Lost Valley has a rich past, from early Indian days, through the cattlemen and homesteaders who settled in the area in the late 19th Century, to more than half a century of Scouting history.
 
The Indian history of Lost Valley stretches back thousands of years. To the Cupeño people, it was known as Wiatava, the place of the oaks. Trade routes cris-crossed the valley, and the annual acorn harvest was an important event each fall.
 
Local cattlemen discovered the valley in the 1870s, driving their stock up the mountain for summer grazing. For more than 60 years, the Bergman family ran cattle in Lost Valley. Arlie Bergman’s homestead cabin, built in 1915, still stands.
 
Today, Schoepe Scout Reservation at Lost Valley is one of the best-known summer camps in Southern California. Purchased in 1959, the camp opened for its first summer in 1964.