Title
Receive a report on Toro Park Youth Overnight Area (YONA) use.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the Monterey County Parks Commission receive a report on Toro Park Youth Overnight Area (YONA) use.
SUMMARY:
At the August 9, 2022, regularly scheduled Monterey County Parks Commission meeting, Commissioner Sanchez requested a report from Staff regarding the use of the Toro Park YONA reservation site.
DISCUSSION:
Toro Park was opened to the public in 1971 with the YONA site being completed shortly thereafter. The YONA is a group reservation area that was created for youth-oriented camping activities. The site has a full commercial kitchen with service window and covered dining area, outdoor barbeque pit and food prep/serving area, showers, bathrooms, amphitheater fire ring, eight (8) developed camping areas, and a seasonal pond with dock. YONA is situated at the top of ridge, approximately one-half mile past the improved picnic areas at the front of the park. View of the Salinas Valley can be seen from the site with numerous trails branching off in many directions. Maximum occupancy is 200 people. The reservation rate is $260 per day with a $200 cleaning/safety deposit.
While YONA is used by many local and out-of-area groups such as Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, schools, churches, youth clubs and organizations, the group with the longest historical and annual use is the City of Monterey's Camp Quien Sabe (CQS). CQS has been in existence since 1952, with the camp being setup at different site each year. Due to the unknown nature of each year's site, the name CQS was chosen as it means, Camp Who Knows. In 1975, CQS came to Toro Park YONA and has never left. In 2022, CQS celebrated its 45-anniversary of being at Toro Park. Each year CQS reserves YONA at the end of their current camp to ensure use the following year.
Each year, CQS hosts approximately 400 to 500 campers, ranging in age from 7 to 15.9 years of age (Attachmen...
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