Discover and Celebrate the Bliss of the Asheville and Western North Carolina Area Summer Camps.
Summer camps in the mountains and foothills of Western North Carolina have a long tradition going back generations. These are places where new friendships are formed, new skills mastered and friendships and memories made that will last a lifetime.
Asheville Summer Day Camps
Asheville Arts Center
".... fun and enriching summer camps designed to engage toddlers to teens with performing arts adventures.
Camps include: Across the Arts Theatre & Music Camp, Rock Band, Ballet, Kindermusik, Irish Dance, Tot Hollywood and more!..."
ClimbMax Climbing Center Youth Rock Climbing Camps
"... two Youth Climbing Camps.... a week long program of rock climbing fun with the climbing professionals. Each participant will receive personal and professional instruction provided by our top notch guides. Our staff is creative and genuinely enthusiastic about teaching climbing to children and teens. We welcome a broad range of ages and experience levels and offer a rewarding and enriching experience to all who choose to particplate...."
Health Adventure's Discover Science Camp
Various Theme-based 2-week sessions for various age groups: Mystery Science, Design Challenge, Young Adventures Make a Splash, Young Adventures Around the World, Girls Investigating Real Science, Family Robotics Workshop, Potpourri
Boys Summer Residential Camps
Camp Arrowhead Boys Camp
"... High Adventure, High Fun,,, Awesome, high-adventure Christian summer camp for boys 6-16, located in Western North Carolina ,,,"
Camp Carolina Boys Camp
"...is a camp in which boys learn to feel with their hearts, do with their hands, and live together in the spirit of brotherhood.... taught to appreciate simplicity of life, values of human relations, wonders of nature, importance of self reliance, respect for our natural environment and the thrill of high adventure.... Camp Carolina is a boy's summer paradise of 220 acres nestled in Lamb's Creek Valley, and bordered by over 2 million acres of public lands that include Pisgah, Nantahala, & Cherokee National Forests, Dupont & Gorges State Parks and the Great Smokey Mountains National Park..."
Camp Chosatonga for Boys and Camp Kahdalea for Girls
"... Each camp has its own dining hall and lodge, recreation areas, cabins, lake, and various other facilities... The camps are nestled deep within the Pisgah National Forest ... providing a rustic and tranquil environment that has not been touched by the busy life of urban America.... facilities include climbing walls, athletic fields, arts and crafts areas, a high ropes course, riflery and archery ranges, five tennis courts, riding facilities, a gymnasium, nature trails and campsites..."
Camp High Rocks for Boys
"... In an atmosphere that de-emphasizes competition and elevates community and personal growth, High Rocks has watched children develop confidence, self esteem, and team working skills for almost fifty years. Outdoor adventure skills ranging from rock climbing and ropes courses to backpacking and canoeing taught in a supportive environment, have proven to be an invaluable tool for teaching young people the skills needed not only to safely enjoy the world around us, but to be a positive force in their communities as well...." 1,000 acres adjoins state forest. About 9 miles south of Brevard in Cedar Mountain, NC.
Camp Merri-Mac Girls Camp ... a traditional Christian Summer Camp for Girls (sister camp to Camp Timberlake) in Black Mountain North Carolina. Video shows 'tribal initiation' ceremony.
Camp Pinnacle Boys Camp
35 acre lake surrounded by 150 acres of wilderness, indoor/outdoor basketball, soccer, softball, putt-putt, fishing, tennis, walking trails, volleyball, horseshoes included. Canoeing, paddleboats, swimming and 'the Blob', sport climbing tower, ropes course, initiative challenge, mountain biking, rafting, rock climbing.. Located 15 minutes from Hendersonville, 20 minutes from Asheville Airport
Camp Rockmont Boys Camp
"... an interdenominational Christian summer camp for boys, Camp Rockmont seeks to provide each camper with fun and adventure through appropriate challenges; a better understanding and respect for self and others through group living and shared experiences; an appreciation and concern for the environment; greater self-reliance; stronger Christian values; and a greater understanding of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ...." Located in Black Mountain.
