Welcome to our New GRP Campers & Families!
A joyful hello to all of our new camper families! We are so grateful that you have taken the leap and are joining us this summer on The Preserve. I too have recently taken the leap to join the GRP community and it has already been a journey of leaning in and learning.
I have been working in the camp world since 2019. I have consoled countless upset campers, explained the ‘growth zone’ too many times to remember, eaten approximately 1,638 meals in a camp dining hall (yes, I did do some math), and been a listening ear for anxious parents. Since joining GRP in November, I have learned a lot about what we do and why we do it. I have answered more questions with ‘I’m not sure, let me find out the answer for you’ than not. I understand what it’s like to start something new and be unsure of what you are getting yourself into. That’s why we have put together some of the most frequently asked questions from first time camp parents. Our goal is to provide you with the answers to the questions that make you pause and say ‘hmm, I wonder how they handle that’.
The first thing to know about camp at Green River Preserve is that we don’t allow electronics, including phones. The second thing to know about camp at Green River Preserve is that we love snail mail. Before heading to camp, we encourage campers and their families to share our mailing address with loved ones so they can write to each other. It’s also a good idea to share your camper(s) cabin name too once they have been assigned! During Rest Hour each day, we will hand out camper mail. Rest Hour is a great time for your camper(s) to write letters home, describing all the incredible adventures they have had at camp. One thing to keep in mind is that it does take a few days for mail to arrive up here in the mountains, so we encourage families to write letters ahead of time and drop them off on Opening Day or mail them before camp starts. If your camper runs out of stationary items or stamps, we also have plenty to purchase in our camp store.
GRP Mailing Address:
Camper Name/Camper Cabin
301 Green River Road
Cedar Mountain, North Carolina
28712
While our campers stick to a well laid out schedule each day, no two days at GRP are the same! Depending on the session, the day of the week and whether they are in Base Camp or on an Expedition, your camper’s schedule will look a little different.
Most days at Base Camp will look a little something like this. Mornings are spent on Mentor Hikes exploring the trails, waterfalls, swimming holes and caves that our Preserve has to offer. Afternoons are all about camp activities- Archery, Rock Climbing, Fencing, Pottery, Drama and More! In the evenings, we gather together for fun all camp games like Predator Prey or special performances like Talent Show.
Our Expeditioners will experience all that the trails and rivers around GRP have to offer. Most days are spent backpacking, rock climbing, mountain biking or white water canoeing. Our Base Camp Expeditioners will stay on the Preserve but venture out to our mountain bike trails and private climbing sites. Blue Ridge and Adventure Plus Expeditioners have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in nature by exploring areas such as Pisgah National Forest, Smoky Mountains National Park or Linville Gorge. All of our Expeditions are led by highly trained and certified instructors.
A lot of first-time campers (and parents!) experience a mixture of emotions like excitement, nervousness and anticipation. Even our returning campers, parents and staff experience nervousness! The most important thing to do for your camper is to validate how they are feeling. Homesickness or ‘Missing Home’ is completely normal. We usually see this occur within the first few days of camp when everyone is settling in and adjusting to camp life. We train our staff extensively to support campers experience homesickness. These feelings typically subside after a couple of days. It is also normal to receive a negative/sad letter from your camper asking you to pick them up if they are homesick is first few days. If you have any concerns about their wellbeing or emotional state, please contact us so we can follow up. Before sending your camper to GRP, please do not make ‘bargains’ or ‘deals’ with them by telling them that if they want to come home because they miss you, you will pick them up. If your camper feels like they have an ‘out’ before even arriving, they will not be prepared to give camp a serious try. We want our campers to push themselves out of their comfort zone in a safe, nurturing environment.
Other things you can do to prepare your camper include:
- Talking about their schedule with them
- Going through the packing list
- Asking them what they are excited about
- Write letters to drop off on Opening Day for them to open during their session
- Take them on a hike or two so they can break in their new hiking shoes!
Short answer, no.
Long answer, we encourage all participants at GRP to be unplugged during their time at camp so we do not allow electronics of any kind. Our staff use two-way radios to communicate across our property in case of emergencies and keep their phones in our staff lounge for their time off. We encourage campers to bring books, stationery or craft supplies to use during Rest Hour and other periods of down time.
