A Day at Green River Preserve
Hikes, outdoor adventures, camp activities, and plenty of time to explore!
Request InfoA Typical Day at GRP
At GRP, every day has a rhythm, but no two days are exactly alike. Mornings are spent exploring our 3,400-acre Preserve on our Mentor Hikes, afternoons are filled with camper-selected activities, and evenings bring the whole camp community together.
Here’s a look at a typical day at Base Camp.
Mornings:
- 7:15 AM: Wake Up | Rise and shine! Campers get ready for the day before heading to breakfast with their cabin group.
- 7:30 AM: Breakfast
- 9:00 AM –12:00 PM: Mentor Hike | Mentor Groups head out with their naturalist Mentors to explore the 3,400-acre Preserve. Depending on the day, campers might hunt for salamanders, swim in a waterfall, explore a cave, learn about local plants, or discover an archaeological site!
Afternoons:
- 12:30 PM: Lunch
- 1:30 PM: Rest Hour | Campers often write letters home, read, journal, or nap to recharge for the rest of the day.
- 2:30 PM: — Activity Period 1 | Camper’s choice
- 3:50 PM: — Activity Period 2 | Camper’s choice
Afternoons are all about choice. Campers select their activity preferences before arriving at camp and spend their afternoons learning new skills, getting better at old ones, and trying things they may never have the chance to do at home. Activities include: Rock Climbing · Canoeing · Mountain Biking · Fly Fishing · Archery · Fencing · Pottery · Arts & Crafts · Music · Outdoor Skills & More
Evenings:
- 5:00 PM: Free Time | Intentionally unstructured time where campers can enjoy free swim, fly fishing, field games, quiet reading, visiting the camp store, or playing board games, etc.
- 6:30 PM: Dinner | On themed nights, counselors assist campers in preparing for it. Remember to bring your favorite pirate digs, and your best foot stompin’ attire.
- 7:30 PM: Evening Program | Depending on the night, that might mean Predator-Prey, Capture the Flag, a Staff Hunt, Council Fire, a Variety Show, a Contra Dance, or another camp tradition.
- 8:45 PM: Cabin Time | Be clean, both yourself and the place you live in.
- 9:45PM Light Outs| Every day ends with Rose, Bud, Thorn. Campers share their rose, the best part of their day; their bud, something they’re looking forward to; and their thorn, something that didn’t go quite as planned.
Every Session Is A Little Different
The schedule gives campers a familiar rhythm, but the experience changes from day to day.
Two- and three-week campers also have opportunities to step outside the regular schedule for Group Learning Projects (GLPs) and a three-day, two-night Campout on the Preserve.
Group Learning Projects:
GLPs are full-day, in-depth adventures built around a particular skill or interest. Depending on the session, campers might mountain bike in DuPont State Forest, canoe at Cascade Lake, fly fish on the Green River, rock climb, explore local history, or learn primitive skills.
Campout:
Campers put their outdoor skills to work on an overnight adventure right here on the Preserve.
Campers embark on a three day, two night camping trip on the Preserve. They are actively involved in both planning the trip as well as selecting activities for the trip.
Prior to departure, campers are instructed on proper Leave No Trace Princples outdoor ethics and on how to efficiently pack a backpack. All necessary equipment is provided to ensure their comfort and safety and all campsites have access to covered storm shelters in case of inclement weather. Campout staff maintain radio contact with the camp office, and check in multiple times per day.
Backpacks are used for overnight camping trips to carry sleeping bags, a change of clothes, food, etc. Internal or external frame backpacks are acceptable. Backpacks are sized by the weight and height of each person. The size of the backpack is important to your camper’s comfort while hiking. A Green River Preserve staff member will verify the fit of your camper’s backpack during check-in. If the backpack brought from home does not fit properly, campers will be supplied with and charged for a GRP rental pack. A daypack or a book bag is not a substitute for a backpack.
The GRP camp store has backpacks for rent at a cost of $20. Backpacks may be rented on opening day of each session. Reasonably priced backpacks are available at outdoor specialty stores or in outdoor departments of larger retail stores.
Why We Love Campout
Group Learning Projects
These are special, day-long activities which two and three-week session campers choose. GLPs serve as in-depth extensions of camp activities and allow campers to explore a specific skill set or interest. GLP days include exploring DuPont State Forest, Mountain Biking, canoeing at Cascade Lake, fly fishing on the Green River, learning primitive skills and crafts at the Pioneer Cabin, exploring the Carl Sandburg home, searching for the Lost Cave, geocaching, and many more.
Why We Love GLPs
