San Marcos is located in the Santa Barbara Mountains and is a great spot for your next church retreat, team building day, corporate meetings, youth group retreat and more!  Less than 25 minutes from the Central California Coast and Pacific Ocean, guests are are able to experience a wide variety of diverse local landscapes with ease.
San Marcos Christian Camp and Conference Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization focused on Christ-centered ministry. Located in the beautiful Santa Barbara mountains at about 1,100 feet in Southern California, we host Program Camps throughout the year for youth and adults. Each season holds unique camp experiences such as our youth summer camp, and a men's conference in the Fall. We also host custom retreats (Guest Groups) year-round at our Conference Center, which can include meals, lodging, and recreation. During the school year, we host an Outdoor Science School for 5th and 6th graders.

COME CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM RETREAT PERFECT FOR YOUR GROUP AND YOUR GOALS! WE'RE HERE TO HELP!

HERE ARE A THREE TIPS TO HELP PLAN AND PROGRAM AN EFFECTIVE RETREAT!

#1.  THE BIG PICTURE

The first question to ask yourself or your leadership team is, “What is the purpose of this retreat?” Is it to do some activities that are intended to build group unity? Do you plan to lead an intense, introspective, solitary experience for your people? Or do you want a fun, full of activity, escape from daily life where you can reach non-believers in your group with the message of the gospel? Knowing the demographic of the people you are working with will be crucial here. That will influence your determination of what you intend to accomplish with you retreat. Once you have that question answered, you can move on to the next step.

#2.  SPIRITUAL IMPACT

The next step is to consider your theme and curriculum. This step takes a bit of time to develop, but for now you just need to know the basics. What is the main “message” of this retreat experience? What is the primary goal you want all your participants to meet? How would you define success, in terms of what your people walk away with? Once you figure out the main theme, core curriculum, and main topics, you can move onto the next step.

#3.  MAKE A SCHEDULE

Once you know your purpose for the retreat, and once you know the main subject matter of your group times together, you can start to plan the schedule. First of all there are some basics EVERY GROUP at San Marcos needs. Everyone needs housing (if your program is an overnighter), meals (unless you make other arrangements), and a place to meet (depending on group size and goals of those meetings).

We're happy to help you create an incredible experience.
Call (805) 967-5773 or Sign up below! ​
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TM Camping is a 501(c)3 non profit