Every summer, many fun and interesting camps are available for kids in WNC. From having adventures outdoors to fellowship to learning music and entrepreneurial skills, there is a camp for almost any interest. The following is a listing of camps that may intrigue you and your children:
Adventure & Travel
Asheville Parks and Recreation Adventure Camp
749 Fairview Road, Asheville • 251-4029 • ashevillenc.gov/parks • outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov • facebook.com/APRCA
Activities include hiking, rafting, swimming, tubing, environmental education and camping. Campers must bring lunch and water daily and provide their own sleeping bag and pad. Space is limited. Fee: $200/session. City of Asheville residents receive a $10/session discount. Monday-Wednesday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; overnight campout on Thursday, pickup at noon on Friday. At press time, both sessions were fully booked.
Coed • Ages 8-12 • Weekly • Full-day • Adventure 1: June 15-19; Adventure 2: July 13-17
Asheville Parks and Recreation Big Adventure Camp
749 Fairview Road, Asheville • 251-4029 • ashevillenc.gov/parks • outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov • facebook.com/APRCA
Activities include tubing at Deep Creek, caving at Worley’s and rafting the Nantahala (Class III) and Ocoee (Class IV) rivers. Campers will help set up and break down primitive camps, cook meals and follow all safety rules. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; overnight campout on Wednesday, pickup on Thursday at 5 p.m. Space is limited. Fees: $255 includes transportation and all equipment while camping. City of Asheville residents receive $5 discount. Register by phone, or email with your name, participant name, date of birth, address, phone number and program selection, plus a backup selection. Confirmation emails will be sent; registration is open until filled.
Coed • Ages 12-14 • Other • Full-day • July 28-31
Asheville Parks and Recreation Eco-Explorers Camp
749 Fairview Road, Asheville • 251-4029 • ashevillenc.gov/parks • outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov • facebook.com/APRCA
With a focus on environmental education, activities include hiking, climbing at the Montford Wall, stream investigation and a field trip to Grandfather Mountain. Bring lunch and water daily. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; last day 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Space is limited. Fees: $65/session. City of Asheville residents receive a $5/session discount. (Aftercare: $5). Register by phone, or email with your name, participant name, date of birth, address, phone number and program selection, plus a backup selection. Confirmation emails will be sent; registration is open until filled.
Coed • Ages 6-8 • Other • Full-day • Eco-Explorers 1: June 22-24; Eco-Explorers 2: June 30-July 2
Asheville Parks and Recreation Teen Adventure Camp
749 Fairview Road, Asheville • 251-4029 • ashevillenc.gov/parks • outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov • facebook.com/APRCA
A three-day camp focused on outdoor skills, including tubing, hiking, canoeing and whitewater rafting on the Pigeon River (Class II-IV). Campers must bring lunch and water daily. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Space is limited. Fee: $155/session. City of Asheville residents receive a $5/session discount. Register by phone, or email with your name, participant name, date of birth, address, phone number and program selection, plus a backup selection. Confirmation emails will be sent; registration is open until filled.
Coed • Ages 11-14 • Other • Full-day • Session 1: July 7-9; Session 2: July 21-23
Asheville Parks and Recreation Teen Canoe Adventure
749 Fairview Road, Asheville • 251-4029 • ashevillenc.gov/parks • outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov • facebook.com/APRCA
An overnight canoeing camp. Campers will canoe almost 25 miles on the New River in northwest North Carolina. Participants must be able to swim 50 meters and be comfortable in the water. Campers will help set up and break down primitive camps, cook meals and follow all safety rules. Space is limited. Fee: $300/session includes all equipment, meals and transportation. Register by phone, or email with your name, participant name, date of birth, address, phone number and program selection, plus a backup selection. Confirmation emails will be sent; registration is open until filled.
Boys • Ages 12-15 • Weekly • Overnight/Full-day • Session 1: June 23-26; Session 2: June 29-July 2
Asheville Racquet Club Adventure Camp
27 Resort Drive, Asheville • 253-5874 • ashevilleracquetclub.com • thomasjr924@gmail.com
A camp full of fun! Offered in weeklong sessions throughout the summer, the Adventure Camp features activities such as mountain biking, tree climbing, whitewater rafting and zip lining. Located on a 300-acre property, the camp utilizes the on-site Asheville Adventure Center. Campers will also enjoy swimming daily, crafts such as tie-dying and endless games.
