You might know that there are a lot of camps in this part of western North Carolina. About 100 years ago (104 years for Rockbrook), camps started popping up as mountain retreats from the summer heat, but also places with great access to nature. Cleaner air, cooler temperatures, and spectacular natural features like lakes, waterfalls, rock cliffs and long range mountains views were a real draw. While parents established cottages and visited resorts, camps catered to their kids, offering a place more suited to their interests and needs. Camps have survived this long because kids love being here, and now I think there are 16 overnight camps in this county alone.
One big advantage for camps in this area is the incredible access we have to nearby forests and wilderness areas, which makes all kinds of outdoor adventure possible. A few miles south of Rockbrook is the Dupont State Forest, 10,000 acres of protected land known for its huge waterfalls, lakes and hiking trails. North of camp is the Pisgah National Forest which is over 500,000 acres and likewise is known for its rock faces, trails, scenic streams and waterfalls. Our very own camp property is a 200-acre mini example of these forests with Castle Rock, Rockbrook Falls, old growth trees, trails and hidden swimming holes. Rockbrook is uniquely fortunate in this way.
I mention all of this because in addition to the regular daily activities at camp, the four in-camp activities each camper has as part of their day, Rockbrook’s outdoor adventure staff plans special out-of-camp trips that are optional for the campers. These trips are announced during meals and girls can sign up to go. It means missing their regular activities, so the decision can be a dilemma… you can’t do everything! “Should I miss riflery and pottery to go hiking?” It can be a tough choice, but there’s always a big interest to try these adventures. Some trips are only half a day, like a day hike to an overlook. Others take a whole day, like whitewater rafting, kayaking or rock climbing in Pisgah. Despite this dilemma, these trips are quite popular among the girls.
This week, for example, there was an adventure trip everyday. There was a day hike in Dupont, and another in Pisgah, on Monday. Tuesday, which is generally our big rafting day, brought almost all of the Middlers over to the Nantahala for a day of whitewater and splashy fun. On Wednesday, we saw girls flying through the trees on the Zipline course and in the evening, all of the Seniors braving the chilly ride down Sliding Rock. The Kayakers took trips on both Thursday and Friday, to the French Broad River and the Tuckaseegee River. There was also an overnight backpacking trip for Middlers on Thursday night. Another group spent the night camping in Eno hammocks on the camp property… adventure glamping among the trees in hammocks… “Glammacking,” we might call it.
It might be easy to forget about these trips happening when there is so much regular in-camp action. Some girls, though, try to go out of camp for these adventures whenever they have the chance. There’s so much to see, new thrills and challenges to experience, on these trips. They are another way for the girls here to try new things, things that require a little nerve, a little extra effort, and a little real-world challenge. Our regular days provide moments like this, but trips turn it up even more.
Of course what makes these trips so fun is not just the novelty or rush of the experience. It’s also the feeling of accomplishment that comes with it… jumping off the rock that starts the zipline, staring down the rushing water of sliding rock, steering your kayak through the rapids, and so forth. Overcoming these sorts of challenges becomes almost natural for the girls here because they’re surrounded by supportive friends, bolstered by true camaraderie. It’s what we all do. Camp girls will tell you; they’re ready for adventure! And that’s pretty neat.