What does my child need to pack?

You can review our camper packing list here. Please pay close attention to the items on the list – especially regarding clothing, for changing weather conditions create the need for multiple layers of clothing! The Outdoor Skills & Adventure has a separate packing list.

How does the packing list differ for youth coming to the CIT, ASCENDER, Outdoor Skills & Adventure, or multiple sessions?

CIT & ASCENDER program attendees should plan on packing the same items on the general packing lists. Extra items are not necessary due to the access to laundry facilities (an opportunity not available to other camp sessions), so please remember to have your camper bring laundry detergent! A packing list will be included with the welcome letter from the program mentors. Outdoor Skills & Adventure Program and Explorer attendees have a more detailed packing list. Campers that are coming for more than one session and are staying at The Mountain for a Stay-Over weekend will have access to washing machines on the Saturday between the sessions. If campers are attending more than one session and are NOT staying at The Mountain between sessions, dirty clothes will need to be taken elsewhere to launder because they will not have access to the machines.

How many campers live in each cabin?

There are no more than 4 youth per cabin with 2 conselors.

Where do the counselors sleep at night?

Two counselors sleep in the cabin with the youth, however they do have their own room.

What happens if my child gets sick while at camp?

MountainCamp has medical staff on duty. The MountainCamp Director or the medical staff will contact parents/guardians if any concerns arise.

How will my child maintain their medication schedule?

When checking into camp, all medications with their forms will be turned into the Health Care Coordinator. A schedule is created for each camper for when medications are to be dispensed, and a log is kept in order to track each medication given to your child.

What if my child needs medications other than prescribed meds while at camp?

When filling out the registration information you will be asked specific medical questions including what over-the-counter meds can be given to your child. If needed, the camper will be permitted to receive the medication for a specific condition – however, we will ONLY give that medication if it is checked off on the medical questionnaire sheet or if it is left for the camper at check-in.

How do you deal with a homesick child?

Homesickness is a common “ailment” for youth in general – not just at camp! We take homesickness seriously: All camp staff are trained to respond appropriately to homesick youth, and are required to keep the camp leadership informed. If homesickness persists, parents are contacted in order to be kept informed and can often provide staff with ideas about how to make the experience more fulfilling for the child. Having the camper call home is NOT the first option for treating homesickness because this has the tendency to make the situation more difficult for the child.

What if there is a family emergency – how do we contact our child?

In the case of a true emergency, contact The Mountain Guest Services Office during the day (or the emergency on-call number at night). Staff will alert Camp Leadership, and we will make the arrangements for your child to contact you as soon as possible. Please give us as much information as you can so that we can help your child understand the nature of the emergency. We want to support you and your child as you deal with your emergency situation.

Will my child be permitted to call home while at camp?

Not generally. Camp is intended to be a time away from home for the camper, and it is our preference that modern technology does not trespass on this experience. However, we do occasionally have campers call home under specific circumstances (family emergencies, etc.). Camp Leadership staff will work directly with your child to make these arrangements if the situation arises. We do encourage campers to write letters! When parents/guardians provide self addressed envelopes for the campers, they feel like they have the tools to stay connected.

May I come visit my child when s/he is at camp?

While we understand that you might want to see your child, we do not offer parental visiting days during MountainCamp. This is a wonderful time for your child to be fully immersed in the camp community experience.

Do I have the ability to contact or visit my child participating in the ASCENDER or CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program?

While participating in the program, the ASCENDER’s and CIT’s can make phone calls at certain times of the day. Although the CIT’s and ASCENDER’s are here for an extended amount of time, visits from family and friends are not encouraged. The daily schedules for these programs are extremely full and when family/friends come up, the youth generally end up missing parts of their program.

Where do I send letters and care packages to my child?

The main address for sending letters is: Child’s Name and Cabin # MountainCamp P.O. Box 1299 Highlands, NC 28741-1299 For sending packages, the services that deliver directly to The Mountain are UPS, Fed Ex, and DHL. PLEASE DO NOT SEND FOOD

Please send them to the street address of:

How will my child be supervised during daily and evening activities?

MountainCamp is proud to maintain a four-to-one camper-to-counselor ratio for most activities and in the cabins. All activities are supervised by staff to assure the safety of every camper. When free time options are offered for our Senior High Campers, they are still required to be in spaces with counselors.

What kind of activities will my child be involved in and how do they choose them?

