Located in Lake Hughes, California, the Painted Turtle Camp is an innovative concept providing a traditional summer camp experience to children with life threatening illnesses who are unable to attend typical camps due to their medical needs. The site’s adjacency to the Angeles National Forest and the presence of permanent wetlands triggered the involvement of numerous governmental agencies and a lengthy review and approval process.
The goal of the project was to provide a designed rural environment. The landscape for the therapeutic camp was intended to achieve a naturalistic, rather than manicured appearance so that children would feel they were in an authentic rural setting. Productive gardens and orchards provide opportunities for children to interact with nature. The camp’s complex program included access roads for emergency vehicles, paved wheelchair pathways crisscrossing the camp, and a hospital facility, in addition to typical campground structures such as a dining hall, recreation center and cabins. The site also includes an outdoor amphitheater, sports fields, an equestrian ring with stables, and a boathouse with a fishing pier. In addition to the wildflower meadow, there is an organic stone fruit orchard, a fire ring for evening events, a series of over-sized topiary houses, and “hidden” teepees.
