Check-in is on Sunday at 3pm at Deer Center (the dining hall). Don’t worry! Even if you’ve never been here before, staff will be stationed at the entrance of the camp to make sure you know where you’re going. We do our best to get everyone checked-in and moved in as efficiently as possible. You can help us out by making sure your camp fees are paid and paperwork is completed two weeks before you arrive. Bring any medication your child needs (it must be in the original container) to check-in in a bag labeled with their first and last name. Leave all other belongings in your car until you’re ready to move into your cabin. Every camper will get a new camp shirt to wear for their first day of camp!

Check out is on Friday at 3pm at Deer Center. First, we begin with a closing ceremony. Parents, this is your first glimpse into your camper’s week. We’ll sing some songs, celebrate some special people in our camp community, hand out milestone awards, and watch a video with photos and highlights of their week at camp. After the ceremony, you’ll be able to sign out your camper, talk with their counselors, meet their new camp friends, purchase items from the camp store, and load up all their belongings before you head for home.

Pioneer campers stay in cabins! Our cabins have eight bunk beds per cabin, are air-conditioned, and have private changing rooms. Bathrooms are a short walk away at a nearby lodge. Camp counselors stay in the cabins with the kids. If you want more information, check out this video where our Program Director, Jake, sets up his own bed in a cabin! Don’t forget, Pioneers also get to spend one night tent camping under the stars.

Of course! Camp is always better with friends! When you sign up for camp, you’ll notice a spot on your registration form that asks if you would like to be placed in the same group with a friend. Make sure you write their name down, and tell them to write yours!

There’s so much adventure and excitement to be had at camp. Of course, you’ll get to do things like meet new friends, play games, and try new things. Some camp activities are daily (like Bible study or swimming) while other things might be done just once or a few times during the week (like kayaking or archery). Activity Hour is the time when campers get to choose what they would like to do from a list of options. Color Wars are our all-camp games that we play together every evening. Of course, things like weather can impact schedules and activities that we are able to run, but in general, Pioneer Campers can look forward to archery, human foosball, arts & crafts, nature, corcls or kayaks, challenge course, creek stomping, exploring Horsethief Cave, Bible study, swimming, launching rockets, cooking out a meal, slip ‘n slide, supersoakers, activity hour, sling shots, Super Wacky Adventure Time (SWAT), GaGa, 9-Square, color wars, pedal karts, and a tent-campout.

It’s total normal to miss home a bit while you are at camp, but don’t worry! Our staff are specially trained to help you through all the feelings and emotions that come with being away from home. Our counselors are compassionate, understanding, and will be right by your side the whole time. Generally, campers are not allowed to call home due to homesickness unless a director deems it necessary for the emotional well-being of the child. While it might seem like calling home would help, we find that most often, it just makes the problem worse. Instead of focusing on camp and all the possibilities for fun, it pulls our minds away to home and what is happening there. We have some tips for how to prevent and overcome homesickness in this video!