For two decades Wilderness Adventure has been offering valuable programs to children of all ages. Founder Colonel Gene Nervo started the company as a backpacking program that allowed children to gain a sense of accomplishment and confidence by tackling obstacles that most children would never dream they’d be capable of.
Since then Wilderness Adventure has developed its nearly 500 acre property with 3 lodges that hold up to 95 people, a pond for kayak classes & fishing, a 50′ Climbing Wall, a high ropes adventure trail, two low element team building courses, and of course our 900′ zip line. We also have many primitive and established campgrounds that offer a variety of amenities such as two large pavilions for meals & meetings, as well as a large shower house.
Our Philosophy on Children in Nature: We are proud to support the growing nationwide movement to connect children with nature and feel we are part of the solution. Our unique programs help future generations develop a sense of wonder about nature, respect for others, and develop character which are the building blocks of education. We offer the youth of today the opportunity to explore our natural world while gaining confidence, leadership, and life skills through adventure and challenge. To learn more about the No Child Left Inside Movement please visit the following sites: NCLIcoalition.org and ChildrenandNature.org.
There are four prime areas that have been the hallmark of our success and are always noted on our evaluations:
- Our Staff: You will quickly notice that every staff member is dedicated to providing the finest service and
on insuring that your group’s stay is as enjoyable as possible. We get tired of hearing “where do you find your staff?”. The truth is we hire personable and intelligent people from all professional and educational backgrounds, generally they have a love of the outdoors and for people, and we teach them the rest. Our staff our encouraged to eat their meals and play games with the kids after hours. Many of them both live and work at the facility and are therefore at your beck and call 24 hours a day. - Our Customization: With each group we work diligently with you before your arrival to ensure the
schedule meets your goals and objectives. You can choose from our wide variety of activities or do all your own programming, stay in one of our eleganty rustic lodges or just come up for the day. We also can provide camping equipment or you can bring your own to save on your budget. We find out what your expectations are for your retreat and then we tailor the schedule and activities to meet your goals and budget. We have a saying here, “If you can think of it, we will make it happen.” - Our Food: Our full time chef is amazing and can prepare anything your group requires. All meals are made
from fresh ingredients, home cooked and delicious; not industrialized like many retreat centers and hotels. Whether you are planning a wedding or an extravagant party or would prefer simple and inexpensive meals for children we can accommodate both your tastes and your budget. Did we mention it is all you can eat! If you prefer to bring your own meals our Sly Lodge has a full kitchen and grill available. - Our Lodges: The rustic ambiance of our lodges combined with the magnificent beauty of our property and
the surrounding mountains will make your group’s stay truly special. Our 500 acre property is completely surrounded by the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests which allows total seclusion for your group, and gives backpacking groups the ability to hike straight from the property to the AT. With Craig Creek running right in front of the lodge we can also run canoeing and tubing trips with less than a five minutes shuttle and then you can travel back at your own pace right to your cabin.
Our Custom-Designed Programs Include Three Elements:
- Length: We can offer any time frame from a 1/2 day to months worth of lodging and programming. One of our groups stays for 6 weeks! Customize the length of your stay, and you can even move cabins as your group grows in size, or spend half your trip camping and the other half in our lodge. We like to call that our “hybrid” adventure.
- Type of Accommodations: Main Lodge (sleeps 48-50), Sly Lodge (Sleeps 23-32), Sneaky Cabin (Sleeps 8-10), Tents (can provide equipment for 100+), both primitive or pre-established campsite available. Feel free to created a hybrid program by combining both lodging and camping. Click here to see pictures of our modern facilities. Click here to see pictures of tent camping.
- Activity Selection: Rule of thumb–the majority of our activities take ~1/2 day: Choose from group icebreakers & ground initiatives, low element problem solving course, outdoor living skills (edible plants, fire-by-friction, wilderness medics, Leave No Trace Principles, etc.), High Ropes Adventure Trail, Mountain Biking, Caving, Canoeing, Kayaking, Rock Climbing & Rappelling, 50′ Climbing Wall, 900′ Zip Line, Tubing, Backpacking & Hiking, Tent Camping, Natural Waterslide & Waterfall Hike, Environmental Ed, Adventure Classes, etc.
***CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A FREE PRICE QUOTE.***
Email: info@wilderness-adventure.com to request a packet with sample schedule, references and more!
Call: 800-782-0779 to ask questions or speak with our retreat designers.
