When Don Burkhart first arrived at Redwood Christian Park, a Christian camp in California nestled in the redwoods, as a teenager in 1951, he couldn’t have imagined how deeply this place would shape his life. What began as a ten-day camp meeting soon became the beginning of a lifelong connection, one rooted in faith, community, and the peaceful beauty of the redwoods.

He was just sixteen, attending camp with his family and his camera in hand. “It was Wednesday, the middle of the week of a ten-day camp meeting,” Don recalls. “I was standing in the back with my camera because my dad was a professional photographer, and I brought my camera to take pictures. When the altar call came, the Holy Spirit led me to go down, all the way down to the altar that is there today, just like it was 74 years ago, and I received Jesus as Savior and Lord of my life. I’ve never been the same since.”

That moment changed everything. From that day on, Don returned to Redwood Christian Park every summer he could. “One of the special things about this place,” he says, “is that it has kept its focus on being a Bible camp, keeping the emphasis on opening our lives to Jesus Christ.”

Over the decades, Don has witnessed thousands of lives transformed beneath the towering trees. “Many, many persons as they come on the grounds sense the presence of the Holy Spirit here,” he shares. “I look at it like a bit of heaven, an introduction to what heaven will be, as we have fellowship, beautiful fellowship, with brothers and sisters in Christ.”

For Don, that fellowship now extends across generations. “Many of our children and grandchildren, even, [have come]  into faith and surrender[ed] their lives right here on the campgrounds,” he says. “That’s one of the greatest blessings.”

This photo depicts four generations of the Burkhart family: 7 great-grandchildren and 5 grandchildren gathered at Family Camp, continuing a legacy that began over 70 years ago.

Even after more than seven decades, Don still looks to the future with hope and anticipation. “I look in the future to see another third [Family Camp] soon to accommodate all the 400 people we can accommodate here,” he says. “It’s unlimited, of course, as to how many more camps can be established. It’s just such a wonderful location and atmosphere here.”

From that first camp at sixteen years old  to the family  that followed him, Don’s story reflects what makes Redwood Christian Park so unique. It’s  a sacred space where faith is renewed, lives are transformed, and God’s presence can be felt beneath the redwoods for generations.