Parent FAQs

11-11:30 AM for BRX, LIT, and OBX expeditions.

BRX and LIT (formally TBX) drop off at the GRP base camp in Cedar Mountain, NC. OBX drops off in Stella, NC. Western meets in Albuquerque, NM at the airport on arrival day between 12pm-4pm.

Yes! Expeditioners can send and receive mail. Because they are in and out on different adventures, we sometimes go a few days between mail pick-ups. Please note the following addresses for each Expedition.

BRX and LIT
Camper Name
BRX or LIT
Green River Preserve
301 Green River Road
Cedar Mountain, NC 28718

OBX
Camper Name
c/o Green River Preserve OBX
General Delivery
Stella, NC 28582

Western
Camper Name
c/o Green River Preserve WXP
General Delivery
Silverton, Colorado 81433

When a camper leaves home, he/she needs space to develop his/her personality. Our office gladly accepts phone calls from parents interested in their child’s progress at camp. We can arrange for your child’s leader to call you with a “progress report”. Children should not be called during a session except in the case of an emergency. Similarly, we discourage visitation by parents or relatives during a camp session.

Expeditioners will have the opportunity to call home on occasion (i.e. before and after flying). Expedition leaders will be checking in with the camp office on a regular basis and any message you leave at 828.698.8828 will be forwarded. Our Expedition leaders will carry cell phones with them, but are often out of cell phone range. If you have a family emergency, we will leave a message on their phone to contact camp immediately. Every effort will be made to make contact as soon as possible.

If you are planning to fly, please arrange your Expeditioners flight to the following airports:

BRX & LIT

Plan to arrive and depart before 12pm from one of the following airports

• Asheville Regional Airport, Asheville, NC
• Greenville Spartanburg Airport, Greenville, SC

OBX

Plan to arrive and depart before 12pm

• New Bern, NC Airport

WXP

Plan to arrive between 12pm - 4pm; Plan to depart between 10am - 2pm

• Albuquerque, New Mexico

• Backcountry and frontcountry food
• Sleeping accommodations in tents (OBX), tarps (BRX), and wall tents (LIT)
• Fun and responsible leaders who are Wilderness First Responder or Wilderness First Aid Certified
• Professionally outfitted activities: i.e. Whitewater rafting (LIT)
• Leadership training, community living skills, life skills development, and so much more

Expeditioners can have a small amount of money for objects such as souvenirs, gifts, and personal items but it is not necessary. We recommend travel money for any camper flying.

Expedition leaders check in with us every few days. Once we hear from them and receive camera cards, we update the blog and campIntouch photo journal.

Please reference the packing list found on each Expedition specific page. This is the complete list of items you will need for your adventure. Please adhere to this list as much as possible because space is limited in our vans. Keeping that in mind, please pack all items in the backpack you will be using or a duffle bag. Please do not bring a trunk on expeditions (unless you are an LIT). It is nice to have both a duffel bag and a backpack for the Blue Ridge Expedition. This way, items can be stored in the duffel bag that do not need to go out on the backpacking trip.

Please use gear you already have! Borrowing items from family and friends is a great way to recycle items and put them to good use!

Take advantage of our affordable rental program! We rent backpacks and sleeping pads for BRX, LIT, and WXP trips.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions (828) 698-8828

• Body Conditioning and Care: It’s fun to plan out your gear for your trip, but gear is only half the preparation. The other half is you! Your enjoyment of the trip will depend on several factors.
• Fitness: Any reasonably fit and active teen will be able to handle one of our trips.
• Motivation: It will not always be easy – you must be motivated!
• Community & Teamwork: Our trips require compromise, patience, and selflessness. If you support your leaders and your teammate, you will have a great experience.
• Expeditions will be significantly more enjoyable if you have a basic level of fitness. The training guidelines below are designed to help you develop a solid fitness basis.

Well broken-in boots are essential for all hiking Expeditions. There have been Expeditioners who have had to leave their trips because of blisters from boots that were not broken in.

