The
California Alpine Club is an all-volunteer, outdoors-oriented,
non-profit social club. CAC owns two historic lodges: Alpine Lodge on Mt.
Tamalpais in the northwest San Francisco Bay Area, and Echo Summit Lodge
at South Lake Tahoe. CAC's 501(c)(3) CAC Foundation makes annual grants
to local environmental and conservation efforts.
CAC purposes are: to explore, enjoy, and protect the natural resources of our land,
including wildlife, forests and plants, water and scenic values; to
support and promote educational programs on these and related subjects;
at all times to protect and, as far as we are able, improve the
environment in which we live; and to strengthen a sense of community
among our Members and Associate Members.
Founded
in 1913, the California Alpine Club has carried on a gracious tradition
of hospitality and outdoor fun for more than a hundred years, and is
still going strong! We hike, ski, canoe, explore, relax, teach,
celebrate, build stuff, work together, and cook memorable meals at our
lodges to share with friends.
Alpine Lodge on Mt. Tamalpais and Echo Summit Lodge on the South Lake Tahoe rim are central to many Club activities. For
decades, members have shared their knowledge of local hikes, outdoor
getaways, domestic and international travel destinations, wilderness
tips, personal stories, and local conservation news. This kind of
sharing is the real commerce of our social Club! The CAC has fostered
wonderful memories and nurtured many lifelong friendships.
In 1925 the CAC acquired the Alpine Lodge on the Panoramic Highway
above Mill Valley. Since then, member Innkeepers (Innkeepers Schedule)
have hosted the Sunday Open House each weekend from 9am-3pm for members,
their guests, and the general public. Light refreshments are offered
for a small donation. Take a tour of the lodge and learn about the Club.
Drop-ins on Sundays are always welcome!
Members of the California Alpine Club have been leading hikes on Mt.
Tam every Sunday for over a hundred years! Explore the extraordinary
environs, diversity, and vistas of the Golden Gate National Recreation
Area, Muir Woods, and other local Marin County wilderness treasures.
We encourage all members to introduce their family and friends to
great outdoor experiences. Sundays at Alpine Lodge are a wonderful place
to start.
Ever hiked Mt. Whitney—the highest summit in the contiguous United
States—and signed the Hikers Register at the top? Between the years of
1916-1923, early members of the California Alpine Club placed the Hikers
Register there and on eighteen other California peaks in the Sierra
Nevada.
The Club has a history of exploration and adventure. Recent CAC
outings have included: a five-day Canyonlands National Park canoe trip
down the Green River in Utah ($200 included CAC-member guide, river and
safety equipment, and meals); several five-day base camp trips with pack
mules into Kings Canyon, Sequoia National Park, and Inyo National
Forest ($250-$350 included CAC-member guide, gear-by-mule transport, and
meals); cabin jumping for eight days in the Swiss Alps ($1,200 included
CAC-member guide, accommodations, some meals, and optional side trips);
a 3-day Humboldt County hotel+hiking getaway ($115 included CAC-member
guide, 2-night hotel accommodations, and some trail meals), to name a
few. CAC outings are planned, organized, and run by experienced Club
volunteers to be affordable, safe, and accommodating. Prices mentioned
are vintage 2012. Current prices may vary depending on vendor
arrangements.
All Volunteers … Still Going Strong!
The California Alpine Club is a 501(c)(7) non-profit social club with
approximately 700 members, including many multi-generational family
memberships. While most members live in California, some hail from other
states. Members are expected to volunteer to help with Club activities
at least once a year. Our California Alpine Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
educational and charitable organization that raises funds and issues
financial grants to conservation and environmental education endeavors.
A board of eleven elected member-officers, with several standing
committees for support, governs the California Alpine Club. Each lodge
is managed by its own set of five elected trustees, and operated with
the help of many member volunteers. Each lodge is independent and
responsible for its own revenue, expenses, and budget. Trustees organize
member and prospective member work parties to maintain the properties.
These events may be called work parties . . . but we call them fun! Yes, we are an all-volunteer organization. There is no paid staff.
This unique, non-profit Club has served thousands of members for over a
century and is still going strong!