Resident Camp

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.

Yes! When you register your camper, you may make housing requests. We do everything we can to honor your 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. Roommate requests must be received at least 2 weeks before your child's session.

Sending syblings to camp? We recommend not having them in the same cabin. This allows them some space to have their own experiences. They will see each other plenty at meal times and evening activities.

If your camper is new to JKR or summer camping, they need to attend a mini-camp or one-week session before registering for a longer session (10 day or 2 week). This will help ensure that we are a good fit for your camper and that they won't need to leave a longer session early which can be very frustrating for families.

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. Check-out for Mini Camp is 10 am on the last day of the session. 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).

John Knox Ranch is not a special needs camp. Our counselors do not receive specific training on working with special needs campers. If your camper has special needs, you must contact the office before registering to discuss if your child will be successful at camp. Typically, if your child has an aide at school or is on an individualized instruction plan at school, we are not a good fit.

Resident campers live in rustic screened cabins with a trained counselor and 5–7 other campers in their age group. Two cabins make up a family unit that participates in activities together: swimming, archery, rappelling, rock climbing, arts and crafts, nature discovery, ropes challenge course, Bible study and spiritual formation, canoeing, sharing homemade family-style meals, and more. The family unit structure (called small group camping) is an important foundation of our summer camp program. Negotiating the selection of the daily activities, asking someone to "please pass the green beans," and cleaning the cabin with your bunkmates all help teach campers how to live in community together and help them develop confidence, independence, and self-esteem.

We also have cabins with AC and bathrooms that we call the "duplex cabins". These cabins are usually reserved for the youngest campers in any session.

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 family unit of cabins eating together. Our kitchen staff is able to handle just about any type of dietary preference, from vegetarian to vegan to allergy-related needs. There is a place to describe any food restrictions in the registration portal. 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 are very proud of the food we serve and love to get feedback like the below from a camp parent. "Our camper is a very picky eater and she said all the food at camp was delicious! Her eating was one thing I was really worried about, but now that she's home she's even more open to variety in our food!"

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 and purchase items from our JKR online store that will be delivered to your camper. Instructions are in the document center in the registration portal and 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.

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.

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!

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