Lair of the Golden Bear
Star Party Weekend with Alex Filippenko
This special 3-night experience features stargazing with renowned astrophysicist and Cal professor Alex Filippenko.
November 8–11, 2024
$1,750 plus tax per cabin (up to 6 people)
UC Berkeley Professor of Astronomy Alex Filippenko / KLC Fotos / Cal Alumni Association
About Star Party Weekend
Come see the night sky in a whole new light with world-renowned astrophysicist Alex Filippenko, a distinguished Professor of Astronomy at Cal. Professor Filippenko will lead campers in stargazing and other inspiring acts of astronomy during this very special 3-night weekend at the Lair of the Golden Bear.
Join us for Star Party Weekend, and you will see why students have voted Professor Filippenko UC Berkeley’s “Best Professor” a record-making 9 times.
Star Party Weekend campers enjoy stays in our new year-round cabins at Camp Oski. A total of 15 heated cabins are available, each sleeping up to 6 people.
Professor Alex Filippenko
Alex Filippenko is a Richard & Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley. For his work, he has been awarded several major prizes, including the Gruber Cosmology Prize and the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
An elected member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Alex is one of the world’s most highly cited astronomers. His primary areas of research, in which he is a leading authority, are exploding stars, black holes, gamma-ray bursts, active galaxies, and the expansion of the Universe. He is the recipient of numerous prizes for his scientific research, and was the only person to have been a member of both teams that revealed the accelerating expansion of the Universe, propelled by mysterious “dark energy.” This discovery was honored with the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics to the teams’ leaders and the 2015 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics to all team members. He was one of only two recipients of Caltech’s 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Read California magazine’s Q&A with Professor Filippenko (Summer 2022).
Around the virtual campfire: in 2020, Professor Filippenko delighted sheltered-in-place campers with his talk “Exploding Stars and New Planets.”
Cabin Details
All meals are included, starting with dinner on the day of your arrival, and ending with breakfast on the morning of your departure.*
Cabins are heated and each has its own private bathroom with shower and kitchenette with microwave, Keurig coffeemaker, and mini-fridge.
Fall and Winter stays in our Year-Round Cabins include bedding and linens (sheets, pillows, blankets, and towels).
Note: Summer stays do not include linens or bedding.
* Oktoberfest weekend includes lodging only.
At day's end, enjoy quality time fireside with friends and loved ones.
Inside Our Cabins
Fully winterized cabins offer spacious, cozy interiors, including living spaces, bunk beds, and lofts.
Each cabin sleeps up to 6 guests.
The multi-purpose living space doubles as a hangout spot on chilly days.
The semi-private loft space is perfect for extended family or a teen guest seeking a bit more privacy.
Weatherized cabins are a cozy home base in any season.
Ensuite bathrooms include sink, toilet, and shower (accessible shower pictured).
Ensuite bathrooms include sink, toilet, and shower (accessible bathroom pictured).
Ensuite bathrooms include step-in showers (standard shower pictured).
The main floor features a queen bed, bunk bed, living area, and ensuite bathroom.
Each cabin features a loft that can function as a play area and sleep up to two additional guests.
The loft is accessible from the main floor by ladder.
Where You'll Stay
The E and F cabins are each a group of five cabins in a circular formation centered around a fire pit. The G cabins are arranged in a row with beautiful forest views and a fire pit at the end of the row. We provide firewood and s’mores fixings for cozy, warm evening fun.
Each cabin sleeps up to 6 guests and includes a queen bed; bunk bed (2 twin mattresses); and 2 single beds in the loft, which are best for kids ages 8 and up.
Units E1, F1, G1, and G2 are ADA-compliant.
Fall and Winter Weekend Calendar
Get away to the mountains during our 2- and 3-night weekends at the Lair.
All fall and winter weekend guests stay in one of our Camp Oski Year-Round Cabins.
| 2024–2025 Weekends | |
|---|---|
| Dodge Ridge Oktoberfest Weekend |
October 4-6 2-night stay, lodging only Single night stay, lodging only |
| Indigenous People's Day Weekend |
October 11–14 $1,250 plus tax per cabin |
| Fall Weekend |
November 1–3 $988 plus tax per cabin |
| Star Party Weekend with Alex Filippenko |
November 8–11 $1,750 plus tax per cabin |
| Fall Weekend |
December 6–8 $988 plus tax per cabin |
| MLK Weekend |
January 17 – 20 $1,250 plus tax per cabin |
| President's Day Weekend |
February 14 – 17 $1,250 plus tax per cabin |
Book a Fall or Winter Weekend
By Phone
By Email
Book Now
Visit the Lair’s booking site at lair.alumni.berkeley.edu and create a login to start your new reservation.
Our Partners
