool Bath house. There is a 4th bath house which can be opened upon request, as it has in the past, to be used by someone living in the campsites out by the ball field. When registering, notice that there is a place on the form to request an accessible cabin. If at any time assistance is needed while at camp, just let staff know at the office and they will do their best to assist. If you have further questions about camp, you can contact Claudia Reinhart, Camp Manager, at email address: mathermanager@hotmail.com

FOR INFORMATION ON SENIOR WEEKS  Call 415.666.7079; ages 55 and over  - the weeks before and after the regular 10-week season

Strawberry Music Festival leases the camp Memorial and Labor Day weekends. See their site for more information.  

Camp Mather General Store is run by Friends of Camp Mather; all profits go back into the camp.  The laundry room washers and dryers have been donated to Camp Mather by FoCM; they are overseen by Camp Mather staff. Accomodations in the Yosemite area - click here Questions? Contact Claudia Reinhart with any questions about policies, ADA, hiring practices, etc.

Summer jobs  Job listings are at www.sfgov.org/dhr , listed under the Recreation + Park Department.