Pendleton Lake O'Neill
November 6–8, 2026
Weekend at a glance
Train together. Conquer the elements. Mighty Creek hosts our third campout of the season at Lake O’Neill on Camp Pendleton — an elements weekend of airbending, firebending, earthbending and waterbending.
Team challenges, elephant toothpaste and pin activities, fishing and mini golf at the lake, and a movie night: The Last Airbender.
It is also Induction weekend. The Induction Ceremony is Saturday night, and it is one the whole expedition turns out for.
Registration closes Monday, November 2. Sign up with the Y before then — nobody attends unregistered, buddy passes included.
Around the campground: bike riding, frisbee golf, fishing, mini golf, horseshoes, and volleyball, basketball and baseball equipment.
Campaign 50/50 raffle: $10 a ticket on Venmo at @Nicholas-Look-1 — put “Raffle” in the note. It is the same account as the Annual Campaign; the QR code is on the flyer and on the Donate page. The winner is drawn at Sunday chapel.
Lake O’Neill is on an active Marine Corps base. Enter at the Del Mar Gate. The base lets us in Friday 2pm–8pm and Saturday 9–11am and 2–4pm only, so plan your arrival inside those windows. Expect every adult to show ID, and every driver the car’s registration and proof of insurance, at the gate.
Friday night: Balance of Elements
Friday at 10pm, under the stars. Each circle makes a small bite, enough for everyone to have a taste. Every element is a flavor — air sweet, water salty, fire spicy, earth savory — so bend as many as you can into the dish and keep them in balance. Each circle names one judge; the winner is crowned Avatar Cook of the Expedition and takes home the Golden Teapot.
Arcade game · final boards
Conquer the Elements
Water, earth, fire and air come at you from every side. Bend each one back as it hits the ring. Forty attacks, one airbender, no second chances.
The boards froze when the campout started — the kids board earned each circle its season points.
The weekend
Friday, Nov 6
You can drive onto the main area to unpack and pack, but can’t keep your car there.
Popcorn!
Each circle brings a small bite combining as many of sweet, spicy, savory and salty as it can balance. One judge per circle; the winner takes the Golden Teapot.
Saturday, Nov 7
Air bending: kite assembly and flying (11-year-olds). Fire bending: starting a campfire (9–10). Water bending: fill the buckets (7–8). Earth bending: rock-carrying relay race (5–6). Plus the elephant toothpaste geyser. Each circle needs 1–2 dads to coordinate the boys.
Mixed-circle tug of war for dads and for sons — 2 dads and 2 boys from each circle. Stilts for pins. Then fishing, bike riding and mini golf. Fishing needs a California state license and a Camp Pendleton base permit for dads, both sold at the Pacific Plaza Exchange.
Skits from Mighty Creek, Buccaneers and Blue Hawks. Boys’ hula hoop contest. Fart Bender, a dads’ event: best fart sounds, freestyle.
New dads and sons, and select council members.
Freestyle.
Sunday, Nov 8
Award ceremony and the 50/50 raffle drawing.
What to pack
Core Campout Gear
Check the poles before you leave home.
Two — one for you, one for your pal.
One each, plus spare batteries.
Tent sites rarely have power.
Backpack or wheeled — you carry it from the car.
Hand anything prescription to your circle leader.