American Outdoor Education FAQs

Our physical address is: 359 Thousand Pines Rd Crestline, CA 92325 AOE is located in Southern California within the beautiful San Bernardino National Forest at about 5000 feet elevation. What began as a donation of ten acres in 1938 has now developed into over 250 acres of property. We are a private facility that is closed to the public. Some of our notable features are “Inspiration Point” which overlooks Lake Gregory; “Mama Oak,” an oak tree that is older than the United States; and a spectacular view of Mount Baldy.

All cabins at Thousand Pines include private toilet and sink facilities. Most cabins also have private showers, and cabins that do not have showers inside are within a few hundred feet of a shower house, with multiple individual and private showers. All cabins include heaters and lockable doors.

There are 71 threatened or endangered wildlife species in the San Bernardino National Forest, many of which are hard to spot. Most frequently sighted are the gray squirrel; mule deer; lizards; and a variety of birds such as the scrub jay, Stellar’s jay, acorn woodpecker, mountain quail, and mountain chickadee. In the area, but rarely seen, are coyotes and brown bears.

We suggest sending mail to your child, and please be aware that delivery may take longer due to our rural location. We suggest sending mail at least 5 days prior to your child’s arrival date. Mail should include the street address as well as our PO Box to ensure it arrives promptly. It may be addressed as follows: Student’s First and Last Name Name of Student’s School American Outdoor Education 359 Thousand Pines Rd PO Box 3288 Crestline, CA 92325 Outgoing mail may also be sent. If desired, please send an envelope, stamp, and mailing address with them. You can also connect directly with the school or teachers, as well as looking at the property through the webcam attached to the office roof: https://www.thousandpines.com/webcam

Directions to Thousand Pines 359 Thousand Pines Road Crestline, CA 92325 From Interstate 210, exit Waterman Ave. and travel north. Proceed along Highway 18 (towards and up the mountain) approximately 15 miles, to the Highway 138/Crestline cutoff. Take Highway 138 to Crestline (approximately 2 miles). At the 5-way intersection, proceed straight across the intersection, following the signs to Lake Gregory. Do not veer left back on the 138. At the next stop sign, just a 1/4 mile or so, turn left (Fern Drive). This street becomes Lake Drive. Follow the yellow line on Lake Drive down into the lower part of Crestline and through town a bit. Look for California Bank on your left and slow down to make a left. Turn left onto Thousand Pines Road (it intersects Lake Drive across the street from Ace Hardware). Follow the yellow line up Thousand Pines Road into the camp (approximately 1/2 mile). Take the “center” entrance where the sign says “Conference Center” and then park in the main parking lot. Directions to St. Bernardine’s Medical Center, San Bernardino from Thousand Pines (approximately 14 miles and 30 minutes) 2101 N. Waterman Ave. San Bernardino 92404 (909) 336-3651 Head south on Thousand Pines Road. Turn right on Lake Drive. Follow the double yellow line to stay on Lake Drive. Make sure to turn right at the point where it becomes Fern Drive (turn right at the dentist office). Continue straight and Lake Drive becomes Highway 138. Drive on Highway 38 for one mile. Merge onto Highway 18 South towards San Bernardino (bear left). Drive on Highway 18 for nine miles. At the bottom of the mountain Highway 18 becomes Waterman Avenue. Continue on Waterman Avenue for another 2.5 miles. St. Bernardine’s will be on the SE corner of Waterman and Highland (on the left, just past Highland).

The computer and printer are set up for you. The wireless internet connection should be named “TP Guest”. The password is: 9093382705 which is the phone number for the camp. If this internet is not working, please let us know. There is also wireless internet available in the Dining Hall and throughout the camp if you need.

Monday/Tuesday (first day): Lunch/Dinner Calling parents Student illness/ disciplinary issues Emergency meeting on upper field at 2:00pm School photo immediately following emergency meeting Tuesday (only if second day): Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner Morning meeting Calling parents Student illness/ disciplinary issues Wednesday: Breakfast/Dinner Morning meeting Calling parents Student illness/ disciplinary issues Animal presentation in the afternoon. Assist in keeping your students quiet for the presentation. Thursday: Breakfast/Dinner Morning meeting/ Pass out end of the week evaluations for teachers. Calling parents Student illness/ disciplinary issues Teacher Lunch at 12:30pm in the Dining Hall (Food allergies, # of people attending, Dietary concerns) Student Evaluations at 4:30-5:15pm in the Dining Hall. Collect your students’ journals at this time. Teacher evaluations (please leave your keys, teacher box, and evaluations in your leadership housing before you leave on Friday) ​Friday: Breakfast Morning meeting Student illness/ disciplinary issues Autographs 9:45am in Jensen Jeopardy to follow Student medications available to be picked up in the Health Center after 10am

We have several online resources for you and your parents. BLOG • americanoutdoored.com/blog Updated daily, usually late in the morning, this blog can be a tool to help students learn about the program before they come, or to help reassure parents about what their children are doing during the week. The blog will also include a note about the webcam time – students will be visible at a specific time for your parents’ enjoyment and peace of mind. YOUTUBE • youtube.com/@AmericanOutdoorEducation This has our promotional video, as well a playlist of videos useful to the staff: science videos including botany, birds, geology, astronomy, and more, as well as some of our favorite camp songs. FACEBOOK • facebook.com/AmericanOutdoorEducation We’re all on facebook anyway, so we decided that the company should be too. Pictures, updates, and fun. Check it out. Maybe review us too. INSTAGRAM • instagram.com/americanoutdoored ​ Some cross-posts from facebook, but our instagram account also includes its own pictures and updates. Follow us from your school or classroom accounts!