A little adventure, plenty of hanging out, and a Saturday breakfast worth getting up for. At meals and activities, everyone lends a hand. Activity and dinner details will firm up as we get closer.
FRIDAY · OCTOBER 23
SUNSET 6:07 PM PDT · Keep headlamps handy
School. Then camp.
On the road from Pegasus
Head out after regular school pickup and aim for 4 PM at camp. No early dismissal needed.
Arrive at the park
Let’s meet at camp at 4 PM. Check in at the park entrance, then head to Hickey Creek group camps 3 & 4.
Build camp together
First, help with shared canopies, tables, lights, and coolers. Then pitch your family’s tent, grab name tags, and settle in.
Dinner together
The menu and format are still being planned. We’ll get dinner on the table together, then pitch in with dishes and a quick camp reset.
Camp hangout
Catch up with the crew while the boys play. A little downtime before dessert and camp stories.
S’mores + camp stories
If fires are allowed. Otherwise, dessert and stories under the cantina lights.
Quiet camp
Park quiet hours begin. Wind down whenever your son is ready.
Meet at camp at 4 PM. Sites open at 2 PM for anyone helping with early setup.
SATURDAY · OCTOBER 24
SUNSET 6:06 PM PDT · Keep lights handy for pack-up
A proper camp day.
Coffee’s on
First cups and good company while breakfast gets going.
Breakfast blowout
Eggs, bacon, and pancakes or waffles. Griddles sizzling, coffee flowing, and everyone lending a hand.
A daylight adventure
A relaxed walk or hike together. Route and distance chosen for the group and park conditions. A ranger-guided option would be arranged separately.
Lunch at camp
Easy food, then a quick reset together: dishes washed, trash out, and coolers topped up.
Games + free play
A few organized games, Nature Center time, or a Jr. Ranger booklet with your son. Plenty of free play, too. Explore the options.
Just you and your son
Take 20 minutes with your adventure card: a small challenge and one good conversation.
A favorite memory + group photo
A quick moment together while everyone is still here.
Dinner with the crew
Menu to come. A bring-your-best potluck is one option we’re considering.
Pack it together
Wash, dry, and load shared gear into vehicles: coolers, crates, kitchen kit, tables, canopies, and borrowed equipment. Leave only overnight essentials and Sunday’s coffee/snack kit.
S’mores + easy camp time
A small s’more kit, camp stories, and a relaxed evening together. Fires only if allowed.
Quiet camp
Same quiet hours, one more night outside.
SUNDAY · OCTOBER 25
Keep it simple.
Coffee + grab-and-go
Costco muffins or similar. No cooking. Or grab breakfast on the way home.
Tents down. Quick sweep.
Shared gear is already packed. Load your family’s overnight kit and check your spot for rubbish and tent stakes.
Head home
Grab your crew and go when you’re ready. Sunday is intentionally simple.
Hard checkout
Both campsites must be clear. One last look for stray stakes, litter, and forgotten gear.
Saturday does the heavy lifting. Leave out only tents, essential overnight lighting, and the smallest coffee/snack kit.
GET TO KNOW O’NEILL
Big trees. Little discoveries.
Oak woodland, canyon trails, and a Nature Center full of things to investigate (and plenty of sticks to admire). There’s plenty to explore between meals and time back at camp.
WALK + WONDER
Take the curious route.
Head out together on a daylight walk. Look for birds, spot animal tracks, and see how many different leaves your sons can find without picking them.
A ranger-guided group hike is an option to arrange with the park. No guided session is booked yet.
NATURE CENTER
Meet the local wildlife.
Explore exhibits about the animals and plants around us. The park lists weekend opening; we’ll confirm hours for our visit.
A good easygoing option between the morning adventure and afternoon games.
ROOM TO ROAM
A trail for your pace.
The park has more than 23 miles of trails. Choose an easy family walk or plan a bike outing suited to your sons’ skills.
Biking is optional. Bring your own bikes and helmets if your family plans to ride.
More ways to spend Saturday.
Playground time. Horseshoes. A game on the community turf. Or work through a Jr. Ranger booklet together and visit park staff for the badge.
Bring a favorite camp game and help get it going. We’ll coordinate group use, route choices, and ranger activities with park staff.
Cooking together, sharing a favorite dish, and telling stories around the table are part of camp. We’re still working out dinner plans with the crew.
FRIDAY DINNER · PLAN TO COME
Friday, with the crew.
Camp cooking, a food pickup, or another group option: we’ll land on a plan together. We’ll share the menu and timing here once it’s settled.
Help shape the menu. Share your dinner preference in the RSVP so we can plan food for the crew.
SATURDAY DINNER · POTLUCK IDEA
A potluck is on the table.
One idea: everyone brings a dish they love. The one that earns requests for the recipe—or at least seconds.
Still a possibility. We’ll confirm the format and coordinate dishes and portions together before anyone starts shopping.
Saturday: the breakfast blowout—eggs, bacon, pancakes or waffles. Sunday: coffee and muffins, or breakfast on the way home. The cooking gear will already be packed.
At meals and activities, we all pitch in. If the grill’s covered, grab the trash, restock ice, wash dishes, or help set up the next thing. Shared camp first, then our own tents.
01 · FRIDAY SETUP · GEAR + BASECAMP
Build our home base.
Canopies up, tables out, crates where we need them. A few hands get our shared camp ready before we set up our family tents.
Included in Bolts dues. Share your nights, arrival plans, and names and sizes for swag.
PACKING LIST
Bring the essentials.
Check things off as you pack. Your checks stay on this device.
GETTING THERE
From Pegasus to camp.
Let’s meet at camp at 4 PM Friday. Coming from Pegasus? Leave straight after regular school pickup, with everyone on the road by 3:30. Allow time for traffic and park check-in.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 · FROM PEGASUS
Aim for 4 PM at camp. Head out after school pickup.
29.2 miles · typically 35–50 minutes
Google Maps’ traffic forecast for a 3:30 PM departure, checked September 21. Allow extra time to check in and reach our group campsites.
Pegasus carpool: K–2 at 2:40 PM · Grades 3–4 at 3:05 PM · Grade 5+ at 3:20 PM.
The route
From Pegasus, take Ward Street and Ellis Avenue to I-405 South.
Continue via CA-133 North → CA-241 South, then exit 22A for Portola Parkway.
Follow Glenn Ranch Road and Live Oak Canyon Road toward O’Neill. At the park, head to Hickey Creek group sites 3 & 4.
This route uses toll roads. Google Maps also shows alternatives; choose your route and recheck traffic before leaving. The estimate above is a forecast, not a live reading.
FIND OUR CAMP
Hickey Creek. Groups 3 + 4.
After checking in, follow the campground road to the Hickey Creek group camping area. Our spots are group camps 3 and 4.
Official OC Parks map · Yellow circle marks the Hickey Creek group area. Open full-size map ↗
A few camp essentials.
Tents, power + showers
We’re tent camping with no electrical hookups. Bring battery lights and power banks. Restrooms and hot showers are available in the campground.
Campfires + s’mores
Fires depend on current park restrictions and may only be in provided fireplaces, fire rings, or approved camp stoves. Bring heat-treated or certified pest-free firewood; leave park wood where it is.
Quiet camp + park rules
Quiet hours are 10 PM–7 AM, and trails are for daylight use. Park rules prohibit alcohol and amplified sound.
