Our 9 year old son just finished his second summer session (3 straight weeks of sleep-away camp in…read morenon-air conditioned cabins with no direct parental contact or tech devices allowed) at Camp Champions on Lake LBJ in Marble Falls and before we even left the property, he was asking us to sign up for next year. That right there is a glowing endorsement, folks. As budget-minded, practical parents, it was a tough sell for us at first. This camp, while phenomenal on the surface with a long history of success since 1967 and amenities & growth experiences galore, costs almost an arm & a leg. I'm saying our whole family of 3 could go to Europe for the cost of the 3 weeks for 1 kid here (an hour's drive from Austin). Why would we make the sacrifice and commit to this quite pricey annual tradition? As Brian J mentions in his excellent review, it's the 4 Rs that Camp Champions models in every staff member and enforces every day in all of the campers: Responsibility, Respect, Reasonable Risk, and Reaching out to others. You will never find another summer program with such enthusiastic and caring owners, staff members, teen counselors, and youth participants. Sure, it all looks great on paper, but it's truly fantastic in practice. Participants learn how to: live with 8 other "siblings"; share responsibility for their living space; maintain a caring community; manage conflict; support others in need; self-regulate; appreciate nature; honor elders; step up as a leader; and try something new & challenging every day. Yes, these are all lessons that we teach within our family, but there's nothing like having these kinds of experiences in an environment outside of the group of people who have to love you because you're a blood relative. The maturation that I see in my singleton child each year after the Camp Champions experience is priceless to me. What else? Fun, of course! The property is gigantic, with every kind of summer activity you can imagine, from swimming (lake & pool) to ropes course to skiing to sailing to climbing to archery to horses to go carts to arts/crafts to gaga & pickle ball. You can tour the camp virtually here: http://www.campchampions.com/campers/video-map-tour. There are also the Trojan/Spartan color battles, evening torch lighting, Sunday vespers, and hundreds of other little inside jokes, rituals, and traditions that make campers feel that they are a part of special tribe for the rest of their lives. Parents are kept informed about their child during the camp session via daily photos and owner Steve Baskin's inspiring blog. We also have access to a system where we can send as many emails as we'd like to our campers, but if your child is like mine, you won't be receiving many letters in return. Both years, we've received a measly 2 postcards the entire time -- he was having too much fun to write home! A note on diversity. This is a desirable quality which needs improvement at Camp Champions, and efforts are underway to do just that. During Summer 2016, campers and counselors from 7 different countries were represented, with about 1/3 of my son's cabin speaking a first language other than English. Recently, a foundation was started to help fund scholarships for campers who could not otherwise afford to attend. There's more to do, but I appreciate that the Baskins recognize this issue and are acting to address it.

This is the best camp EVER! I have been going here for 2 year's and I will defiantly come every…read moreyear that I can. This camp help's you become a better person by practicing the 4 R's (Responsibility, reaching out, reasonable risk, and respect). Everybody there is nice and kind. My first day ever going, I was so nervous that I wouldn't make any friends but when I first met my cabin mates, I felt like we've been friends for ever. The cabins don't have any air conditioning but they do have fans and on the bright side it's cold in the morning but that's the fun of it. The bathrooms are grows but that stuff does not matter. What does matter is the fun of camp. Their is always so much to do. You could never get bored. From sitting at the hearth (the place were fine arts is) too climbing the rock wall, your always having fun. There are also many water activity such as pool, paddle sports, free swim, ski, knee boar, tubing, blobbing, etc.

Lorie is an amazing. She cares not only for her dogs but for every dog that she looks after. It is…read morea truly great place to leave your cavalier King Charles Spaniel there. My Lancelot spent 8 nights there and he was really well taken care of and LOVED! Thank you, Lorie for caring for my dog.

I cannot say enough good things about this camp. Both my 8 and 12-year-olds had a wonderful time…read more They made great friendships, bonded with the counselors, had an amazing time, and cannot wait to return next year. Oh, and they came home exhausted!! I only wish we would have started sooner.

