Summer Camp
Adventure Camp
Adventure Camp is an exciting opportunity for youth to have an amazing camp experience while getting deeply in touch with nature! Campers will camp out each night sleeping in hammocks and simple covered shelters. Our classic resident camp program will be the foundation of the experience while also adding in camping experiences like outdoor cooking, hiking, fire building, etc. Adventure Camp sessions are available for rising 9th, 10th, and 11th graders. The Adventure Camp program is designed to teach young people to coexist with each other and with nature.
The Adventure Camp program is designed to teach young people to thrive with each other and with nature. Adventure campers will have the opportunity to grow individually and develop interpersonal skills while amidst God's Creation. Campers will camp out each night with no immediate access to running water or electricity. This is a rustic, adventurous, camping experience!
JKR is a place where all are welcome; where identity is formed through self-awareness and service, where differences are celebrated; where children grow into counselors, counselors become leaders, and leaders bring patience, inclusion, and excellent servant leadership to their own professions and communities.
JKR is a place where all are welcome; where identity is formed through self-awareness and service, where differences are celebrated; where children grow into counselors, counselors become leaders, and leaders bring patience, inclusion, and excellent servant leadership to their own professions and communities.
Details
- 1 week - June 23-28 $585
- 1 week - July 21-26 $585
Age
Rising 9th - 11th grade
Campers are grouped by age, usually in clusters of six to ten. Resident Camp counselor staff are college-age young adults.
Campers are grouped by age, usually in clusters of six to ten. Resident Camp counselor staff are college-age young adults.
Food
Food is a big part of our program at John Knox! Adventure Campers will get to learn how to do their own campfire cooking for many of their meals. They will still enjoy our incredible homemade meals in the dining hall at least once a day.
We provide snacks and deserts as well. Please do not send or mail candy or food of any kind. Food in the shelters attracts ants and other critters.
We provide snacks and deserts as well. Please do not send or mail candy or food of any kind. Food in the shelters attracts ants and other critters.
Activities
Ropes challenge course, disc golf, hiking, Bible stories, arts & crafts, canoeing, fishing, swimming, archery, rock climbing, rappelling, and more!
Additional potential activities: Foraging, campfire cooking, slingshot making and slingshot golf, stargazing, night swim, river kayak trip, night hikes to lookout point, and more!
Additional potential activities: Foraging, campfire cooking, slingshot making and slingshot golf, stargazing, night swim, river kayak trip, night hikes to lookout point, and more!
What to Bring
- Battery powered fan
- Water bottles
- Sunscreen
- Bathing Suit
- River shoes
- Clothes for your stay
- This is a time to disconnect. Please do not send phones or any electronics.
- When you register, we will send you a complete suggested packing list.
Wait List
Registration is open until camps are full. When camps fill up, we do offer a waiting list. Please contact us to inquire if a camp session you are interested in is full.
Sign up today to secure your child's spot!
Sign up today to secure your child's spot!
Swim Checks
On the first day of camp, we do a "swim check" for each camper to assess his/her ability and comfort in the water. If campers aren't yet comfortable or strong enough to swim, we require that they wear a life-jacket. All campers wear life-jackets when canoeing and certified lifeguards are always present and on duty for all water activities.
Scholarships
Financial assistance is available. Together with our donors we are committed to making sure that financial challenges will never be the reason a child can't attend camp. The scholarship application can be found in the registration portal.
Is Adventure Camp right for my camper?
Adventure Camp will be a fun-filled, but challenging week-long program for your campers. The goal of Adventure Camp is to give campers the experience of living in nature. They will be sleeping outside every night and doing a lot of hiking.
If your camper is new to JKR or summer camping we recommend they attend a regular one-week session before registering for Adventure Camp. This will help give them some insight on what they will need to be ready for. Adventure Camp is perfect for a returning JKR camper whose favorite activity is the overnight campout!
If your camper is new to JKR or summer camping we recommend they attend a regular one-week session before registering for Adventure Camp. This will help give them some insight on what they will need to be ready for. Adventure Camp is perfect for a returning JKR camper whose favorite activity is the overnight campout!
Frequently Asked Questions
Have additional questions or a special request?
Please visit the Contact page.
Please visit the Contact page.
Adventure campers will sleep in provided hammocks under a roofed shelter at one of our primitive campsites. The sites have no running water or electricity.
Along with some of our classic meals in the dining hall, adventure campers will get to experience a variety of campfire cooking techniques. They can expect to eat foil packs, large dutch oven stews and casseroles, new campfire desserts (we will still have s'mores too!), and so much more! We will have the ability to serve all campers with dietary restrictions as well.
We have a composting toilet a short walk away from the primitive campsite. There are showers and bathroom facilities back at main camp that will also be used.
Yes! Campers will be accompanied by trained staff members at all times. There is always some assumed risk when spending time in nature, but we have an on site nurse to take care of any more serious injuries. The Texas heat can be hard to handle sometimes, so we have swimming times every day and your campers will always have access to drinking water.
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 Camp Association, which requires that camps have safety and security measures in place at every level.
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 Camp Association, which requires that camps have safety and security measures in place at every level.
The Adventure Camp program will include more hiking and physical activity than a regular camp session. Campers need to be willing and excited to be active and outside for the majority of the week. A physical is not required but if you have any concerns about your child's ability to complete the session please contact our office before signing up and also discuss it with your child's doctor.
Your child's camp session is determined by the grade they will be going into in the fall. Campers are housed with others of similar age.
Check in will take place from 4 – 6pm, the first day of your session. Check-in times will be staggered between these times. You will receive an email one week before with your check-in time and cabin assignment. For one-week and two-week sessions, check-out is Friday at 4pm.
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 through the registration portal or by calling our office).
We have a designated camp health care provider on site who is trained in 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 who have graduated high school or are currently in college; 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 of any kind, as open food in cabins attracts ants and other critters.
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 first day of camp.
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 first day of camp.
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. We ask that you do not include food of any kind, as open food in cabins attracts ants and other critters. Please bring these letters/cards/packages to registration on the first day of camp and label them accordingly.
Registration is open until camps are full. When camps fill up, we do offer a waiting list. Please contact us to inquire if a camp session you are interested in is full.
Sign up today to secure your child's spot!
Sign up today to secure your child's spot!
We are part of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). You can learn more about the beliefs of the PCUSA here (https://www.presbyterianmission.org/what-we-believe/). At camp, we believe that God is love. We strive to meet campers where they are, provide a safe space of love and acceptance. We have a scripture theme each summer and each cabin unit participates in a 45 min chaplain time each day led by an ordained PCUSA pastor or Christian educator. Chaplain time is centered on questioning and group discussion. It is not a time of Bible memorization or telling campers what to believe. At the end of the week we have a worship service in our beautiful outdoor chapel. Just like all of our programs and activities, we invite campers to participate but we don't force them to. While we are a Presbyterian Summer Camp, we welcome campers of all faiths and no faiths to come to camp.
Curious about our refund policy or photo release waiver? This webpage contains links to download our policies and waivers. https://johnknoxranch.org/policypage
Camp Gear
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