One of the unique aspects of MountainCamp is that each camper has the opportunity to choose some of his/her activities each day. During Intermediate, Elementary and Senior High camps, there are “activity sign-up days” at the beginning of each week. In “lottery” fashion, cabins draw a number for the order for sign-up (the next week the order is flip-flopped). The campers will then sign up for a variety of activities – off-Mountain trips, workshops, arts & crafts, etc., are a part of the multiple options available. These change every year to give returning campers new experiences. Look below for examples of trips and activities offered in the past. Rafting (Intermediate & Senior High) International Field Games – High Ropes Course (Intermediate & Senior High) Hiking Beginning Knitting Gardening X-treme Knitting Potholes Rockslide Environmental Ethics – Anti-prejudice Cooking Over a Campfire Gender Issues Conversations – “Gross” Fun Edible & Medicinal Plants Team Building activities Service projects Boating on the lake

What do I need to know about camp check-in and pick-up days?

Check-in On Arrival Day is from 1:00pm-3:00pm. If you cannot be here between those specified times, please inform The Mountain as soon as possible. Check-out on Departure Day is from 10:00am-Noon. There will be signs directing you to the check-out station. Individuals picking up campers are required to present photo ID and their name must appear on the check-out card that is filled out at check-in in order for the camper to be released from Mountain custody. You will be directed to your camper’s cabin from that point. If for any reason you cannot arrive by noon, you must let the Guest Services Office know – you may be charged for extra supervision for your child if you arrive late. If you are unable to drop off or pick up your camper on the camp starting or ending date, you must make your own arrangements for your child’s supervision. The Mountain can only take responsibility for those staying for more than one session. Lunch is available for parents/guardians and non-campers for $8.00 (plus tax) per person. MountainCamp campers eat for free!

Why is the left-over camper bank money not refunded to my child?

Camper Bank money not spent is directly deposited into the Campership Fund – it’s a great way for your child to make a contribution so that other campers can attend camp in the future. If your child is staying for more than one camp, money not spent during the first camp will be rolled over to the next session. Please note: campers are given the option of NOT depositing their money into the camper bank. However, The Mountain cannot take responsibility if that money is lost.

Does MountainCamp provide transportation to and from camp?

You can review our directions page if you need assistance getting here. It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to transport their camper to camp unless the camper.

How will my child maintain their medication schedule?

When checking into camp, all medications and forms will be turned into the Health Care Coordinator. A schedule is created for each camper for when medications are to be dispensed, and a log is kept in order to track each medication given to your child.

How can my child apply for the ASCENDER or CIT program?

The applications for the programs are online through The Mountain’s registration website. Applications and references must be received by March 15th in order to be considered for the program.

What kinds of discounts are available on payments?

10% discount for attending multiple sessions 5% Family Discounts off the second sibling registered 10% off the third the third sibling registered

Still not finding answers to your question?

Please Contact Us if you need further information!

We will only be offering 2-week sessions (CIT/ASCENDER excepted, as they are summer-long programs).

This is to minimize camper contact and the influx of new campers on site, to help preserve the overall health of the camp group. With fewer instances of changeover and new arrivals, we can mitigate potential exposure, and will have an advantage in monitoring any symptoms that arise if campers are not leaving and arriving on a short schedule.

We have chosen to suspend the Explorers program.

Running Explorers would require more staff resources than we have available, and would put campers and staff in higher-risk situations because of the many off-site trips to crowded, public areas that are a part of that program. However, we do plan to incorporate more outdoor skills-based programming for all campers this summer, to preserve the intent of the Explorers program.

We have also chosen to suspend the Beginning Camp program.

This decision was also made due to staffing constraints, and with the best interest of future programming in mind.

Campers will be in cabins of no more than 4 campers total, with 2 counselors to supervise.

This cabin group will be considered a “household” or “bubble.” Masks will not be required for sleeping, but will be required at all other camp activities.

We will require that campers and staff have a negative COVID test within 48 hours of their arrival to The Mountain.

This measure is to help ensure the safety of these cabin bubbles and camp as a whole. We have not yet made a decision on requiring vaccinations, as the vaccination roll-out plan is in flux and it is unclear what will be available for youth by June.

We will cross-train each counselor in how to instruct all activities, to minimize contact.

Instead of having leadership who oversee discrete activity areas that they instruct for all campers, such as arts and crafts or athletics.

We will hold as much programming outside as possible.

We will be Encouraging distancing and air flow, making more use of open-air spaces such as the Amphitheater, the fire ring behind the Rec Hall, the Crafts Barn, etc.

We will implement a new sanitization protocol.

Incorporating it as a part of daily cabin inspections to promote enhanced health and safety.

We will be employing a zero-tolerance policy for flagrant, purposeful, and repeated COVID protocol violations.

This will be communicated to campers upon their arrival and reiterated throughout their session.

Waiting list for 2021

Enrollment for camp this year is first come first serve. Many sessions are already full and you may be asked to enroll in a waiting list. Open spots are dependent on other campers on the waiting list relinquishing their spots. We thank you for your support and cooperation. We hope that we will have many more camper spots available in 2022!