Great FREE option in Austin for kids!…read more One of the best parts is you can see an axolotl (two, actually) in their visitor center building. Then you can head over to the birds of prey, the reptile/fish building, and the animal enclosures. There's also a little lake and a large sand pit (dino dig). There's a cool room in the visitor center that has all sorts of nature items (bones, dead bugs, shells, rocks, etc.). You can bring in your own stuff to trade! Is it a huge amount of things to do/see? No but for a free attraction, it's pretty great. Parking is across the street -- lot is shared with Zilker Park and all the nearby attractions so it can get busy.

The Austin nature and science center is one of our favorite places to take our 4 kids in Austin and…read moreeven better, it's totally free! But when you do go, please make sure to scan the QR code to track and log your visit. It helps with their funding and takes less than 2 minutes. My kids spent close to 30 mins in the Dino dig area alone. There are so many different sand pits for them to dig and use brushes in. The birds of prey area is awesome! And while the indoor reptile area is small, my kids always have fun finding where everything is hiding nonetheless. The indoor welcome center has so much for them to learn and touch, and they love bringing things to turn in to the front desk to collect points and coins to use in the "shop". I highly recommend! Great for a homeschool field trip too :)

My son had the best experience! Each day was a unique adventure in Austin. It was a perfect blend…read moreof indoor and outdoor activities. The camp itself is well organized and provides lunch and snacks each day. It's a great camp to meet new kids and hang out with friends. We will definitely be back!

I can't say enough about Camp 512's founders and counselors, Blake Pankonien, Brooke Alkire and…read moreCourtney Rimkus. All are former Eanes ISD elementary school teachers with a love and a passion for working with children. The low staff-camper ratio makes for a special and engaging experience. Each Camp 512 week hosts its own unique and fun-filled theme. The well thought out yet flexible schedule includes exploring Austin favorites such as Mount Bonnell, the Blanton Museum and the State Capitol as well as introduces the children to local food resources, cooking and baking and animal adventures to name a few activities. Guaranteed fun!

We utilized Peaceable Kingdom Retreat to hold a 4 Day training workshop, and I must say it was one…read moreof the most splendid weeks we've had to date thanks to the Retreat and their awesome staff. This place is like an oasis in the middle of Central Texas, there are ample resources, supplies, rooms, and accommodations which made it easy and flexible. The staff here were phenomenal and worked diligently to meet our needs - - they're eager to please. I dealt primarily with Laura Nickel who was very helpful throughout the scheduling and set-up process. We also had last minute changes and adjustments the week before - - but no worries w/ Laura as I learned she thrives on challenges like these. She remained positive and focused to ensure everything was quality good and met our expectations, and her staff were polite, professional, flexible and accommodating. I was so impressed w/ their positive attitudes as well as their spot-on execution even when we changed things up at the last minute. There were close to 40 people in our group as we requested a particular set-up with tables and chairs to facilitate learning workshops, Laura and her staff flexed to meet our needs and that helped make things run a lot smoother during our time there. I took a small tour of the grounds and was really impressed with the offerings and environment. They had everything one could possibly need - - podium, speakers, lighting, chairs, tables, and a variety of spaces to choose from. I would not hesitate to reach out to them in the future for any group activity or camping / outing / team-building adventure planned as there is ample grounds to play and rooms to facilitate whatever your heart desires. There are also several bedrooms for overnight stays and large kitchen spaces with all the tools you need. It actually was very peaceful and quiet there during the week which helped limit distractions, and most of all the customer service was top notch. I could not be happier with Laura and her staff's performance, they work hard to please and went above and beyond. I think Laura could tackle any obstacle and challenge that any corporation / company / team brings to the table as she finds way to meet your needs and obviously loves her work. It was a memorable week and we'll definitely utilize them again in the near future.

Great summer program! My daughter will be attending her third year this summer and she can't wait…read more They keep them busy all summer long with field trips every week, swimming twice a week and various on campus activities.

From the owner: Fun activities all summer long!read more

We came here for thanksgiving, and the pumpkin pie came out an hour late! Love the camp though.read more

A beautiful facility with all of the amenities! The setting is gorgeous with lots to do and see. I…read morecannot recommend highly enough for summer camp and/or special event!