We hope to use this opportunity to alleviate some of the anxieties that may exist as you prepare to send your son to overnight camp for the first time. This can be an exciting but also somewhat stressful time for parents and campers. The decision to place your son in someone else’s care is for many parents one of the most difficult choices you can make in their young age.

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions. If you have more, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Do you have a camp nurse?

Is my son ready to be away from home for two to three weeks?
I like to ask the parents whether he can spend the night away at a friends house without wanting to come home at midnight. It is important that they do spend the night away a few times successfully before attending an overnight camp. You may ask, “Do you have a one week session to start with?” One week can at times work against you as there is not enough time to work through homesickness, emerge on the other side and have enough time to appreciate what camp has to offer. Sometimes they go home after 5 or 6 days only to remember that it was hard to be at camp and do not want to return. We feel like two weeks is a healthy amount of time for them to adjust to camp life, meet and develop friendships, and learn some skills in the activities.

I talk with some parents who are hesitant about sending their son away to camp, but their child is fired up for camp. If he is that excited about it, I recommend you take that opportunity to support his excitement for such an experience and realize, as a parent sometimes we have to let go. I am a parent of two boys and understand first hand how hard it can be. I have also seen the campers at camp grow so much in their self esteem and confidence. Parents tell me that they are picking up a different child and can't believe how grown up he is. Camp can be such a wonderful experience!

What if my son does get homesick?
We feel like homesickness presents a wonderful opportunity for your son to work through something difficult with the support of his counselor and the other staff here at camp. You can do much to prepare your son for going away to camp, especially if it is his first camp experience. Talking honestly with your son about what to expect can ease the transition from home to camp. Many boys expect camp to be fun all the time. While your son should expect to have fun, you can tell him that he will at times feel many different emotions: elation at discovering new friends, fear of confronting a new situation, disappointment when a game or project hasn't gone well, and even sadness to leave friends at the end of a session. Homesickness may occur, especially if your son is young or living away for the first time. Homesickness is neither a dislike of camp nor evidence of camper maladjustment. It is normal. Discussing this with your son and letting him know that this is a common feeling will make it easier to deal with should it occur. If it does, the most appropriate action is to let your son stay at camp, except in very unusual cases. Our camp staff members are trained to work with homesick boys, and within a day or two most boys have completely recovered. If you receive a letter that is less than positive at the beginning of camp, don't worry too much- homesickness is usually over by the time the letter reaches home. In your letters to camp, it may be helpful to ask about experiences at camp rather than to dwell on happenings at home. Try to put your own feelings of separation into proper perspective, and then write your son an encouraging response. 

Express your confidence in your son's ability to cope and that the staff is there to help. It is usually a good idea to avoid making references about how much you will miss your son and it helps if parents avoid talking about what they will be doing while their son is away. If you receive a letter that is cause for concern, don't hesitate to notify us by phone. Since gaining independence from family is a developmental task that all must face at some point or other, camp can be a positive step in the life of a camper.  Click here for article on homesickness

Do most children come with a buddy?
Many of the campers come to camp and do not know anyone else attending. Some boys come to camp and have a friend they wish to share a cabin with. Enrollment may be strong from certain cities so we are careful to limit the number of boys we accept from any city or from any grade in that city. We try to have a geographic diversity and are able to have children from the Northeast states to Texas and all states in between. We will put no more than two boys in a cabin together from a city, and care is taken to mix returning campers and new campers when arranging cabin groups.

What makes High Rocks special?
Many camps have similarities, but each camp has a uniqueness that makes it different. These are the qualities that we feel make High Rocks special:

We are small, with around 140 campers and 70 staff members. We like this size as it allows us to get to know each other and not have a child slip through the cracks. We want to create a sense of community and a "home away from home", and are able to do this successfully with this small size.

Our philosophy of promoting a non-competitive atmosphere is the core of High Rocks. We feel it is important that each boy that attends camp challenges himself by setting goals in the activity area and then working to achieve those goals. The reward then is improving in the skill as a result of effort. For instance, going on an out of camp climbing trip, improving their confidence in swimming, score in riflery, or riding a horse that just looked too big on the first day. We use the activities as tools to build confidence and self esteem. These are truly life long rewards.

