11 superb summer camps in the Virginia mountains

Send your child to one of these 11 summer camps in the Virginia mountains for an unforgettable summer experience. 

From river swims with horses to rugged valley hikes, summer camps in Virginia’s mountains offer children and young adults unforgettable summer experiences. If your child is looking to unplug, explore nature, and build genuine friendships, consider one of these 11 summer camps.

1. Camp Mont Shenandoah

Location: 218 Mont Shenandoah Ln., Millboro, VA 24460

An all-girls traditional summer camp, Camp Mont Shenandoah allows girls aged 7-16 to experience an unforgettable summer in the Alleghany Mountains along the Cowpasture River. The camp strives to instill five virtues in its campers: love, loyalty, friendship, sportsmanship, and spiritual awareness. 

One of the camp’s key features is its location along the river, which means campers can swim and canoe daily. There’s also a comprehensive equestrian program. 

Camp sessions range from one to six weeks. 

2. Camp Horizons

Location: 3586 Horizons Way, Harrisonburg, VA 22802

Camp Horizons is a co-ed camp in the Shenandoah Valley that offers a range of camps throughout the summer that are geared towards different interests. Some of the various camps include the regular summer camp, equestrian camp, adventure camp, journey camp, and family camp.

The camp also offers a range of activities across its 300-acre campus that keep campers busy, such as performing arts, outdoor recreation, creative arts, aquatics, and sports.

The camp director said the goal of the camp is to give campers a place where they can learn, grow, and create lasting memories. 

Camp Horizon offers campers a range of aquatic activities. (Courtesy of Camp Horizon)

3. Camp Maxwelton & Camp Lachlan

Location: 1629 Walkers Creek Rd., Rockbridge Baths, VA 24473

Camp Maxwelton and Camp Lachlan offer a true mountain summer camp experience. They’re located at the foot of Jump Mountain, which is part of the Allegheny Mountains. The camps are divided by gender, with Maxwelton for boys and Lachlan for girls. 

The camps are open to people of various ages, which, the camp said, allows friendships to develop between the younger and older campers. 

Some of the unique camp traditions include days when the camp cooks take the night off, which means that the campers get to grill their own hamburgers. Trip days also allow campers to do various activities, like hiking Jump Mountain and visiting Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. 

4. Camp Strawderman

Location: 2494 Dellinger Acres Rd., Edinburg, VA 22824 

Camp Strawderman offers a rustic camping experience for girls aged 6-17 in the Shenandoah Valley. The camp, which is situated on 300 rural acres, is ideally suited for young girls who want to explore all the adventures that only the great outdoors can afford.

One of the camp’s unique selling points is that it allows campers to develop their equestrian abilities. The camp has 30 horses that campers can ride on trails and for shows. There’s even a horseshow at the end of the camp. 

5. Camp Bethel

Location: 328 Bethel Rd., Fincastle, VA 24090

Camp Bethel is a faith-based summer camp situated on an expansive 470 acres that connect to the Jefferson National Forest. It also has a hiking trail that connects to the Appalachian Trail. This camp is for those who are seeking a rustic experience, with forests, ponds, streams, and rolling hills that are perfect for activities like canoeing, climbing, and biking. 

Despite the camp’s religious affiliation with the Church of the Brethren, it’s open to campers of all faiths. 

The camps are offered based on age, with ones devoted to young elementary students, older elementary students, middle school students, and high school students. Adventure day camps and resident camps are offered.

Camp Bethel is a faith-based camp that’s open to campers of all faiths. (Courtesy of Camp Bethel)

6. Camp Eagle

Location: 411 Camp Eagle Rd., Fincastle, VA 24090

Camp Eagle is a faith-based summer camp that focuses on minimizing everyday distractions in an effort to maximize Jesus Christ. Located in a rural setting outside of Roanoke, it offers a variety of summer camps, including teen camps, junior camps, and day camps. 

One of the camp’s unique features is that it features different speakers throughout the summer. Many of them come from pastoral backgrounds. 

7. Wilderness Adventure At Eagle Landing

Location: 11176 Peaceful Valley Rd., New Castle, VA 24127

Open to campers aged 9-17, Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing is the ideal summer camp option for those looking to have an active summer. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains on a 500-acre property, the camp offers a range of activities, including climbing, canoeing, mountain biking, and caving. 

The camp aims to allow campers to strengthen their leadership skills and build friendships while immersing themselves in nature. 

A variety of camp options are available, including ones that focus on leadership, outdoor engineering, rock climbing, mountain biking, and outdoor discovery. 

8. Camp Carysbrook

Location: 3500 Camp Carysbrook Rd., Riner, VA 24149

Camp Carysbrook is the oldest overnight girls’ camp in the commonwealth, with a history dating back more than a century to 1923. Open to girls aged 6-16, campers can stay anywhere from one to seven weeks at Carysbrook. 

The camp is in the New River Valley on a nearly 200-acre site with Little River running along it. This makes it perfect for water-related activities, like tubing, canoeing, and even swimming with horses. 

The camp gives girls the opportunity to experience personal growth while also learning how to be part of a larger group. 

9. Alta Mons

Location: 2842 Crockett Springs Rd., Shawsville, VA 24162

Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Alta Mons focuses on helping campers experience God through outdoor ministry. To that end, it offers a range of day and traditional summer camp experiences for children in elementary school all the way up to high school. 

The mini camps are ideally suited for those wanting to get a taste of camp life because they last only half a week. 

High schoolers will likely be interested in the senior high resident camp because of the off-site day that takes campers to Bozoo, West Virginia, for an outdoor rock-climbing adventure. 

10. Camp Dickenson 

Location: 801 Camp Dickenson Ln., Fries, VA 24330

Camp Dickenson is a Christian summer camp situated along the banks of the New River. One of its core values is that camps should be fun and active, which means campers are constantly engaged. 

It offers a variety of camps throughout the summer, including day, overnight, and family camps. Camps are offered based on age, including younger elementary, older elementary, younger youth, and older youth. Given that the camp is located along the New River, it’s ideal for campers wanting to build up their swimming and fishing skills. 

The family camp is a great option for parents who have vacation time to use during the summer. Spanning a week, the camp is open to families of all sizes, so don’t be afraid to bring the whole family. The camp recommends that the family option is ideally suited for families with children who aren’t independent enough to stay overnight without a parent present. 

11. Jewish UnCamp

Location: 1336 Simmons Mill Rd., Thaxton, VA 24174

Jewish UnCamp is a summer camp designed to help Jewish teenage girls age 16-19 work through big life questions, like why it’s important to eat kosher and how Jewish dating works. For 2025, the camp will be held at The Peaks Retreat and Adventure Center in July.

The camp offers a range of engaging outdoor activities, such as horseback riding, canoeing, biking, and swimming. The camp is also ideal for campers who identify as foodies since there are late-night cook-fests, challah baking, and kosher food. 

Uniquely, the camp holds nightly question-and-answer sessions where campers can ask any question they’d like. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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