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YMCA Camp Ravencliff is located in the heart of redwood
country approximately 200 miles north of San Francisco. The
camp occupies a beautiful meadow and wooded hillside on the
banks of the Eel River near the small town of Redway.
Partially bordering on Humboldt Redwoods State Park, with
access to groves of towering ancient redwoods, Ravencliff's
unique setting gives it a feeling of serene isolation, yet
the camp is conveniently close to town services in Redway
and nearby Garberville, including two major grocery stores,
restaurants, shops, and a hospital with a 24-hour emergency
room.
Archaeological studies have established that the hillside
Camp Ravencliff now occupies has been inhabited by human
beings for at least 4,000 years. At least two major groups
of Native Americans used the site as a winter village to
which they returned year after year. Sadly, the most recent
Native group, a band of Sinkyone people, were massacred by a
militia of settlers in the 1860's, in nearby Whittemore
Grove.
The Sinkyone called their village "To-che-be" (pronounced
"Toechaybay"). The name "Sinkyone" (pronounced "Sinkeeohnee")
comes from their name for the South Fork of the Eel River, "Sinkekok."
They named the cliffs on the opposite river bank "Bus-ke-nes"
(pronounced "BooshkanesS"), meaning "talking cliffs,"
because of the remarkably loud and distinct echo, which many
Ravencliff campers have experienced for themselves.
Traces of the Sinkyone occupation can be seen around
camp, most notably the round mortar holes in the sandstone
outcroppings near the lodge, where acorns were ground into
meal. This site contains the highest concentration of acorn
grinding mortars in the region. Many of the sites used by
the Sinkyone people were near the river and all traces have
been washed away by repeated floods, so the intact mortars
found here have some importance. The sandstone outcrop that
is a dominant feature of the camp has been carved in over
the years by many campers. We no longer allow carving in
order to preserve as much as possible the original rock
intact.
Settlers in the area supported their families by farming,
ranching, and logging, and established many small towns
along the river, including Redway and Garberville.
In the 1930's, the YMCA in Eureka, the county seat,
purchased four acres on the west bank of the Eel River near
Redway and established Camp Ravencliff. Some of the camp
buildings date from that era. The original cabins and shower
house were located close to the river, and were washed away
in the 1964 flood. During that flood, the raging waters tore
the deck off the lodger and water inside the lodge was a
foot deep.
In the 1960's, the Richmond YMCA acquired Ravencliff from
the Eureka YMCA, and also purchased an additional 60 acres
of surrounding meadow and woodland from local owners. With
consolidation, ownership of Ravencliff has passed to the
YMCA of the East Bay. In 1964, the Redway Community Services
District purchased some acreage to the north and west of
camp as part of its wastewater treatment facility. The
southern camp boundary is shared with Humboldt Redwoods
State Park.
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