Coed • Ages 8-14 • Weekly • Overnight/Full-day • June 15-Aug. 14
Black Mountain Summer Adventures
101 Carver Ave., Black Mountain • 669-2052 • avl.mx/0tb • recreation@townofblackmountain.org • sulzman.net/bmsa/Home.html
Have a summer adventure filled with fun and friends! Black Mountain Summer Adventure Camp is a day camp for rising first- through sixth-graders. We will spend our days park-hopping, hiking, creek-walking, waterfall-finding, swimming, journaling, playing games, doing arts and crafts, going to museums, letterboxing and much, much more!
Coed • Ages 6-11 • Daily • Full-day • June 15-Aug. 7
Camp Crestridge for Girls
P.O. box 279, Ridgecrest 28770 • 669-2613 • ridgecrestcamps.com • rscamps@ridgecrestcamps.com • facebook.com/campcrestridgeforgirls • @campcrestridge
Ridgecrest Summer Camps — Impacting lives for God’s glory through discipleship and adventure. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of N.C., our camps are designed for individual attention, maximum fun and the safety of each child. We facilitate camper growth, offering 25+ activities at each camp taught by solid Christian role models.
Girls • Ages 7-17 • Other • Overnight/Full-day • June 7-Aug. 7
Camp Ridgecrest for Boys
P.O. box 279, Ridgecrest 28770 • 669-8051 • ridgecrestcamps.com • rscamps@ridgecrestcamps.com • facebook.com/campridgecrest • @campridgecrest
Ridgecrest Summer Camps — Impacting lives for God’s glory through discipleship and adventure. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of N.C., our camps are designed for individual attention, maximum fun and the safety of each child. We facilitate camper growth, offering 25+ activities at each camp taught by solid Christian role models.
Boys • Ages 7-17 • Other • Overnight/Full-day • June 7-Aug. 7
Climbmax Climbing Camps
43 Wall St., Asheville • 252-9996 • climbmaxnc.com/summer-camps • stuart@climbmaxnc.com • facebook.com/climbmaxnc
Climbmax Climbing is once again offering a series of indoor and outdoor rock climbing camps. These fun-filled camps start at our downtown location where we can work on specific skills and techniques, and then for the last few days we will travel outdoors to Pisgah National Forest where we will enjoy a lot of outdoor rock climbing. Downtown days will be broken up with urban activities, including pottery painting and going to local parks. There are several camps to choose from that are designed to work with a suggested age range of campers.
Coed • Ages 6-18 • Daily • Full-day • June 15-19; July 6-10; July 28-31; Aug. 3-7
Deep Woods Camp for Boys
848 Deep Woods Road, Brevard • 885-2268 • deepwoodscamp.com • deepwoods@citcom.net
Founded in 1970, Deep Woods continues to provide a unique summer experience emphasizing hiking and backpacking, whitewater canoeing and rafting as river levels allow, and lesser amounts of mountain biking and rock climbing. Our maximum enrollment is 14 campers ages 9-14, and five assistant counselors ages 15-18.
Boys • Ages 9-14 • Monthly • Overnight/Full-day • June 14-Aug. 22
MindStretch Travel Adventures
3124 Landrum Road, Columbus • 863-4235 • mindstretchadventures.com • marklevin@windstream.net
Founded in 1978, MindStretch Travel Adventures is not your typical summer camp. While we participate in camp kinds of activities during the days, the activities vary each day based on our adventure location. We choose different destinations each year, and many boys attend for several years. Trips vary from five to 18 days. Boys experience camp activities during the day but get to enjoy the luxuries of “home” at night with hotel beds and evening restaurant meals. Upcoming trips include Europe by Eurail, North Carolina Mountains and Tennessee Mountains. Great fun, kid-sized adventures.
Boys • Ages 9-15 • Other • Overnight/Full-day • June 14-July 30
Xplore USA Intercultural Day Camp
1 Town Square Blvd., Asheville • 651-8502 • xploreusa.org • info@xploreusa.org
Intercultural day camp with foreign language classes and local educational and adventure activities with international teens. Activities include hiking and swimming at waterfalls, a trip to Carowinds, scavenger hunts, a ropes course, tubing, rafting, cross-cultural team competitions, community service projects, cultural workshops and more. $250-285. Free week and discounted “Xplore Family” rates available for host families. Xplore USA also offers two weeklong cultural trips to Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Fla.
Coed • Ages 8-18 • Weekly • Full-day • June 29-Aug. 13
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