Feature > Backcountry Adventures
Camp Jeep California Style
Not Your Average Family Vacation
by Trent Riddle
photography by Trent Riddle & JP Francoisse
Trail guides did a great job of handling the task of getting folk to the trail and back in a safe and orderly fashion.
It wouldn’t be Camp Jeep without trail rides. Guided trails were run throughout the weekend. The trails were difficult enough to be fun and short enough to enjoy all Camp Jeep had to offer.
Camp Jeep, a milestone event that took place at Camp Hale just outside of Vale, Colorado, was a concept that came to life in the summer of 1995. After 10 long years, in August of 2004, Camp Jeep was finally held in the Golden State. Having attended not only the first Camp Jeep, but also several others over the years, it was nice to finally have one held in our own backyard, so to speak.
The basics of Camp Jeep have remained the same since the beginning, and the California event was no exception. So what is the concept, you ask? Simple: Jeep owners act as participants — not spectators. Camp Jeep is full of activities for the whole family to enjoy. This is what makes those who attend walk away saying, “this was the best vacation ever!”
In fact, Camp Jeep has more than 150 family-oriented activities. The Kids Village features arts and crafts and miniature Jeep vehicles. The Sports and Adventure Village features a variety of outdoor adventure sports including kayaking, climbing, and scuba diving. The Thrills and Spills Village features extreme athletes performing stunts on skateboards and more. The World of Jeep Village features a Jeep museum and the Jeep Gear Store.
Participants get behind the wheel on a special course for Wrangler Rubicons — a great way to test the superb trail capabilities of this top of the line Wrangler.
If you looked hard around Camp Jeep California, you would have seen not only lots of Wrangler Unlimiteds, but also a few stealthy Rubicon Wrangler Unlimiteds. The Red one is the Rubicon version.
The Jeep History tent had civilian and military Jeeps on display. This one is a reproduction of the MB Jeeps seen in the “Rat Patrol” series on TV.
The Engineering Village, one of our favorite locations, is where owners participate in roundtable discussions with Jeep engineers to learn more about their vehicle’s design and capabilities.
The Adventure Tower could be found in the Adventure Village. Here, you would climb a net ladder, cross a cable bridge with missing planks, and slide down a cable to the ground.
Little Jeepers could drive their own course in a mini Jeep. Soon they’ll want a full-size Jeep to go off to college in.
One of the highlights of the event is Jeep 101. Here, participants test their driving skills over a series of courses designed to teach off-highway driving and safety skills. Even better still, participants learn just what Jeep means by “Trail Rated” by driving a Liberty, Grand Cherokee, or Wrangler. Experienced guides ride along as Jeepers tackle challenges such as large rocks, log crossings, sand, and other off-highway obstacles. At Camp Jeep California, participants also had the chance to test drive the new Wrangler Unlimited and the as-yet-unreleased (at the time) new 2005 Grand Cherokee. Best of all, a special course was set up to demonstrate the abilities of the Rubicon Edition Wrangler. Of course, it wouldn’t be Camp Jeep without a few trail rides. Three levels of trail difficulty were offered with multiple trails being run every hour or so. The trails were fun and short enough for participants to get back to camp for other activities.
On Saturday evening, every participant is invited to attend the Jeep Jubilee. For the California event, the concert featured several emerging artist and groups. While some may not have liked everything, there was something for everyone, musically speaking.
2004 was a golden year for Camp Jeep with two events in the United States. The first for 2004 was the 10th annual, held in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in July. Camp Jeep California was held a month later in the San Ynez Mountains, near Santa Barbara. Also in 2004, Camp Jeep events were held in Europe, Egypt, and South Africa, and a Camp Jeep like event also was held in Australia.
Jeep owners could participate in round-table discussions with Jeep engineers. One could voice desires for future models and features as well as discuss things about their current Jeep.
Saturday evening was the Jeep Jubilee. For the California event, the concert featured several emerging artists and groups.
Adventure is the word in Adventure Village. You could even take a dip in the scuba pool to see if you liked the underwater world.
For information on Camp Jeep for 2005, go to www.jeep.com. This year, Camp Jeep is only scheduled for one USA event in the Pocono Mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania, August 12-14. A mini version of Camp Jeep also is hitting the road and maybe in a town near you. Check out the Jeep Web site for info on this, too.
For those interested, Euro Camp Jeep will be held July 7-10 in France.
For info, go to:
Camp Jeep California offered the chance to try your hand at sea kayaking. The Pacific Ocean was just miles away from camp.
At the Jeep 101 course, you could drive a Liberty, Grand Cherokee, or Wrangler over rough terrain with a guide to offer tips if needed — a perfect way to find out just what “Trail Rated” really means.