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General Info Adventure Camp

Register for 2025!

Location

Where is Adventure Camp?
Adventure Camp is located on the NROCKS Outdoor Adventure Campus at 141 Co Rte 28/5, Circleville, WV 26804.

The Dropoff location will be at Camp Horizons in Harrisonburg, Virginia at 3586 Way and campers will be transported by our staff to NROCKS. Camp Horizons is located around 2 hours from Washington DC, Richmond, and Roanoke. The closest international airport is Washington-Dulles (IAD).


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Essential Eligibility Criteria

It is our goal to partner with parents/guardians to work together to determine if Camp Horizons will be a positive experience for your camper prior to their enrollment. Safe participation requires certain physical, mental, emotional, and social health abilities, and staff are not specialized in serving those with special needs including certain mental, emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties. These requirements are not intended to be exclusionary, but to provide a safe and positive environment for all campers and staff. As each camper’s ability to participate is unique, decisions to accept a participant are made on an individual basis. As such, if your camper meets any of the following, you must contact us prior to enrolling:

  • Has had any physical health concerns that could impact their time at camp (illnesses, broken bones, mobility issues, recent surgeries, etc.)
  • Has had any mental health concerns in the last year, including anxiety, depression, etc.
  • Has been diagnosed with any learning or behavioral disabilities (autism, ODD, CD, etc.)
  • Is in a self-contained classroom or requires an aid at school

Please use the following criteria, developed according to the American Camp Association recommendations, as a guide to assess your camper’s readiness for camp. A baseline for participation in our programming, without added accommodations, entails the following:

  • Can your camper take care of their own personal hygiene? Campers must know how to wash and brush their own hair, shower independently, and care for their own basic needs
  • Are they in good health physically and emotionally?
  • Are they able to handle the aspects of summer camp like living independently in a group setting, sharing a cabin with 8-10 other campers?
  • Are they able to handle being in loud, busy environments? If not, do they have the tools to express their needs?
  • When angry or upset, are they able to keep calm and express their feelings without becoming physical?
  • Have they ever spent more than one night away from home?

We want to make sure that we are right for your camper and family and that your camper can participate in our programs. If your camper currently takes any medication for mood or focus, please do not take them off it.

Camp is a big transition for everyone, and we do not want to change anything that could make it more difficult. We expect all campers to abide by our community agreement.

Any camper whose behavior disrupts their cabin or program will be dismissed without refund.

After registration, review, complete, and then double and triple-check the Parent’s Checklist below:

  • CampSite Registration Information Complete?
  • Camp Fees Paid?
  • Forms and Waivers Complete/Submitted?
  • Arrival/Check-in Information Prepared?
  • Transportation Details Finalized/Completed? (only necessary for airport arrivals)
  • Packing List Double and Triple Checked?
  • Camper Mail Complete (addressed, mailed, etc.)
  • Camp Packing List

The American Camp Association provides a large number of resources, recommendations, and educational materials for parents and campers on their website dedicated to “camp parents”. Please take some time to visit their website and review the many resources available to you and your child. Please let us know if you find any particular resource incredibly helpful (or not-so-helpful), and we’ll gladly pass that feedback along to the ACA folks.

ACA Parent Resources

Vaccinations

All staff and campers are required to be vaccinated with the following:

  • DTAP
  • MMR
  • Polio
  • Chicken Pox

As part of our greater community health initiative, exemptions are not made on the above requirements. We encourage all campers be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine.

Transportation

All Campers should arrive to camp via Parent Drop-Off and depart via Parent Pick-Up. Campers should be dropped off at Camp Horizons in Harrisonburg. After check-in, they will head to NROCKS in Circleville, WV where their basecamp is located. Further instructions about Check In/Check Out will be shared in advance of summer arrival.

