Each year, summer camps in North Carolina receive thousands of children from all over the United States. Within idyllic areas like the Blue Ridge Mountains, camps offer experiences that provide your children with memories and outdoor skills for life.
Whether you’re looking for an overnight camp that’s filled with adventure or a more academic program where kids can learn and play outdoors, you can find them in the Tar Heel State.
Kids have a lot to look forward to here. Sitting around the campfire, playing sports, learning wilderness skills, and sleeping under the stars are a few of the many fun things kids can do at a summer camp in North Carolina.
1. Camps Kahdalea and Chosatonga
Camp Kahdalea and Camp Chosatonga are two separate girls’ and boys’ camps in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Transylvania County. These programs are set up so that kids ages 7-17 can have an opportunity to experience the best of the North Carolina wilderness as they play and experience self-growth.
Opportunities for fun include activities like whitewater rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, horseback riding, fishing, music and lessons, and more. Each camp has more than enough facilities to make camp comfortable and all types of activities possible for campers. The Camp Kahdalea for Girls and Camp Chosatonga for Boys campuses are both located within the Pisgah National Forest.
Both programs aim to help your children achieve their potential and grow spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially. Young campers 7-9 can enroll in their mini one-week camp, while older campers can choose from 2, 3, 5, and 9-week sessions. Parents are even invited to join the fun with their family camp at the end of summer.
2. Appalachian Institute For Creative Learning Camp
One summer can change everything. AICL is dedicated to unlocking the true potential of youth. They create a vibrant community for campers that acknowledges who they are while introducing them to new and exciting experiences.
Campers ages 8-18, you belong here! Located at Mars Hill University, just north of Asheville, North Carolina, campers can attend Week 1 (July 7-13), Week 2 (July 14-20), or both as either a residential or day camper. Staff, the majority of whom were campers, are committed to nurturing curiosity within and fostering belonging among all campers.
Campers spend their days exploring a variety of academically enriching topics, such as Synthesizers, Backyard Apothecary, Dinosaurs, Printmaking, Korean Folk Art, Guerilla Filmmaking, Game Shows, Puppetry, Jugger, and more with expert facilitators.
Afternoons and evenings are spent enjoying both group and whole-camp activities designed to foster self-acceptance and community. AICL: an inclusive, diverse summer enrichment camp where curiosity thrives, challenges are embraced, and laughter is abundant. Register today!
3. Rockbrook Camp For Girls
Rockbrook Summer Camps For Girls is nestled in the mountains of North Carolina and has been running for over 100+ years now. Open to girls ages 6-16, they take campers on white water rafting trips, horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking, and all the other adventurous camp activities you can think of.
Apart from adventures, there are also arts and crafts, sports, and performing arts activities to satisfy all interests. Their overnight camps last anywhere from 2, 3, and 4 weeks and occur early, late, and mid-summer.
One of the many ideals at Rockbrook Camp is for girls to feel like they belong in a community filled with kindness and respect for each other. The all-girls community will help campers feel free from stereotypes and become more self-confident while making the most of the surrounding rustic environment as a tech-free space.
You can also enroll kids in their specialty horse camp if you want them to focus on building their horseback riding skills, which is open to 7th to 10th-grade students.
4. Camp Mondamin
Founded nearly 100 years ago, Camp Mondamin is a family-owned camp in Zirconia for boys 6 to 17 years old. The leaders strive to promote a love for the great outdoors and boost the campers’ self-esteem, using a non-regimented approach to foster individuality.
With activities ranging from archery to looking after animals in the nature lab, Camp Mondamin sits in 800 acres of woodland and offers plenty of opportunities for kids to explore at their own pace. There are no age restrictions for the activities offered and a non-competitive ethos.
Kids can enjoy water activities like kayaking, sailing, swimming and on-land activities like mountain biking, horseback riding, mountaineering, and tennis. The overnight summer camps start in late May and run until August with various sessions available.
If you live in Raleigh, then you’ll want to visit our Raleigh summer camps guide.
5. Camp Carolina
Established in 1924, Camp Carolina bills itself as the place where boys develop and become better versions of themselves. It’s located on 220 acres in Lamb’s Creek Valley, with a private lake and surrounded by millions of acres of forest and parkland, close to the Appalachian Mountains.
