Chestnut Ridge

Each summer, we welcome over a thousand campers who come to share in a warm welcome, good food, friendship, campfires, stories, worship and songs. Each week of camp forms a community that experiences the love of God through a dedicated staff, well planned activities, and a beautiful outdoor setting.

Chestnut Ridge is a fun place to grow. It is a place for first-time campers to gain new life experiences and new friendships with campers and staff. It is a place for returning campers who come each year to make new friendships and renew old ones. It is a place where all campers recreate and reconnect with others, with the created world, and with God.

Each summer, we welcome over a thousand campers who come to share in a warm welcome, good food, friendship, campfires, stories, worship and songs. Each week of camp forms a community that experiences the love of God through a dedicated staff, well planned activities, and a beautiful outdoor setting.

Register online, or download a paper registration form to mail or fax in.

Nestled in the Heart of Carolina [location and directions], Chestnut Ridge offers residential and day camp experiences for campers in grades K-12.

Summer Camp 2008 offers the very best residential program we can conceive: a small group with which to live and grow, and a choice of program activities for older elementary and middle school aged campers. Day camp features breakfast with the camp community, an abundance of program selections, and finishes each day with campers returning home before dinner.

Evenings offer resident campers the opportunity to enjoy evening meals together, lively fun worship, games, old-fashioned carnivals, dances, and an end of session celebration full of skits, songs, stories, praise, and worship.

Day or Resident Camp - Which One? 

We are often asked about the differences between day and residential camp. So, we prepared a spiffy article that articulates the many reasons why a camper may want to choose to be residential with us. 

It is our prayer that every word and deed at Chestnut Ridge glorifies God. We want to partner with you as parents to develop and preserve practices of faith that strengthen and uplift the campers and in turn, each camper’s family, church, school, and community.

A summer camp experience built on excellence and quality remains vitally important for children and youth, providing them with space and time apart where they learn about themselves, their peers, and life in the Christian community. We look forward to sharing the love of Christ with our campers, their families and our team!

What's New for '08

Resident Duskie Backcountry Camping

Wednesday night is our designated night for Home in the Woods; on Thursdays, resident Duskies will have the opportunity to backpack to the frontier for the night. We'll head out early enough to set up camp and enjoy a delicious Leave No Trace (LNT) meal and then head back to main camp for the Talent Show and Vespers. Then, we'll night hike back to our campsite to share stories, jokes, songs and finally, sleep in pitched tents. Friday morning, we'll cookout at our site and clean up before heading back into main camp to join into program groups.

The Spider Web

The newest element on our challenge course, come and see if you and your group can successfully navigate the threads of this spider's web!

New Water Toys

Nothing beats summer heat like a dip in the pool. This year, enjoy our new water additions such as basketball at the pool and some new equipment for the lake...stay tuned!

Mountain Biking, Canoeing, Pottery, Fishing...

In years past, campers have signed up for these activities as "majors." New this year, we will be offering them as some of our daily program electives. So, if you want to ride your bike or fish at the lake, bring your bike or fishing pole with you and we'll give you opportunities to put your equipment to good use!

Lodging

All residential lodging is in air-conditioned cabins with indoor bath/shower facilities. All overnight, off-site trips (Duskies & High Schoolers) involve tent camping. Weather permitting, residential Waterdogs and Duskies will camp out on Wednesday night at our weekly Home in the Woods night.

Transportation

Transportation is being offered for day campers from the Chapel Hill/Durham area to Camp Chestnut Ridge. Each morning at 7:30 a.m., our team will pick up your camper in our camp vans and return your camper to you at 5:30 p.m. Pick-up and drop-off will be in the parkng lot of Chapel Hill Bible Church (260 Erwin Rd, Chapel Hill, NC), convenient to I-40 and Hwy 15/501.

Health and Safety

At Camp Chestnut Ridge, the safety of the campers is our primary concern. Our excellent safety record is a direct result of the care we take in our program and in setting our behavioral standards. All of our camp counselors are trained in Basic First Aid and CPR. Many of our team are further certified in Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and Lifeguard. In addition, we maintain a communications system that enables effective communication amongst staff and quick access to EMS.

We keep in touch with the Rescue Squad in Efland which is less than 3 miles from camp. The local squads are very familiar with the property, making their response time quick. Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill hospitals are both within 15 miles of Chestnut Ridge.

All campers must complete a Health History Form to leave on file with our Health Care Administrator. In addition, all prescriptions must be checked-in at registration and left with our Health Care Adminstrator. Medications are dispensed from the Infirmary and a log kept of the time, dosage and administrator.

Food Service and Dining

A carefully planned, well-balanced menu, including snacks, is provided by an experienced food service team. Chestnut Ridge provides healthy, home-cooked meals served both buffet and family-style with fresh fruits and salads daily. Any special dietary needs (diabetes, vegetarians, food allergies, etc.) can be accommodated with advance notice. The majority of our camp meals are eaten in the Morris Center, a modern dining facility that can hold up to 144 persons per meal in air-conditioned comfort. The spacious deck of the Morris Center overlooks Lake Fellowship and offers a wooded path down to the Lakeside Chapel. At some meals, campers will cookout as a group.

Food and table are important in every community and we have designed our camp around the practice of Christian hospitality and fellowship at the table. From the fresh Maple View Dairy milk to the locally grown produce (some of which we even grow ourselves), campers are invited to the healthiest, freshest foods we can find. A sense of responsibility and community is built as campers rotate the practice of setting and decorating the table.

Every meal includes hot, homemade food complete with fresh fruits and vegetables. Lunches and dinners include salad or fruit bars and dessert. Water, juices and milk are available at all meals.