Summer camps for teens: choosing an adventure for ages 13 to 17
From a week of trying everything to three weeks leading a group in the backcountry, how to choose an outdoor camp your teenager will love.
Teenagers want more from summer camp than a younger child does. They want real challenges, real responsibility and time with friends their own age. The good news is that 13 to 17 is a great age for outdoor adventure. Teens are strong enough for longer trips, old enough to learn real skills and ready to take a turn leading.
Here's how our camps for teenagers differ, and how to pick the one that fits.
Start with what your teen loves
The best camp for a teenager is the one they're excited about. Ask them a few questions before you look at dates:
- Do they want to try everything, or go deep on one thing? A mix of activities suits some teens. Others would rather spend every day on a bike or on the water.
- How long do they want to be away? Our teen programs run from one week to three.
- How much outdoor experience do they have? Most of our camps need none. The longest one is for campers who have been out before.
Classic Adventure: try it all
Classic Adventure brings together climbing, paddling, caving and ropes courses, and it's the place to start if you're not sure. Campers don't need any outdoor experience. Younger and older campers join separate age groups, so teens are with campers their own age. Teens aged 13 to 17 can also choose the two-week Expedition for a longer trip.
Specialty trips: for teens with a passion
Our specialty trips for ages 13 to 17 each focus on one thing:
- Mountain Biking Camp. A week on two wheels, with skills coaching, singletrack in the Blue Ridge and trailside repairs. Bikes are available, so owning one isn't a requirement.
- Go With The Flow. A two-week paddling expedition through Virginia and West Virginia. Campers learn to kayak and canoe, camp along the river and finish with guided rafting in the New River Gorge. No paddling experience is needed.
- Outdoor Engineering. For teens who always ask how things work. Mornings are for projects like underwater robots, 3D printing, DC motors and bike mechanics, and afternoons are for climbing, paddling and biking.
If you're curious about the riding itself, our guide to mountain biking near Roanoke covers the trails around camp.
Wilderness Leadership Course: the capstone
For ages 15 to 17, the Wilderness Leadership Course is three weeks in the backcountry, climbing, paddling and biking. Each day a different camper takes the lead, helping plan the route, set the pace and get the group ready, with instructors alongside to guide decisions. At the end of each day the group talks about what went well and what they'd do differently.
It's for campers with previous outdoor experience. If you're not sure your teen is ready, call us and we'll talk it through.
What teens get out of it
- Real skills. Every camp teaches Outdoor Living Skills: setting up camp, cooking, staying warm and dry, finding the way and looking after gear.
- A break from screens. Campers are away from phones and email for the length of a backpacking trip, and the days are full enough that most stop missing them.
- Responsibility. On longer trips everyone shares the work, from loading boats to cooking dinner.
- Friends who get it. A week or more on the trail with the same small group builds friendships that last well beyond the summer.
All our camps follow the seven Leave No Trace principles and our four guiding principles: Respect, Positive Attitude, Work Ethic and Communication.
Helping a teen get ready
Involve your teen in the planning. Let them read the camp pages, choose between programs and pack their own bag from the packing list. Teens who choose their camp tend to arrive more excited and more prepared. Our guide to what to pack for adventure camp explains what we provide and what to bring.
If your teen is nervous about not knowing anyone, remind them that most campers arrive the same way. Groups are small, everyone shares the work, and it doesn't take long for a group to feel like a team.
Questions to ask before you book
Choosing a camp for a teenager is a joint decision. Read our list of questions to ask before choosing a summer camp, and if this is their first time away, our guide to homesickness at camp is worth a look too. Teens get homesick as well, even if they don't say so.
Dates, prices and discounts for every program are on our dates and rates page, and our summer camp FAQs answer the most common questions. If you'd like to see the place first, come to an open house or tour.
