My daughter ( 8 years old) spent her first week away from home at Cub Creek. She loved it. Her only complaint is that at check in they only had adult size tee shirts. She enjoyed it so much we are already signed up to attend for a week next summer! read more

I absolutely do not recommend this summer camp for any children or those seeking employment. The biggest concern I've seen and heard time and time again is the severe limitation on children contacting their parents, creating unnecessary stress for the kids and leaving families with little insight into how their children were actually doing. What little programming there is the campers are not able to engage with due to the chaos of poor leadership. I was gravely disappointed to hear about how staff members were treated, as the work environment felt toxic, unsupportive, and disrespectful, making it difficult for employees to do their jobs effectively and even driving many to quit each summer. Among the questionable treatment of the animals, there have been multiple medical emergencies (gone unreported to the parents of these campers, mind you) where the camp offered underwhelming response. Thank goodness my niece doesn't have any conditions but I'm seriously concerned about camper safety overall. This camp prioritizes maintaining its image over the well-being of both campers and staff, and restricts parent communication. Regardless of how much fun your child may have at any summer camp, this camp is not worth the risk of their safety. read more

My son loves this camp, he has been going for 3 years straight. Don't just read all the negative reviews on Yelp, check out Google for many more positive reviews. Only giving 4 starts instead of 5 due to the high cost, but I'm sure that's necessary. My son would give it 10 stars if he could, it has been life-changing for him. The counselors are very professional and meet kids where they are, he has nothing bad to say about the food. You can leave a bag of snacks for your kid in case they get hungry between meals or don't like the options. My son loves meeting and taking care of the animals. It's very well organized, especially the drop-off process. Pickup is fun, the kids take their families on a tour. My son loves this part. He has made some great friends at camp. Another negative is their email communication system changed from the first year, doesn't seem to be as smooth, it is a more complicated process than the app they used to use. But at least it's free, where before you had to pay. But that's minor. They also take tons of pics and post them every day so it's nice to see smiles on your kiddo when you miss them. I would recommend to send your kids here, you won't regret it! read more

My daughter just got back from a week at Cub Creek, and she begged me to register her for multiple weeks next summer. For a sleep-away camp, the rates are surprisingly reasonable, and the quality of activities (especially animal-related activities) is first rate. The cabins are modern and comfortable, with multiple bathrooms (important for middle-school aged girls). The senior counselors are all at least college age. The only negative was that they had a problem with the pool, so it was closed for all but the first 2 days of my daughter's (very humid) week there. read more

I've been going to camp for nine years now, I've absolutely loved it, I definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to enjoy a nice time and meeting people. You're always on the move and there's so much to do, the animals they're amazing and there's so many activities. Your able to let yourself loose and be yourself. Camp is like a second home to me and they're always so welcoming. You can learn things at camp that'll stick with you for a lifetime. You kid may be skeptical at first but once you get the hang of it you'll wanna keep coming back. Next year will be my tenth and hopefully I'll be able to come back as an ASIT. This camp provides opportunities like no other and friendships that can last lifetimes. This experience is surreal and one to remember. read more

Cub Creek Science Camp - This is me and Cashmere. Cashmere is the Asian Palm Civet at camp. - Summer Camps Near Me - Rolla, Missouri

This camp will ignore your child's request to leave. My daughter asked 3 days in a row for the camp to call us so she could leave and they refused. They withheld letters she was sending asking to leave. This is an awful camp with horrible policies. read more

My children have gone to this camp for 3 years. They both love it. One of my kids loves animals and one loves the camp because of the other activities. One fall, they offered a family camp. My husband and I took the kids and got to experience it for ourselves. The food is great, the staff cares about the kids and the animals, and everything is well thought out. I am so glad that my kids and their friends have gotten to experience this camp. It is unusual, and a great place to challenge yourself and learn new things. read more

Our daughter just got back from camp. They do nothing like the brochure says. She had memorized the brochure by the time she got to camp the first day and they make it look amazing and it was not! They were limited on what they could do based on which year they were, classes did fill up and sign up was based on first come bases which was how quickly they got done with breakfast! Once you decided to do one group you couldn't do anything else. She did no arts and crafts. She took a shirt to tie dye and wasn't allowed to do it. They make their camp look so amazing and for our daughter it was more of a work camp than a fun exciting camp. Just awful sure wasn't worth what I paid for it and she was so sad when she got home.... Just horribly disappointed. read more

