Your child’s camp session is determined by the grade they will be going in to in the fall. Campers are housed with others of similar age (e.g. 6th graders with 6th graders, etc.)

Yes. When you register your camper, you may make housing requests. We do everything we can to honor these requests, but some restrictions apply: We do not house different genders together, and if the age range between campers is too great (e.g. a 5th grader and an 8th grader), we cannot honor the request.

Campers arrive Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. and depart Saturday morning at 10 a.m.

Yes. Financial assistance is available, depending on need. We do not want money to be the reason that keeps a child from experiencing Summer Camp at John Knox Ranch! Campers must register and pay the required deposit, then complete a scholarship request form (available by calling the JKR office).

3rd – 5th grade campers stay in our duplex cabins, while 6th – 9th graders stay in screened cabins.

We serve homemade, delicious food at every meal, and a snack each afternoon! Because community is important to camp life, meals are served “family style,” with each cabin eating together. Our kitchen staff is able to handle just about any type of dietary preference, from vegetarian to vegan to allergy-related needs. If you have special concerns, we will visit with you in advance of your child coming to camp to make sure we understand what he or she needs.

We have a designated camp nurse on site who is trained in wilderness first aid, and who handles all camp illnesses, injuries, and medicines. He or she is in contact with a local physician, and makes sure that campers get the medical care they need. We will call you if your child is ill, and keep you updated on their condition (including if they are sick enough not to be at camp).

Counselors and camp staff are young adults with at least one year of college experience; in many cases, they are former campers who have grown up at JKR. They spend 10 days in summer staff training with us, and are certified as professional rescuers in Red Cross first aid, CPR, AED, and lifeguard training.

We know that you will most likely miss your child while they are away at camp. However, visits from family are discouraged. Any time a visitor shows up, it upsets the group dynamics of the cabin, and interrupts whatever activity the campers may be enjoying at the time. If you are worried about your child, you may call the camp office, and we will visit with you about your child’s situation and check on them for you. Please know that we will call you if there ever is a problem with your camper!

Yes! Campers love good, old-fashioned snail mail! We ask that you do not send food or too many snacks, as open food in cabins attracts ants and other critters. If you do send a treat, we ask that it be in an enclosed container, and that you send enough to share.

You may also send e-mail that will be delivered to your camper. Instructions about sending mail and accessing e-mail will be given to you at check-in on the

Yes. If you want to leave letters and/or cards for your camper to receive each day, we are happy to hold those for you. We will distribute them to your camper each day, or as you direct. Please bring these letters/cards/packages to registration on the first day of camp.

We know that your child is precious to you; they are to us as well! Thus, everything we do at camp is done with “safety first” in mind. John Knox Ranch enjoys a good relationship with both the Wimberley and Canyon Lake Fire & EMS services, so we are covered in the event that we need emergency attention. We are also accredited by the American Camping Association, which requires that camps have safety and security measures in place at every level.