We understand the worries about sending your son to overnight camp for the first time. It’s both exciting and a bit stressful. Entrusting your child to someone else is a tough decision. Picking the right camp for your family is important, gathering all the information can help you make an educated decision. Here are few of our most FAQ’s:
As children mature at different paces, there are a few telltale signs if your son is ready. Read our 6 signs that your child is ready by clicking the link below. Start with taking a cue from your child. In many cases, they know if they are ready. Frequently, we speak with parents who are hesitant to send their son away to camp while their son is raring to go. If he is that excited about it, we recommend you take the opportunity to support his excitement for such an experience and realize that as a parent, sometimes we have to let go.
As parents ourselves, we have also had to work through the growing process. We have also seen the campers here grow so much in their self-esteem and confidence year after year. Numerous parents tell us every session that they are picking up a different child and can’t believe how grown up he is. Read our 6 Signs that your child is ready by clicking the link below.
The right summer camp can be a defining experience in a young boy’s life. Choosing the right camp is an important decision. Our intentionally developed program is meant for boys to grow and succeed in a nurturing community. While there are many reasons to choose Camp High Rocks, here are the 6 we find the most important to our families.
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We are located in Brevard, North Carolina, which is less than an hour from Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC. Nestled in-between Dupont Sate Recreational Forest and nearby Pisgah National Forest, our 1,000 acres is well suited for summer camp. We have over 15 miles of trail on property which we use for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. See our facilities here.
While we are a little biased, we know the weather in the Blue Ridge Mountains is second to none. It is ideal for summer activities with cooler nights and refreshing days, your son can comfortably play outside all day long. Our surroundings allow campers to try a diverse range of out-of-camp trips. Mountain biking trails are just a 10 minute drive away, campers can hop on a river in under 25 minutes, and multiple climbing sites are just a little over 30 minutes away.
First and foremost, it is important to know that some degree of homesickness occurs in nearly everyone who is leaving someplace familiar and trying someplace new and exciting. We encourage our boys to stay busy and have their counselor explain to them that it is a natural part of growing up. Knowing that homesickness is natural, we aim to meet it head-on. Counselors receive training prior to camp that focuses on supporting campers and working through homesickness as a team.
Homesickness rarely persists past the first few days of camp. If it does and your son is having difficulty adjusting to camp, we will certainly be in touch. Often an encouraging letter from home can do the trick. Parents are always welcome to contact our office as well. You can find more resources here.
Additional Resources:
Yes, children can attend camp if they have enuresis. This is not uncommon in a new environment. On the first night cabin meeting, the cabin will discuss how to handle it if it happens. Our staff will discretely take the sheets to be washed and returned. We recommend sending a plastic mattress protector and an extra set of sheets. The most important thing is for your child to let us know so his counselor can take care of it for him.
If your son is bedwetting each night rather than just occasionally, please get in contact with our office.
Many of the campers come to camp and do not know anyone else attending. Some boys come to camp and have a friend they wish to share a cabin with. Enrollment may be strong from certain cities so we are careful to limit the number of boys we accept from any city or from any grade in that city. We try to have a geographic diversity and are able to have children from the Northeast states to Texas and all states in between. We take great care in making cabin assignments.
Campers can make cabinmate requests. Read more about our policy here.
Camp High Rocks is a relatively small summer camp with 165 campers and over 85 staff a session.
Our low camper to staff ratio of 3:1 allows for us to provide an optimal experience for each camper. Most of our staff are college-age or older, with a mixture of American and International staff. Many of our staff return summer after summer.
Each cabins has 5 to 7 boys. Most of the cabins have 6 campers. Each cabin has its own bathroom and shower.
Parents are welcome to call the camp office and speak with the Directors or head counselors about their son. We will post daily camp-wide updates on the website with pictures and a brief synopsis of what is happening at camp that day. You will also receive a letter from the director in the first few days of camp and a summary letter from the counselor of your son’s experience at the end of the session.
In addition to regular mail, campers can receive, but not send, emails. Emails are printed out daily and delivered with regular mail at lunch.
Again, we welcome phone calls to check on your son but campers are not allowed to make or receive phone calls themselves except for extenuating circumstances. We have found that talking on the phone with family actually encourages homesickness.
Laundry is done once a week on Sundays for our sessions over one week long. We suggest bringing 10 days worth of clothes to allow for a little extra. Check out our packing list here.
We get rave reviews on our camp food. It’s delicious! We eat cafeteria style in our dining hall for each meal. More information on meals at camp and dietary needs can be found here.