• Four weeks before your departure day: Wear your boots for 15-30 minutes a day to walk around your house or neighborhood so your boots will begin to conform to your feet.
• Three weeks before your departure day: Take three half-hour hikes or walks in your boots.
• Two weeks before your departure day: Take three 45-minute hikes or walks in your boots.
• One week before your departure day: Take three hour-long hikes or walks in your boots.

Outer Banks Expeditions are not extremely strenuous, but they do involve moderate exercise. Stamina is much more important than brute strength! We recommend conditioning muscle groups of the upper body by doing light exercise (calisthenics, rowing, swimming, etc.) for four full weeks prior to your Expedition. Regardless of your age or skills, you will find that our kayak trips offer enough flexibility to make your experience with us safe and enjoyable.

All of our Expedition leaders are either Wilderness First Responders (majority) or certified in Wilderness First Aid. This is a nationally recognized standard in wilderness medicine education that teaches how to safely manage medical situations when hospital care is hours, sometimes days away. In addition, every Expedition Leader participates in staff training at the beginning of the summer. During this time, we cover policies, procedures, and protocol for every GRP program. Safety practices are thoroughly discussed and reviewed. When we are involved in more technical activities such as rock climbing or white water canoeing we bring in extra leaders and or subcontractors to provide the best instruction possible. Though we pride ourselves on the superior quality of our itineraries and leaders, Expeditioners must recognize their personal responsibility in regards to the success of their trip. It is up to each individual student to ensure the quality of their adventure simply by respecting and following the rules discussed.

“Not only was the food amazing, but I also learned to cook a lot of good food.” – 10th grader, Blue Ridge Expeditions

“The food was filling and almost always tasty. I’m a vegetarian and the group leaders always made sure that I had a suitable substitute for the meat dishes” – 12th grader, Outer Banks Expeditions

Cooking is a central part of GRP Expeditions. Expeditioners will be placed in a cook crew with a leader and help prepare meals for one another. From planning, to shopping, to preparing and cooking, Expeditioners will experience it all.

Similar to base camp, a vegetarian entree is available at all meals and reasonable accommodations may be made for campers with food allergies. Campers who have dietary restrictions or allergies are encouraged to bring any preferred snacks or meal supplements. The “Expeditioner Page,” a form we ask your camper to fill out themselves, asks questions about food choices they prefer, especially for folks with dietart restrictions. Due to the number of children with severe nut allergies, Green River Preserve strives to be a nut-free community. Please call the camp office at 828-698-8828 if you have questions about meals, allergies, or dietary restrictions.

Parents are responsible for all camper medical fees. Any medical bills incurred during the program will be billed, whenever possible, directly to the parent’s insurance carrier. A medical form and proof of health and accident insurance coverage are required for admission. One of the directors or trip leaders will communicate with parents by phone in the event of a significant illness or injury.

LIT Expeditioners will have an opportunity to visit the camp store during their Expedition. BRX Expeditioners can visit the camp store on closing day during pick-up.

Campers can “charge” purchases against their credit line. Parents set the credit line amount on their camper’s CampIn Touch Store Charge Authorization Form prior to opening day. (See the Forms section of your camper’s account.) Camp store accounts should be settled when picking up your camper.

For the most part your expeditioner can count on a glorious camping experience each night. OBX and BRX both have primitive base camps we start and end each trip. The BRX base is called Reasonover. While at Reasonover, your camper will be sleeping on a raised wooden platform with canvas walls. On the trail, they will be sleeping under tarps. OBX sleeps in tents throughout their sessions. LIT participants will be at the GRP base camp sleeping in wall tents with cots. They will also participate in two different camping trips and will sleep under tarps. First, they will go on their own backpacking trip as an LIT group. Later in the session, they will assist our counselors on a Campout trip, helping to lead the summer campers.

Great question! A brief biography of our summer staff members can be found on our website under “meet our staff”. We will also be publishing some blogs about our trip leaders as we lead up to camp.