Deep Woods Camp for Boys
"... Our
specialization in a total wilderness adventure program means
there are no in-camp alternatives. Applicants should want to come to DEEP WOODS, should be open
to challenges and should have interest in outdoor
activities..." Located 7 miles south of Brevard NC
Falling Creek Boys Camp
"... believes that boys living together with fellow campers from different parts of the world fosters social maturity.... we make an effort to balance our enrollment by accepting campers from various geographic areas. Embracing traditional Christian values, Falling Creek welcomes all campers and strives to nurture spiritual growth in a relaxed setting.
Explore the Bliss of Summer Camp
Peterson's Make Summer Count: Programs & Camps for Teens & Kids 2008 "... Teens and their parents can find eye-opening summer opportunities that
combine the excitement of being in a new environment with the joy of
learning new things. Handy index for quick programs and activity
reference. How to turn summer experiences into great college
application materials. Advice and insight from camp directors and
college admission deans...."
The Summer Camp Handbook : Everything You Need to Find, Choose and Get Ready for Overnight Camp -- and Skip the Homesickness ".... Clinical psychologists Thurber and Malinowski use their own experiences as campers and camp staff to guide parents in the search for the perfect camp experience for their children. Chapters include the rationale for overnight camping, choosing the right camp, preparing for it, forestalling homesickness, getting the most out of the experience.... describe traditional overnight, specialty, religious, and special-needs camps and give pros and cons for each type...."
Click on each of the dozens of categories to the left to uncover what makes the Asheville area so vital, so intriguing and so, well, UTTERLY BLISSFUL!
Summer Residential Camps for Girls
Camp Glen Arden for Girls
"... a private residential summer camp for girls nestled among the rhododendron and evergreens in the heart of the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains near Tuxedo, North Carolina. Upon entering the Glen Arden gate, you are greeted by a three hundred foot waterfall in a woodland filled with more than 1300 varieties of trees and flowers. We are situated at an elevation of 2,800 feet, and our average summer temperature falls somewhere between 62 and 84 degrees—perfect for just about every type of summer activity...." By car, just 40 minutes from Asheville, North Carolina, 40 minutes from Greenville, South Carolina and three hours from Atlanta.
Camp Green Cove
"... is a traditional, but unique summer program for girls age 6 to 17. Located in the Mountains of Western North Carolina, we emphasize outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding. We believe in fun, adventure, safety, and great instruction. Our program is non-competitive, which encourages experimentation, and non-regimented, which fosters self-direction. Our strengths lie in the quality of our staff and the depth of our program. We value diversity, attracting campers from all 50 states and even a few foreign countries...."
Camp Greystone for Girls
"...is a Christian summer camp for girls located on Lake Edith, near Tuxedo, in the mountains of western North Carolina. Greystone has always been a camp with a purpose and a definite 4-part plan to make that purpose work. We plan and conduct everything to positively affect four key areas of every girl's life... the Spiritual, the Physical, the Mental, & the Social... "
Camp Illahee for Girls
"... Located in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Illahee abounds with natural beauty. But what makes Illahee unique is the individual care given to each camper and the quality of leadership. Together they contribute to the overall excellence of the camp and create an ideal atmosphere for growth, learning and FUN!..."
Camp Merrie Woode for Girls
"...includes a broad array of activities and educational opportunities, encompassing culture and the arts, nature study and conservation, athletics and outdoor adventures. The growth and development of each individual is nurtured, not only physically and intellectually, but morally and spiritually as well. There is a healthy balance between community life and opportunities for quietness and solitude; and many lasting friendships are formed as the camp’s focus is on personal growth rather than competition. Merrie-Woode is a community where each camper is valued for who she is, where the majestic beauty of the surrounding mountains makes her keenly aware of God’s presence. The symbol of light pervades our camp tradition. It is our hope that each camper will carry that light with her, recognizing her talents and capacity for learning, possessing a sense of physical competence and well-being and the desire to serve the ever-widening world in which she will grow into adulthood. She will certainly leave this place of “rarest beauty” with many memories - of evenings by the campfire, canoeing trips, hikes, and horseback rides - and friends for a lifetime..." Fairfield Lake, Sapphire
Camp Tonawandah
"... Our name means "by the fall of water." Girls, ages 6 through 15, return each year for our extensive program which offers instruction in more than twenty areas including: archery, riflery, tennis, swimming, horseback riding, canoeing, arts and crafts, drama, dance, basketball, soccer, volley-ball, kayaking, creative cooking, mountaineering, high ropes, rock climbing and more. We also offer frequent trips to various area sites for picnics, hiking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing and campouts...." Located in Flatrock, NC
Gwynn Valley for Girls
"... situated on 320 acres in the beautiful blueridge mountains in Brevard, NC, has been a summer camp for younger boys and girls since 1935. We offer a farm, wilderness, and traditional program that nurtures the child while fostering a connection with the land and the simple joys of childhood. Mary Gwynn created a camp based on the values of simplicity and acceptance, where children could thrive in a noncompetitive atmosphere that emphasized individual achievement..."