Each meal at GRP has a hot option and is supplemented with a special ‘bar’ for campers to select from. At breakfast, we offer a fruit and yoghurt bar as well as an oatmeal bar. Lunch meals always have a different soup on offer. For dinner, campers can choose from a rice and bean bar and our salad bar. Our kitchen will always provide a vegetarian hot option at meals. We are able to accomodate most dietary restrictions including gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan. Campers with dietary restrictions or allergies are encouraged to bring any preferred snacks to store with our ktichen staff. GRP strives to be nut-free so any products containing peanuts or tree nuts are not allowed on camp.
Opening Days are full of excitement and a little bit of nervousness. Drop off is between 1-3PM on Opening Days, depending on the session and camper age for both overnight camp AND Expeditions. This is when campers get to meet their counselors, learn who else is in their cabin and step foot onto the Preserve for the first time. We ask that families minimise the time spent at camp to 30 minutes on Opening Day to ensure smooth drop offs and avoid long lines. Our staff will be available to provide directions and check in instructions.
Closing Days are a bittersweet time at GRP. Campers are eagerly awaiting their families but also sad to be leaving the magic of the Preserve. Pick up on Closing Days is between 9-11AM. Staff will help load cars with luggage and campers are welcome to show their families their favorite places on camp.
Each session we have licensed professionals on staff to manage our Health Hut. Campers are welcome to visit the Health Hut for bug bites, a headache or stomache or any other illness and injury. Most of our Doctors and Nurse have been with GRP for multiple summers and some were even campers themselves or have campers currently enrolled!
If your camper will be taking any medicaitons at camp (including prescription or regular OTC medications such as Zyrtec for allergies) please make sure to indicate this on your camper’s Health History form in CampInTouch. This will provide our Health Staff with the necessary information to check in medications on openind days as well as ensuring appropriate admninistration during camp. There are several different options for packaging your camper’s medication. Instructions can be found on page ____ of the Parent Handbook.
Additionally, please make sure to complete the Parent Authorization form by May 1st. This form is required for us to provide care for you camper in case of a medical emergency outside of GRP, if, for any reason, we need to take your camper to a nearby Urgent Care or Hospital. We will always contact you if we take your camper offsite for medical care.
Please make sure to sign this form and provide us with a copy of your insurance information!
We have 8 cabin buildings in Cabinville, 4 in Riverside (female identifying campers) and 4 in Mountaintown (male identifying campers). Each cabin is a duplex structure that has 2 sides to it. In total, there are 16 individual ‘cabins’ with 6-7 campers and 2 counselors in each. Cabins are assigned according to grade and we do our best to grant all bunk requests. Campers sleep in bunk beds and have access to toilets within the same building with shower houses nearby. Our cabins are open air so they tend to get a little cool at night. We recommend sending an extra blanket for your camper’s bunk.
The camp store is always stocked with plenty of awesome GRP merch, including water bottles, sweatshirts, t-shirts, stuffies and stickers. We also keep toiletries and stationary items available for campers to purchase in case they run out or forget anything. Buying from the camp store is not required, however, it is a great way to continue supporting our scholarship efforts. ALL proceeds from the camp store go right back into our scholarship fund and help us get more kids into camp each year. If you would like your camper to purchase items from the camp store, we recommend a $30-$50 spending limit per week, which you can set in your CampInTouch account. Display items and a pre-order sheet will be available on Opening Day.
Packing looks different depending on the session your camper or expeditioner is attending. Here are our recommended packing lists-
Base Camp Expeditions Packing List
Blue Ridge Expeditions Packing List
We suggest checking out Everything Summer Camp for luggage, storage items, labels, and other camp essentials!
Yes! We offer transportation to and from Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) and Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP). Please provide information about transportation needs in the Travel Camper Form. Make sure to contact our Administrative Director, Izzy, with flight details!
While we love snail mail, we have a NO package policy for campers. We will hold packages for campers until they are picked up unless it is a pre-approved item necessary for your camper e.g. a stuffie!
During our 2 and 3 week sessions, campers have the opportunity to go on a 3 day/2 night campout on Green River Preserve property. Campers, counselors and mentors spend the first morning packing their gear and preparing for their journey. Campout groups are divided into 2 ‘cousin’ cabins with their counselors and a mentor. During their Campout, they will hike to two different camp locations, explore our trails, roast marshmallows and learn about the history of the Preserve. Campers should come to camp with the appropriate clothing and gear for Campout but if necessary we are able to provide items for a small rental fee.
With Family Camp in less than 2 weeks, we are already feeling the excitement and cannot wait for you all to arrive this summer! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.