This Summer marks the sixth year for my girls! They love love love this camp - favorites include: jr. Vet, adopt-an-animal, learning to shoot rifles, cooking, and many more. Lori and her staff do an amazing job of providing new experiences and traditional favorites for all of the campers. Can't recommend highly enough! read more

I don't suggest working here if you can't handle working 24/7, being underpaid, and treated like you're expendable. The other staff members make the experience worth it. The animals are amazing, but they look miserable in this 100 degree heat. The kids are great and are another reason why a lot of people stay at this camp. I enjoyed it the first year working there, but the second year wasn't good for me mentally or physically. I was over worked and barely got any time off. We would get two nights off as animal specialists- most of the time we wanted to sleep for those nights. We were expected to work every minute of the day, we got an hour break. It was exhausting and took a huge toll on my mental health and physical health. I started to feel like I wasn't even fully awake when I worked everyday. And when I went to resign with a friend, we were yelled at and treated like we were in the wrong. She made us feel bad for telling her how we really felt about our jobs and how we were treated, and why we were resigning. We approached her respectfully and professionally and she screamed at me- my friend could hear her from our house next door. It was a terrible experience and I honestly never want to return back to a camp again because of the way I was treated. Go here if you're camper, but as a staff member I felt expendable and like I wasn't worth anything to them. read more

We flew out for an offbeat wedding and was wowed by the camp. They have zip lining, an animal zoo, and other outdoor activities. Their knowledgeable guides took us on a cave spelunking trip and, while most of us are college educated, told us things we didn't know about the surrounding nature and Missouri. The cabins were clean and comfortable. I'd bring my own towels next time since this camp is obviously for kids. Either way, I got to relive summer camp. Aaaaand the animals (especially camel) are super friendly and sweet. read more

This is such a great camp. You can learn how to be a Jr.Vet. I have been there for three years including this year. My little brother is going this summer as well and in sure he will have a great time. i hope you go sometime any of you who want to be in a camp with its own zoo. read more

I noticed all the high reviews are from years ago. I went here today on a school field trip and it was so disappointing. The Arctic Fox looked so miserable...he had severely matted fur and one of his eyes looked swollen. We then walked along the dirt trails to "The Barn" which was essentially a room full of cats and the smell of ammonia (cat urine) about knocked me off my feet. Many of us had to wait outside it was literally that bad. I kept thinking of the show, Hoarders, where they wear protective gear...I really wanted PPE at that very moment. Next up....The Jungle! Another tiny room with a thick fog of stench. The only difference between this room & The Barn was a new leader who felt it was her duty to keep everyone locked in there no matter what. Another mom clearly stated she could not be in there because of the smell & it was messing with a lot of kid's allergies. She seemed really perturbed by us and it showed. For lunch we were escorted to the "old lunchroom" where the tables were filthy with garbage and food underneath them. At this point I was pretty much done and my son was too. We both agreed we did not care to eat here and we left. I would not pay to go here again and I could not imagine sending a child here for the summer! With the money they get the employees need to be keeping up with the grounds and animals far better to make the experience a more pleasant one as well as for the animals. read more

This is the most wonderful place on earth in my opinion for kids to spend time at during the summer, but do not work here. From the beginning of staff training we were told the management was open to talk about problems and the environment was portrayed as being nurturing and helpful. However when I brought up concerns in a professional and thoughtful manner, I was degraded, talked down to, and made to feel stupid for 20 minutes then hugged and told to "wash my face and head back out there" afterwards. I proceeded afterward to do my job, nothing more nothing less as I had just been punished for bringing up the concerns I had after caring too much, and so a week later was told I was expendable due to the fact that I didn't care enough about my work. So, I put everything I had into the job for the next 3 days- went to work then went home and slept, cutting myself off from most others. Then somehow I was branded as "the camp rumor mill" despite having just talked to someone about how I felt like an outsider and wasn't connecting well with people. During this extremely one-sided talk I was threatened with being fired and told my side of things didn't matter, I was only tasked with stopping rumors I had not begun in whatever way I could or "I didn't even want to know what would come next". This camp management does not have the best interest of staff in mind; only the money of kids coming there. If you are interested in working with kids and animals no matter the working conditions it will be a great place for you, but if you don't want to be made to feel small and expendable at least once a week, I'd stay away. read more