Another unique part of High Rocks is our staff. Many of our counselors are returning staff and many have attended camp as campers and staff trainees. We hire a mature staff group, preferring college upperclassmen or graduates. The average age is approximately 24 to 25 years of age. See pictures and read more about our staff

We are very fortunate to have 1000 acres of property for camp use and enjoy hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding on the many trails on the property. We have a private 12-acre lake that we use for sailing, swimming, canoeing and kayaking. We are also within 25 minutes of Pisgah National Forest and we border Dupont Sate Forest, a beautiful area of waterfalls and hiking trails. See our Facility

We do not want to ever claim that we are better than other camps. We do, however, want to be the best camp for the children and parents who choose High Rocks. There are so many excellent camps to choose from, we hope that our philosophy and activities will be a fit for your son's personality. Article- How to choose a camp

How can I check on how my son is doing while he is at camp?
Parents are welcome to call the camp office and speak with the Directors or head counselors about their son. We also have daily updates on the website with pictures and a brief synopsis of what is happening at camp that day. You will also receive a letter from the director in the first few days of camp and a summary letter from the counselor of your son's experience at the end of the session. Again we welcome phone calls to check on your son but campers are not allowed to make or receive phone calls themselves except for extenuating circumstances.

What is your camper to staff ratio? 3 campers to 1 staff member.

Are you accredited by any organization?
In November of '94, Camp High Rocks became the first program nationwide to become accredited by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE). The accreditation process spanned two years and involved twelve outside reviewers. A "Peer Review Team" came to camp in 1993 and went out on climbing, hiking, mountain biking, and canoeing trips; they also analyzed our in-camp programs. The review team gave us feedback on all of our programs, paying particular attention to conducting the activity, safety and risk management, staff training, and equipment. We were particularly pleased by the way the AEE staff analyzed how each activity meshed with our stated philosophy and goals for each camper's personal growth. In July of '94 an accreditation team visited camp and recommended that Camp High Rocks be among the first adventure programs in the United States to be accredited by the AEE. We chose to seek accreditation through the AEE due to their expertise and emphasis on adventure programming. Our accreditation remains current and is reviewed on an annual basis, with periodic site visits.

Do you have a camp nurse?
High standards of health and safety are set and maintained. A resident Registered Nurse is on duty at the camp infirmary. Our doctors are in nearby Brevard (eight miles), with a well-equipped clinic and hospital. Dental and medical specialists are also available to us in nearby Asheville, North Carolina.

Who ARE your staff?
The selection of the counselor staff is the most important choice that we as directors make. No camp, regardless of its facilities and equipment, can be stronger than its staff. Our counselors must have completed at least one year of college. They are competent in their teaching field, and have an understanding and interest in children. Their most important role is that of cabin counselor. They are chosen for their maturity, experience, enthusiasm, personal values, and ability to have fun. The staff-camper ratio is approximately one to three, the average counselor age mid-twenties. As a result of our counselor training program, our counselor group includes many former campers. There is a high percentage of returning staff each year.

To assure that we grow as leaders we conduct pre-camp training and continuing education during the sessions. This training makes an effective team capable of providing guidance to children. A counselor who listens and responds can build a highly effective relationship with a child and can have a strong influence on that child. We therefore place great emphasis upon the counselor's personal habits and values. See pictures and read more about our staff

How many campers are in a cabin?
Each cabin has 5 to 7 boys. Most of the cabins have 6 campers.

Can my son bring electronic games or portable digital music players to camp?
Campers are not allowed to bring any kind of electronic game but can bring music to be listened to during rest hour or while driving to a trip drop off. We do not want the campers “plugged in” during activity time.

Can my son bring his own mountain Bike?
Campers are welcome to bring their own mountain bikes and keep them in the biking room. We encourage them to use the camp bikes as to limit wear and tear on their own. We maintain a nice fleet of Jamus bikes that are either brand new each year or have only been used one or two seasons.

Is there laundry service at camp?
Laundry is sent to a laundry service once a week and delivered back to camp.

How does it work if my son flies to camp?
We will meet campers flying in to the Asheville, NC airport. It is about 40 minutes away and they are used to working with camps and campers. We will also take them back to the airport and stay with them until the flights have taken off. It is best to ship the footlocker by UPS or Fed Ex for those campers who fly.

Are there any additional charges beyond the camp tuition?
The camp fee is all inclusive. There is no additional fee for crafts supplies, riding lessons, transportation, laundry or special events.

My son is a Boy Scout- can he work on merit Badges at High Rocks?
Yes he can. Our Camp Director, Hank Birdsong, has a long history in Scouting and is a registered merit badge counselor. For detailed information regarding merit badges, check our Boy Scout Merit Badges at High Rocks summary (requires Adobe Acrobat reader).