High standards of health and safety are set and maintained. We have two resident Registered Nurses on duty at the camp Health Center with additional supports from local RNs and a tele-health Nurse Practitioner. The majority of our camp staff are certified in CPR and First Aid.
All medications, including prescribed or over-the-counter, are kept in our Health Center. The Health Center is stocked with most common over-the-counter medication. Our nurses regularly administer medications at meal times and prior to bedtime. Please review our medication packaging protocol here. We will mail out details each spring as a reminder of our protocol.
High Rocks is accredited by the American Camping Association, a respected organization that offers accreditation to summer camps and adventure programs.
ACA Accreditation means that Camp High Rocks submitted to a thorough (up to 300 standards) review of its operation by the American Camp Association (ACA) — from staff qualifications and training to emergency management. American Camp Association collaborates with experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth-serving agencies to assure that current practices at the camp reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. Camp High Rocks and ACA form a partnership that promotes summers of growth and fun in an environment committed to safety.
Camp High Rocks holds a Forest Service Special Use Permit to operate on national forest lands including Pisgah, Nantahala, Sumter, and Cheoah National Forests.
Camp High Rocks also maintains an A rating from the Health Department.
Camp High Rocks is not a religiously affiliated camp. We welcome all faiths. We promote our core values and focus on general themes such as friendship and community. On Sundays we have morning gatherings where staff and campers focus on positive values and learn about being a good community member.
As part of our program, we do ask campers to sign up for five different activities. The first day of camp, campers spend time going over the rules, opportunities, and general program outline of each activity offered for instruction. That day, campers select their activities of instruction and set their schedules for the rest of the session. (See Junior Camp Note)
Campers may switch activities if they find one of their choices to be not what they expected or not to their liking.
Junior Camp Note: As Junior Camp is a packed 5-Days, campers will rotate in a set schedule with their cabinmates. This allows campers to participate in the best of the best and all the highlights. There will be a few times throughout the week that campers will choose what activity they would like to take.
Campers are welcome to bring their own mountain bikes, climbing shoes, and other equipment, however, we encourage them to use the camp equipment as to limit wear and tear on their own. Each activity is equipped with all the gear a camper needs to participate.
In mountain biking, we maintain a high-end fleet of Jamis and Trek bikes that are either brand new each year or have only been used for a couple of seasons. Again, if your son wishes to bring his own bike or equipment, we will inspect it to be sure it is safe and fits properly. Larger equipment will be kept in the activity area. We do not recommend bringing highly expensive fishing poles and the like because of the possibility of damage.
Camp offers an opportunity for campers to experience day to day living free of electronics. Campers should not bring any electronics such as iPods, MP3 players, electronic readers, computers, electronic games, video recorders, cameras, cell phones, smartphones or any other wireless devices. Camp will provide opportunities for listening to music during the day at appropriate times with camp equipment. Our electronics policy helps ensure campers have authentic social interactions.
Visiting is not allowed as it is much harder for children to adjust to their new experience if parents visit them at camp. The camp experience is about focusing on independence and self-reliance. He will have lots of stories for you when his session ends! You are always welcome to call camp to ask how he is adjusting.
Yes, he can! We have several year-round staff that have a history of Scouting. Our staff will check off skills verifications sheets that will then need to be signed off by your troop leader. Our head of the Merit Badge program, Mark Birdsong has extensive background in BSA, was a former member, and feels comfortable and confident with our skills verification. Read more here.
There are a number of companies that offer “camp insurance” in the event you need to cancel for an unexpected reason. Most of the time this is referred to as “trip insurance.” In order to be protected, you typically need to sign up for that 60-90 days before camp begins. Note that the “cancel for any reason” policy or option typically requires you to sign up for the policy at or before the time for your first payment. Please check to be certain these work for your situation.
You can find a number of different companies online or ask your insurance agent. Two of the more reasonable companies are called TravMark and Travel Insured. They seem to have acceptable terms and decent rates. It is important to read the “fine print” if you elect to sign up for the plan to understand any limitations and how to document in the event of a claim.
The camp fee is all-inclusive. There is no additional fee for crafts supplies, riding lessons, regular transportation (during camp or on opening and closing windows to GSP and AVL airport), laundry, or special camp events.
A small store deposit is added to the tuition fee to cover non-food, incidental items at the camp store.
Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected], calling (828)885-2153, or fill out the form here.
High Rocks is an authorized Special Use Permit Holder by the Pisgah, Nantahala, and Sumter National Forests. • Privacy • Site Map • Camp High Rocks © 2024