Keystone Camp for Girls
"... has encouraged and supported girls to become strong individuals. Teaching Keystone campers life-long skills and values in a fun and nurturing environment is the hallmark of the Keystone Camp experience. Established in 1916 and since then a long tradition in Brevard, North Carolina, Keystone strives to develop the total girl on an individual basis. Keystone offers excellent programs in horsemanship, daily horseback riding, tennis, land sports, water sports on two lakes, gymnastics, arts and crafts, dramatics, rock climbing, and hiking in Pisgah National Forest...."
Co-Ed Summer Camp Opportunities
Great Smoky Mountain National Park Summer Camp Opportunities
"... Come with us on an awesome outdoor adventure. Tremont offers an in-depth learning experience that fosters an understanding of these beautiful mountains, and encourages a lifelong appreciation and stewardship of the environment. Our camps offer high quality environmental education programs that focus on Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the issues it faces. Imagine splashing around in an icy cold mountain stream, climbing ridges to an unbelievable view, or choosing from a variety of activities to discover nature through hands-on explorations, day hikes and crafts. It’s hard to imagine education being so much fun, but here at Tremont, it certainly is! Campers who return year after year are testimony to this fact. From backpacking in the wilderness to learning about the secret haunts of salamanders, the Institute offers a variety of opportunities to serve different interests, abilities and age groups. Check it out and find the program that is just right for you or the young person in your life. We have financial aid available...."
Sleepaway: The Girls of Summer and the Camps They Love "...With the warm and nostalgic feel of a scrapbook, Sleepaway transports grown-up campers back to the treasured days of summer and their first taste of independence. Written by Laurie S. Kahn, a former advertising executive (who overcame her disappointment at not being color war captain only when she was named director of radio and television production at Young & Rubicam in New York),
Sleepaway collects a hundred years of camp lore, plus vintage photographs, letters, songs, badges, postcards, and autographed pillowcases. Here are stories that instantly evoke memories of a first bunk (remember the smell of damp towels piled up on a rainy day?), of swimming tests and socials (a chance for a first kiss!), of rowdy singalongs, joyous mealtimes, mail call, and the hilarity of a short-sheeted bed. There's a recipe for bug juice; instructions for playing jacks, folding the perfect hospital corner, and making a lanyard; camp packing lists; Best Make-Out Songs by Decade; and--at last!--the complete lyrics to John Jacob Jingelheimer Schmidt. A perfect gift for every woman who wishes she still had name tags in her clothes...."
Children's Nature: The Rise of the American Summer Camp ".... chronicles the history of the American summer camp, from its invention in the late nineteenth century through its rise in the first four decades of the twentieth century. Leslie Paris investigates how camps came to matter so greatly to so many Americans, while providing a window onto the experiences of the children who attended them and the aspirations of the adults who created them.
Summer camps helped cement the notion of childhood as a time apart, at once protected and playful. Camp leaders promised that campers would be physically and morally invigorated by fresh mountain air, simple food, daily swimming, and group living, and thus better fit for the year to come. But camps were important as well because children delighted in them, helped to shape them, and felt transformed by them. Focusing primarily on the northeast, where camps were first founded and the industry grew most extensively, and drawing on a range of sources including camp films, amateur performances, brochures, oral histories, letters home, industry journals, camp newspapers, and scrapbooks, Children’s Nature brings this special and emotionally resonant world to life...."