Airport Arrival and Departure: Campers arriving to camp from out of state or out of the country are eligible for transportation from our Airport Shuttle. The shuttle runs to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). Arrivals need to land at Dulles International Airport between 10 am and 2 pm on the Check-In Day (Sunday) of your camper’s session. Departures need to be scheduled to leave Dulles International Airport between 12 pm and 4 pm on the Checkout Day (Saturday) of your camper’s session. Please note that this service is for campers flying from out of state or country.

Dulles Shuttle: $175 each way

Arrival/Departure

Arrival (Check-In) occurs between 2:30 and 4:30 pm on the Sunday on which your session starts. These will be in 30-minute slots to prevent congestion. Upon arrival at Camp Horizons, you will be greeted by one of our staff members and you will be directed to parking, check-in, etc. If for some reason you will be late, please call our office (540.896.7600) to let us know ASAP so we can make appropriate arrangements to ensure a warm welcome for your camper.

In order to help check-in run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, we ask that you arrive at the time corresponding with the first letter of your camper’s last name for drop-off:

  • Last Names A-F: 2:30-3:00 pm
  • Last Names G-M: 3:00-3:30 pm
  • Last Names N-S: 3:30-4:00 pm
  • Last Names T-Z: 4:00-4:30 pm

Departure (Check Out) takes place from 9:00 am-11:00 am on the last day of the camp session (Saturday). We do not require specific time slots for camper pick-up. Upon arrival, parents and guardians should carefully drive to the same parking area they used during check-in. Additional instructions will be given at that time.

Meals

Meals

Here at Camp Horizons, our dining team strives to offer a variety of food that is kid-friendly and healthy. Campers will do much of their own cooking with trained staff during this program. Snack opportunities are available throughout the day and provided during the evening. More information to come. Please reach out to our team with any questions or concerns.

We can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and lactose-free diets if noted on registration. Additionally, we include diets that do not consume fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, soy, and sesame. Please note that we are a nut-aware camp. If your camper has a specific food allergy or other special dietary need not listed above, please call us to familiarize us with your camper’s needs. We will work with you to accommodate their needs. If you wish to provide food to supplement your campers’ dietary requirements, please give us a call to speak with our Dining Services Director.

Communication at Camp

Technology-Free Camp

Here at Camp Horizons, we are a technology-free camp. We take immense pride in providing a technology-free environment. Our commitment to fostering genuine connections, outdoor exploration, and immersive experiences is reflected in our decision to keep technology at bay during camp sessions. By creating a space free from electronic devices, we aim to encourage interpersonal relationships, enhance creativity, and promote a deeper connection with nature.

At Camp Horizons, we believe that unplugging from screens allows children to fully engage in the magic of camp life, fostering personal growth and memorable adventures that will last a lifetime. We have found that phones, smart watches, tablets, and computers only disconnect children further and prevent them from getting a true camp experience. Any technology your child does bring will be removed from their possession and kept in the office until check-out.

Mail and Packages

Parents and authorized users will be able to “email” their camper through Camp Today. You may send as many of these letters as you wish. Campers will be able to respond to these by writing messages on “email sheets” that will be scanned into our system and then sent electronically back to the intended recipient.

We have a NO-PACKAGE policy here at camp and do not allow campers to receive packages. Please make sure your camper has everything they need for their session. Exceptions will be made in necessary cases such as eyewear or medication replacement.

Photographs

Photos are a big part of camp, for both us and you. We love sharing as many photos as possible with you on a daily basis through our viewing portal using your Parent Dashboard login. Only the names and emails associated with the camper will have access to these pictures. We do not have a full-time photographer for Adventure Camp. Trip leaders and Adventure Camp staff will be taking photos of the campers and programs. We put all photos on the Parent Dashboard, as well as a selection on our social media pages.

Refund Policy

What is your refund policy?

In the case of serious accident, illness, or other extenuating circumstances, refunds will be provided at the discretion of the Camp Director. No refunds or reductions are made for late arrival or early departure from camp. Any camper whose behavior disrupts the camp program or is harmful to themselves or others will be dismissed with no refund. Please make sure your camper meets our Essential Eligibility Criteria prior to enrolling.

  • $375 non-refundable registration fee per session per camper required at time of enrollment. For cancellations made prior to May 1, families are eligible for a refund less registration fees.
  • All cancellations on or after May 1 are nonrefundable.

Adventure Camp FAQs

1.) How does Adventure differ from the Explorer program?

Adventure Camp is our week-long, jam-packed specialty trip program! Based out of our NROCKs location, teens will have access to a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities in the mountains of West Virginia. Rather than participating in normal camp programming like at Camp Horizons, they’ll be in smaller groups and will spend most of their time engaged in any of our thrilling adventure activities.

2.) Does my teen need any special gear or equipment to participate?

Nope! At Adventure Camp, we’ll be providing all of the gear for your teen’s explorations and adventures, but you are welcome to send some specific equipment with them to use – check out our recommended packing list for more information. We will be traveling in the rugged backcountry, so we would not recommend bringing expensive or important gear or keepsakes, as they could get damaged. 

3.) Can I drop my teen off at NROCKS?

All campers will be launching and beginning their trip from Camp Horizons in Harrisonburg, VA. However, if the NROCKS Campus, located in Circleville, WV, is appropriate and a closer option for your transportation needs, feel free to contact us regarding our NROCKS drop-off time.

4.) What if my camper has special medications or dietary restrictions?

The dynamic nature of our Adventure Camp program means that campers will be cooking most of their own meals. Campers will not have access to the dining hall and may have fewer options, but we’ll be conscious of this fact and work to make sure campers are able to cook and eat appropriate meals for their dietary needs. Medications will be managed by directors and program leaders.

5.) Does my teen need previous “adventure” experience?

This camp is designed as a smorgasbord of different adventure activities with the goal of getting teens to engage with the outdoors. They do not need previous adventure experience, but due to the nature of us sleeping in tents and at many different locations, it’s recommended that they have at least one year of prior overnight camp experience before checking out Adventure Camp!

6.) What if the weather stops them from doing a specific activity?

Our program will run rain or shine, but we will always choose activities acting in the teens’ best interests regarding group safety and experience. Ideally, they’ll get to do it all, but if they don’t, we’ll try to make sure substitutions and other options are just as good as the thing we missed. However, we will not be able to offer refunds for missed activities.

7.) Can I come visit the NROCKs campus to see my camper?

You are welcome to book tours and check out our NROCKs location, but we encourage parents to give their teens some independence and allow them to adventure with their peers/ We appreciate the trust in allowing us to take care of and mold your teen over the course of a challenging week in the outdoors, and ask that you provide us the space to instruct without outside influences. Therefore, parent or guardian visits will not be permitted during our program.

8.) Will we get to see photos of the kids every day like we do at Camp Horizons?

Our dynamic program will have kids running through the backcountry, zigzagging through the wilderness, and rushing down whitewater rivers; with this in mind, we will try our best to upload pictures as possible of their adventures throughout the week. However, this will not be feasible in backcountry settings, and we do not want parents to be surprised if they go a few days without seeing photos or video uploads on our site.

9.) How do I know my kid is safe?

Our staff boasts years of experience in facilitating and managing youth in outdoor adventure programming. We have diverse skilled and experienced trip facilitators who have been trained in backcountry first aid and technical rescue in both aquatics and climbing backgrounds, and our founders have a background in leading groundbreaking programming for youth for 40+ years. We will always act in your child’s best interest, and our number one priority is their return to you, safe and sound.

10.) How do I know if this is the right program for my child? Is this camp meant to be challenging?

This will be challenging, but in the good way! Healthy challenge and adversity encourages kids to grow and blossom into awesome adults. This is not recommended for a teen’s first foray into summer camp life; we recommend at least a year of prior summer camp or camping experience before trying this backcountry, rugged trip program.