I went in 1962 as a boy 6 years old. I did the first session and I stayed through the second…read moresession. I had a blast. Swimming, hiking and archery.

Was a long time Camper at Camp Stewart. If there is one thing I could do for the rest of my life…read moreI'd be a kid at Camp Stewart. So many great memories created and many skills learned.

I attended Camp Waldemar from ages 10 to 16. It was an…read moreexperience that I still cherish. I made friends that I enjoy today (many years later). The skills and activities they offer are amazing and gave me a lifelong passion for tennis, kayaking and swimming. My mom also attended Camp Waldemar. I shall forever be thankful to her!

I am 78 years old. I went to the then-standard six week session at Camp Waldemar for four summers…read morebetween ages 11 and 14. That time remains a highlight of my life. Why? It was my first experience of having my own identity, of not being an appendage of my family, dear though they were. In addition, I learned values not common in a small town in Oklahoma: Grace, beauty, striving to get things right, sometimes by practicing them over and over (swimming, canoe drills, horseback riding, kindness, table manners, pottery, even archery and riflery, for example.) Mainly, however, it was just plain fun! I made sure my sons went to a boys camp in North Carolina of the same philosophy. It paid off.

Great camp!!! My kids are 10 years old (twins) and we just went on 04/15/2016 for the weekend and…read morehad an amazing time. The staff is wonderful. Lots of fun with the water, horses, archery, rock walls, etc., A fun, patient, charismatic, expert staff. The food was great-lots of options. We even had gluten free alternatives for every meal. The food always included full salad bars, with full fruit bars in the morning. Hot meals everyday. Beautiful scenery with lots to do. Cabins were a bit dated, but were up to my expectations for camp cabins. Each cabin had two individual toilets and two separate showers, which was very convenient, but the bathrooms in the cabins could use updating.

We (Medina Community Church) had a marriage retreat at Deer Creek Camp in September of 2022. It…read morewas our church's first marriage retreat, and everyone at Deer Creek went above and beyond to make the retreat successful. The Camp is beautiful, and you know you will have a good experience from the moment you start down the drive. There are a variety of activities available for all ages. Our retreat was primarily in the pavilion, but our attendees enjoyed spreading out over the camp for our break-out sessions. It was a joy to work with the full-time staff! They are wonderful Christian people, and we loved having the staff join us at different times. They make you feel like you are part of their family. Deer Creek Camp catered all three meals for us, and the food was wonderful. The breakfast and lunch were tasty, and there were a number of options to please everyone. Our evening dinner was a nice sit-down dinner, and the food was delicious. Alma knows how to cook! The coffee and smoothie bar was also enjoyed by our couples. The drinks were delicious. The staff and the interns who served us at dinner were fabulous. They were respectful young men and women who went out of their way to make sure the meal was a pleasure for our married couples. They were obviously well-trained, as they were better than servers we have had in nice restaurants. We strongly recommend Deer Creek Camp for your retreats or other events. It is our go-to place for events for all ages.

2021 will be our son's third year attending Deer Creek Camp's Friends Week. He has the absolute…read morebest time while he is there. Even the first year I had no reservations leaving him in their care. This is the most amazing camp ever. My only regret is that we didn't know about them sooner! Lynda N. 04/10/2021 Odessa, TX

A good friend in our neighborhood referred us to Vista Camps last year and our daughter had her…read morefirst experience at an overnight summer camp. She. Loved. It. Two weeks of bliss. They let the kids pick their activities at the beginning of the term. She tried new things, like water skiing, that she would never really have a opportunity to try out at home. She rides horses where we live so naturally she wanted to sign up for horseback. She had an amazing experience crossing the Guadalupe while on her horse. They have so many activities, sports, events, etc. that a kid could never get bored here. She loved swimming, "the blob", the meals, the fun parties/carnivals/dances, the overnight hike up a mountain to have a campout and swim, the race at the end of term, cheering her tribe on at War Canoe, and getting to be a part of something so pure and with solid traditions in the great outdoors. These kids get to learn to succeed and fail on their own, without mom and dad hovering over them, but with a support system of their counselors and friends. This camp teaches them so much about friendship, courage, independence, respect, and teamwork - these lessons are invaluable to a child's development and shapes who they will become as adults. It's also a great time for parents to learn to let go a little bit and let their kids experience something on their own. The camp staff take tons of gorgeous pictures of the kids every day and you can pull them up on the website to see what your kid is up to. We hope to keep signing her up every year for as long as she can still go. Maybe one day she'll want to be a counselor and guide the next generations each summer. I sure hope so.

My grandson had the best time at Rio Vista and can't wait to go back in 2026! He loved the people,…read morethe activities, the whole camp!

Kickapoo Kamp , was my home away from home . I wished I could have lived there all year . Amazing…read moreexperiences. I loved everything about Kickapoo . I loved it so much my children went there and had the time of their lives . Very fond memories at Kickapoo . GO CHEROKEES

My daughter has attended every year since she was eight. Highly recommend. She's made lifelong…read morefriends and loved each year.

As an 8 year camper myself, daughter who was a Mystic summer counselor while attending University…read moreof Texas during her school years, grand-daughter a 10 yr, camper, now a counselor in training, our Family loves all the wonderful things in our life at Mtstic, like sharing, caring and loving all peoples ,listening to others, respect all, following rules, making new and lifelonf friends and many more good traits, memories, and friends! I hate that grand-mothers cannot go back and swim in the Guadulpe one more time!!! You cannot get any better than this for your daughters,grands,cousins,sisters,etc, Mystic is family at it's BEST! Angele Schleeter Fanning '56-'63

This is something I sent to Camp Mystic expressing my gratitude:…read moreI just want everyone to know how grateful I am for the life altering experiences you have given to Mica. I'll never forget when she was barely seven years old, speaking to her about your camp (which we had thoroughly researched and had many wonderful recommendations!). I thought MAYBE she could go that first year for the short term. Or even start the following year. But Mica is a determined young lady and she let it be known she wanted to go the full term that first year. I think (no, I KNOW) it was much harder on me than it was on her that first year!!! But, it turned out even better than I could ever have imagined! And with the online access to photos and events and her letters, my feelings were assuaged. And then I saw her happiness that first moment at Round Up... Mica had fallen in love with Camp Mystic and everything it represents. My only concern is when she is too old to go or return hopefully as a counselor!! Camp Mystic has helped form and reinforce values at the core level. By going every year since she was little, it has had an amazing impact on her that will continue throughout her life. AND the friendships formed will be life long, I'm sure. As her Mom, I owe everyone there eternal gratitude. It is one of the best decisions we have made for her. I don't mean to be overly sentimental, but everything I say is true and then some.

We had our wedding at Camp Tecaboca and it was an amazing experience! When deciding where to have…read moreour wedding several locations came to mind but nothing was more exciting than Tecaboca. In college, I went to retreats here and have wonderful memories of the Marianist Brothers and the staff. Now, years later, I hoped to find the same love and Marianist spirit that once managed this property. I was so happy to find that Tecaboca is still going strong! Kay and the team were great at communicating with us to make sure all our needs were met leading up to the wedding. They also connected us with Fr. Jim Mueller who was amazing and perfect for our wedding. We rented Tecaboca for the weekend and were able to give our guests a mini-retreat with a beautiful wedding on the lake. Everyone kept talking about how beautiful, relaxing and perfect everything was. We are so grateful for Camp Tecaboca and the amazing people that keep it going!

I went to this camp twice when I was a youngster. The first time, I was six and very homesick…read more The second time, I was 10 and my male cousin went with me. It taught me a lot of skills such as making my bed like in the service, cleaning the toilet and sink of our bath, etc. Every morning, we had to go to mass early and kneel on the concrete floors. The second time I went, on my last day, they said since I was not Catholic, I did not have to kneel. Great timing. Seriously, a very nice place, archery, swimming, riflemanship, were taught with the student having respect for himself and his game. This was nearly sixty years ago, and I remember it like yesterday. The entrance, driving over the one lane bridge over the water sticks in my mind. Prepare your son for the loneliness at first, but it will be worth it.