Camp Carolina is one of the best North Carolina summer camps for boys in kindergarten to 11th grade. It places a strong focus on respect, both for each other and for the natural world. It’s proud of its tech-free policy, giving boys the freedom to spend time together without social media or smartphones.
Activities include arts and crafts, archery, white water rafting, wakeboarding, horse riding, Jedi yoga, hang gliding, sports, and much more. The camp promotes gentlemanly behavior and has an excellent camper to counselor ratio of 2.5 instructors per 1 child.
Read our guide on summer camps in Asheville if you live near here.
6. Camp Albemarle
If you’re looking for a summer camp in Newport, Camp Albemarle is an excellent choice for Christian campers. Albemarle offers both overnight and day stays, with options suitable for boys and girls from preschool to 12th grade.
Camp Albemarle aims to promote faith through fun. Its activities include Bible study alongside sailing, wilderness survival, and swimming. Of all the options available, Albemarle focuses on waterfront activities. As its website says, ‘if you have saltwater in your veins, this is the place for you!’
Apart from its other water-based activities, there are also other fun land activities like climbing and sports. If you’re looking for an overnight camp that will provide kids with outdoor adventures, Camp Albemarle is a fantastic option.
7. Camp Pinnacle
Promising a new approach to summer camps, Camp Pinnacle in Henderson County near the Blue Ridge Mountains is a sleepaway camp for kids ages 7-15. Although there is a separate spot for boys and girls, there are some coed activities. They foster respect, collaboration, and friendships between different genders.
Not only is Camp Pinnacle one of the oldest camps in the state, but it’s also one of the oldest in the whole of the USA! With 90 years of history, this place aims to provide a tech-free retreat where every child receives praise for their own achievements — not measured against others’ success.
If you’re looking for a summer camp near Charlotte for your child, it’s only around a two hour drive from it. The coed program makes family scheduling easy, and it also has an excellent reputation.
8. Camp Rockmont
At Rockmont, campers get to experience the wildness of being a boy outdoors, the welcoming embrace of a loving community, and the wonder of being alive. It’s one of the best overnight summer camps in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
Rockmont is a space for boys to come alive, and it’s a family experience — you will be able to take part in your son’s camp adventure from home through daily blog posts, hundreds of daily photos (with facial recognition, so you’ll get photos of your son right to your phone), resources to follow along in daily devotions, session videos, a counselor letter home, and directors who are available to speak with you anytime during your son’s session.
What makes Rockmont different is Age Progressive Programming. As your son grows, so will his summer camp experience. Skills become more advanced, activities grow to be more expansive, campouts add elements of wildness — and their phenomenal counselors and staff are along the journey with him every step of the way!
Save $200 on a summer camp session when you click on the link above. It’s only around a two hour drive from Charlotte and Raleigh.
9. Keystone Camp
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Keystone Camp is an all-girls camp in North Carolina for ages 7-14. The entire Keystone Camp staff is made up of only women. Keystone only hires qualified female instructors to lead its 29 activities, providing excellent and strong role models for the girls.
Keystone places a strong focus on individuality to create self-confidence. Unlike other programs, there are no compulsory activities. Girls can build individualized experiences to suit their strengths, interests, and passions. They will experience personal-growth while surrounded by their new friends and experienced camp counselors in a friendly environment.
With a great range of activities ranging from horseback riding, riflery to gymnastics and arts and crafts, there’s something for every girl at Keystone Camp. There are multiple camp sessions to choose from, including 3-week and 4-week options. There are also mini sessions that last between 6 days and 2 weeks for younger campers.
10. Camp Merri-Mac
One of the earliest Christian summer camps in North Carolina, found in Black Mountain. Camp Merri-Mac caters to girls ages 6-16. This sleepaway camp offers a range of unique activities, including cooking, puppy training, DIY, and emergency water safety. There are almost over 40 different activities found here.
At camp, girls stay in cabins on the 150-acre campus. Although the cabins separate campers by age group, Merri-Mac encourages girls of all ages to play together as members of the same community. Every evening, group competitions take place after dinner to foster collaboration and healthy rivalry.
There are 1, 2, and 4-week programs available. Activities range from white water rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, archery, rock climbing, hiking, gymnastics, and more. There are also sports like basketball and tennis.