Our Camp

Join Us at Camp

Want to know what your camper will be doing at camps?

Activities: A variety of developmentally appropriate activities are provided to create an inclusive period for all campers involved.  Activities include: swimming, sports & games, arts & crafts, science, nature, pond exploration, canoeing, zip lines, climbing wall, ropes courses, hiking and more.

Special Events: Special events bring new adventures to camp in a fun and sometimes wacky way.  Examples: Field Day, Treasure Hunts, and Themed days.

Swimming: 2 certified LGs will provide supervision of general swim time, also known as, “free swim”.  Campers are closely supervised by lifeguards with camp counselors providing additional monitoring.  Campers will be in shallow waters unless they have demonstrated specific set of skills proving they can swim in deep waters.  This is known as the ‘deep water test’.  Testing is done on the first day of camp.

When

Coming Summer 2024

Where

Thaxton, VA

What

Residential camp for children ages 8-17.

Cost

$1,500 per week; financial aid is available.

Your Place to Be

Camp Quest seeks to provide an inclusive camp experience, which is shaped by celebrating diversity and allowing campers to discover the natural world around them as they forge lasting friendships in a supportive, like-minded community.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CAMPER

  • Group ratio 1:8 (one counselor for every 8 campers)
  • Groups are co-ed and based on grade children are entering in September
  • Counselors are hired based on desire to work with children and experience and/or training working with children.  Counselors are supported by year-round camp professionals with over 20 years youth development experience.
  • Campers experience wide-range of activities that are age-appropriate.

Camp Quest Blue Ridge offers gender inclusive cabins.

Our Programs

All Camp Quest programs focus on core educational content areas which form the foundation of our unique approach to program development. We pride ourselves on having innovative, leading-edge programming and empowering our camp leaders to incorporate the latest in research, technology, and best practices when developing camp activities.

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good. Camp activities that focus on humanist ethics aim to familiarize campers with this worldview, which promotes altruism, peace and social justice, community service, and personal responsibility for helping others and caring for our planet.

We learn through observing the world around us—and it’s a big world! Experimenting, gathering information, and testing that information for accuracy, truthfulness, and utility is the basis for developing critical thinking skills. At Camp Quest, we encourage campers to ask “why?”, to dig into some of life and science’s most challenging questions, and to use reason and empiricism when tackling problems.

Freethought Heritage and Worldview Awareness activities, including our signature Famous Freethinkers™ program, encourage cultural literacy and expose campers to a variety of belief systems and religions found throughout the world. Camp Quest promotes open-mindedness, choice, empathy, and respect for religious, philosophical, and cultural diversity while also modeling appropriate and respectful discussion and critique of belief systems.

Camp Quest programs are hosted at camp facilities which offer a variety of outdoor recreation options and give campers an immersive experience in nature. Activities vary by location and may include hiking, fishing, canoeing, rock wall climbing, swimming, zip lines, and more. Campers spend time observing the natural world, sharing their discoveries, and working together to learn about the natural sciences, environmental responsibility, and outdoor and wilderness safety.

The unique setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains provides the perfect environment for campers to discover the natural world around them, to share in educational and inquisitive adventures and to leave as enriched individuals. Campers will enjoy swimming, canoeing, zip lines, climbing wall, ropes courses, hiking and more.