The HI-Fullerton Hostel has been operating in Brea Dam Park under a lease from the US Army Corps of Engineers since 1985. HI-Fullerton is a 20-bed youth hostel which operates during the summer months. In 2008 the hostel welcomed over 1300 guests. Since its opening in 1985 the hostel has recorded over 90,000 overnights. The HI-Fullerton hostel received awards in 2007 and 2008 from HI-USA for the highest HI-USA Quality Standards score for a hostel in its category.

The Hostelling Movement began in 1909 when Richard Schirrmann, a German school teacher, began taking his students on overnight field trips in the countryside to encourage a healthy lifestyle and an appreciation of the natural world. Hostelling was brought to the United States in 1934 by school teachers and scout leaders Isabel and Monroe Smith, after they experienced European hostels on a trip with their students. By the next year, hostels had sprung up all around New England in farmhouses, with the farmer and his wife acting as house-parents, supported by local townspeople.

HI-USA hostels, found in many cities as well as in rural communities and recreation areas across America, are enjoyed by people of all ages, families, and groups. The shared accommodations include user kitchen and lounge areas all designed to bring guests together. Frequented by international and domestic travelers alike, hostels offer a unique opportunity to interact with people of other cultures, which encourages international friendships and greater understanding.

Hostelling International-USA, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, operates more than 60 hostels across the USA. HI-USA is the US affiliate of the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF), which encompasses some 4,000 hostels in more than 80 countries. HI-USA's mission is "to help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling."