We sent our son on a 13 day trip with Adventure Treks. Our son canoed, backpacked, hiked and white…read morewater rafted. He's always liked these kinds of activities with us, but the experience was made so much more special by the AT instructors and the other kids on his trip. He gained real confidence. And most importantly to me, he gained an appreciation for having a positive mental outlook. This is an experience he will always remember.

My son participated in an adventure trek trip in 2010. And he has signed on for another trip this…read moresummer -2011. What he liked about last years trip included: #1 Rock Climbing then: Sea Kayaking, White water rafting, Back backing, story telling, hunting for the mount shasta pineapple, and making a lot of new friends from around the country. What I liked was the positive impact it had on my sons life including: appreciation for nature, increased independence, confidence, self-esteem, self-efficacy, personal effectiveness and coping strategies and increased communication skills and teamwork. Bravo to the leadership team. especially BT.

As a former camper and staff member of Camp Highlander there aren't enough wonderful words to…read moredescribe this camp. Highlander is a co-ed overnight summer camp in the hills of Mills River,NC devoted to children ages 5-16. Campers come back year after year, and all year long you hear stories of children who wish they were still at camp. The camp used to be owned by a school in south Florida, but now is owned by a wonderful family named the Alexanders. At camp you can go swimming, hiking, there's a ropes course, horse back riding, climbing wall, arts n crafts, pottery, rec room, campfires, swing dancing, talent shows, concerts, cookouts, basketball, soccer, drama classes, camping and so much more. Wednesdays and Saturdays campers get to choose their schedules, all other days campers remain in cabin groups where they meet friends and bond with others. Off camp trips include camping in the Pisgah National Forest, Sliding Rock, Coon Tree (a big rock you jump off of into the water), trips to Lake Keowee in South Carolina, white water rafting down the Nantahala River, theme parks, hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, farmers markets, horse shows, and so much more. Schedules change every year and new events happen. There's a small lake on the property but they travel to larger lakes for water skiing and wakeboarding. The camp runs in 2 week, 3 week, 6 week and 9 week sessions. You can stay as little as 2 and as long as 6. Most of the staff members return each year and are dedicated to children on the mountain. The camp was even featured on the Disney Channel show Bug Juice which was filmed in the summer of 1999 and aired on tv in 2000.

Camp Highlander is amazing. There is no word that can describe a campers love for this mountain…read more The counselors treat you like a sister and I made so many new friends there. Everyone comes back year after year for more fun! I miss it so much :(

My daughter, now 11 just got back from her 6th year at TAW. She literally cried when I picked her…read moreup after her 3 week session knowing it would be another full year until she'd be able to return. The owner is an absolute doll, the director is fabulous and the atmosphere the counselors and staff create for the campers is like no other. We live two states away yet we still fly our daughter out to attend camp because there's nowhere else she'd rather be!!!!

Summer has arrived and my 11 year-old daughter Katherine is back for a 3rd year at Camp…read moreTon-A-Wandah. Not just a place, but a place in your heart, the staff and counselors are extremely knowledgeable and well trained. After all, the camp has been around since 1933. Two and three week camping packages, Kate has once again signed up for the 3 week program. Building friendships from past years, my daughter has kept in contact with several of her fellow campers and counselors. She looks forward to camp, but not the day her 7 year old sister joins her. Sort of personal, I'm of the belief that this is something Kate want to "do alone" without pesky parents or siblings around. The Camp Ton A Wandah summer program provides campers several dozen activities such as horseback riding, zip lining, fine arts and crafts, performing arts, dance, volleyball, basketball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, games, archery, riflery, rock climbing, high ropes, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, hiking, backpacking, field trips and much more. A tie to nature and a deep respect for the Native Americans who originally inhabited the Blue Ridge mountains are a Camp Ton-A-Wandah inspiration behind an alliance of the "three tribes - Cherokee, Navajo and Mohawk. Handed down from generation to generation, the three tribes are among the camps oldest and most revered traditions. Kate is proud to be a "Mohawk" at Ton-A-Wandah. Care packages and birthday parties are a plus. Parents can order "care packages" from several places in Hendersonville or plan a cabin "birthday party" for all to enjoy. Kate reports 5 stars for Camp Ton-A-Wandah. /s/ William E. Lewis Jr. Vero Beach, Florida

I just wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to Bold Earth for the incredible…read moreimpact they've had on my daughter over the past three years. She's participated in multiple trips, but Ultimate Hawaii 2 was by far her favorite--and not just because of the epic adventures and fun activities (which she absolutely loved). It was truly transformative. She came home beaming with confidence and excitement for the future. Before the trip, she was really stressed about college applications, but Bold Earth changed all that. Hearing the trip leaders' stories and seeing the diverse paths others had taken completely opened her eyes. It gave her the perspective, inspiration, and self-assurance she needed. She now sees multiple pathways to her goals, and she returned with a whole new mindset. Now, she's loving her senior year--despite a crazy-busy schedule, she's happy, motivated, and present. She's chasing her dreams without letting fear hold her back, and I honestly credit Bold Earth for helping make that possible. If you're a parent wondering whether to send your teen on one of these trips, my advice is: Do it.

My child's 8th-grade class went to Yosemite with Bold Earth and the kids had nothing but wonderful…read morethings to say about the trip and their guides! They were very easy to work with (from a planning and parent point of view) and had a lovely Zoom presentation with parents ahead of time to answer questions. I would highly recommend Bold Earth to schools planning out-of-town trips!

I have fallen in love with this camp from the moment I contacted them. I received an information…read morepacket and follow up; all of my questions were answered and I felt like a priority from day one. My children have always attended camp where I worked so it was a stretch for me to send them to camp without mama. Camp chatuga made it a breeze; the little touches are fantastic. Weekly emails and a countdown calendar explaining to the campers what to expect at camp. I loved the online activity sign up; I was able to sit and work with my children to help have a fun day filled with new experiences and some do their favorites. Everything the camp does it top notch. My children came home and haven't stopped speaking about the fun they had, the people they met and asking me when they can go back next summer!

My son has been going to this camp for five years and loves every minute of it. The staff and…read morecounselors are nothing short of amazing. This literally is the quintessential definition of a traditional fun summer camp. Wood cabins, camp fires, lake swimming, lots of activities, children running around barefoot & fancy free... living their best life!

My daughters as they were growing up all went to Camp Glenn Arden, but now we have a houseful of…read moregrandsons. The boys go to Camp Arrowhead, for their summers. Great adventures, they enjoy Riflery, Blacksmithing, swimming, animal husbandry, wood rafting, camping, hiking and above all each other. Wonderful camp, highly recommend.

I attended Mondamin for two 8-week summers as a young teenager in the early 1980's, and it had a…read moreprofound impact on me. I arrived literally afraid of the water, having fallen into a pool as a child, but the staff somehow got me in that lake, taught me to swim, and enabled me to fall into love with sailing. I spent countless hours sailing that lake and found a love for the water that remains today. But there was so much more to Mondamin... the 5-day hikes in the national forest, where you learned to fend for yourself and have the courage to press on when you questioned if you should stop.... Or the rock climbing and repelling trips off some of the most beautiful mountains in the country... or the whitewater canoe trips on class 3-5 rapids... Or the archery and rifle range, where you could hone your skills.... But the evenings around the fire pit stand out, where achievement awards were granted to campers in the form of awards, painted on a canoe paddle, which every camper knew and respected. I look back as an older man today, and am appreciative of my opportunity to experience Mondamin, and glad to see it still able to leave a mark on the young men who attend.

I went to the camp during the summer of 1973, I was 14. I believe it was for 6 or 8 weeks. I carved…read moremy initials into the rafters above my bunk. If I am again in the area, I am going to ask to try and find them. I would highly recommend all parents to send their young boys, especially at 12 or older, to this experience.