I had an awful experience at this camp. I went for my first year last summer as a 15 year old. The first problem I saw were the animals. They are kept in unsuitable enclosures, and the animals marked "non-contact" after biting/ scratching a camper receive no enrichment or interaction. The saddest of these animals is an arctic fox kept in a 4' by 4' box with a concrete floor. Another issue is the social environment. Cabins are rarely allowed to interact with each other. If you are unhappy with the people in the cabin you are in, you have no chance of making friends. From my experience, if you aren't a self absorbed girl who wears makeup to camp, you will be severely ostracized. Boys and girls are segregated to an unreasonable extent. It's discouraging to be talking to a camper of the opposite gender, only to be interrupted by "NO CANOODLING" from another camper or counselor. You receive no freedom and must take a buddy of the same gender with you anywhere you go, even just to the bathroom. The worst problem I had with this camp was the medical care. Cub Creek is a breeding ground for sickness, and by week two, at least half of the campers were sick. You are not allowed to stay in your cabin if you are ill, and you are forced to participate in activities. I got extremely sick, and I went to the Health Lodge for DayQuil. They took my temperature, and I had a fever by one degree. The nurse quickly ushered me into a tiny room with nothing in it but a bed and told me I had to stay there for 24 hours, no warning whatsoever. Being claustrophobic I panicked, and pleaded with the nurse to let me call my mom. Cub Creek is very against direct contact with parents. They take your phones away on day 1. The call had to be approved by a camp director, and it took 30 minutes of panicked crying to get a call in with my mom. Luckily we live a few hours away, and I was able to be taken home. This place is miserable and I spent most of the time crying in my bottom bunk. At least no one wanted to bunk with me so I could cry in peace. Don't go. read more

This will be the 3rd summer that my kids attend this camp. I have a son and a daughter that attend camp. They absolutely love the adventures but in different ways. My daughter is very much into the vet programs while my son loves the science and really just doing cool outdoor stuff with the guys. They can't wait for camp each summer. They do a 2 week session in July and my daughter is trying to convince me to let her do a 4 week session. I will probably let her do it next summer. For 2 weeks they just get to be kids doing fun stuff. The counselors make sure they are having fun and ensure they are safe. Kids grow up so fast. This is a place that lets them slow down a bit. read more

this camp was horrible for my son. not only could he not talk to me but i called twice to talk to him and all i got was "we'll pass your info along to the camp leader and let them decide if you get to talk to your son".... WOW.. then, my son comes back to tell me a kid kept fighting him and the camp staff did nothing to keep the bully away from him, even after he gave my son 2 black eyes. he also had severe heat exhaustion and passed out and all they did was send him back to the barracks. they didn't have hot showers and he sent emails to his mother but she never got them. something's VERY wrong with this camp. i wouldn't suggest sending your children here. EVER. read more

This camp is amazing. I cannot say enough great things about it. And the reason it is so amazing is because of Lori Martin, the camp owner and director. If your child has any issues or differences, be it mental health issues, sexuality issues, gender issues, physical disability issues, friend issues, or any other kind of difference or issue that you can possibly imagine, Lori will make this camp work for your child. I have been sending both my kids here for years and will continue to do so until they age out of the camp!! read more

My boys (both 14) went to this camp for one week. I originally picked it because it appeared to be an educational camp. I originally had a few issues with the administrative end of this camp because there were quite a few organizational errors on the paperwork and emails I received from the camp. Make sure you stick with your dates or you will be charged $100. per child to change them even if done far in advance. Know that you cannot communicate with your kids except via email and you have to pay for the emails which I didn't realize until I tried to email them. The camp store has a bunch of candy and sodas and not very many healthy choices so if that isn't a big deal, no worries. I thought it would be more educational considering the price of the camp but my kids are a little older and maybe thought it would be a little more in depth but maybe that was because it was just one week. The positives is that it was a very safe camp and they were very good about making sure the kids were responsible. My kids did love spending time with the animals and overall, they loved the camp. The cabins are very nice compared to other camps they have been to. My kids go to about 3 camps per summer.....one educational, one sport camp and one outdoor camp and this was one of their favorites. This was definitely a good experience for both of my children and they said they would like to go again one summer. read more