At Home in the Great Outdoors
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.
Sundays at Alpine Lodge: Innkeepers, Hikes, and Hospitality
In 1925 the CAC acquired the Alpine Lodge on the Panoramic Highway above Mill Valley. Since then, member Innkeepers ( Sunday 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!
Guided Hikes on Mt. Tam
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. Contact the leader on the Sunday Hike Leader Schedule to let the hike leader know you would like to hike with us.
We encourage all members to introduce their family and friends to great outdoor experiences. Sundays at Alpine Lodge are a wonderful place to start.
Afar and On Top
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. (Read about CAC’s History.)
The Club has a history of exploration and adventure. We have a Club Outings group leading travel trips and hikes near and far. It is a great opportunity to get to know Club members in a smaller group and in a new way. CAC outings are planned, organized, and run by experienced Club volunteers to be affordable, safe, and accommodating. New trip leaders and organizers are always welcome.
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. Visit the California Alpine Club Foundation page to learn more, and to donate!
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!