About This Camp

Camp Whip-Poor-Will was a beloved Christian day camp that operated for nearly 40 years (1970s-2020) with the cherished motto ‘Where Children Are Children.’ This nature-focused camp emphasized creative play, freedom, and security in a Christian environment, allowing children to experience the joy of being kids through outdoor adventures and hands-on learning. The camp featured an impressive array of facilities across multiple locations throughout its history, including a cottage by a lake, fishing dock, arts and crafts areas, stage with bleachers, unique tipis and tents, sandy canoe areas, and extensive animal and horse facilities. The camp offered both a main program and ‘Camp Little Whip-Poor-Will’ for preschoolers, providing age-appropriate experiences in classroom and outdoor settings. With its extensive gardens (vegetable, fruit, herb, and fairy gardens), greenhouse, and lodge facilities, the camp created a magical environment where children could explore nature, develop new skills, and participate in special traditions like Friday Fest activities. Unfortunately, operations ceased in 2020 due to Hurricane Florence flooding damage in 2018 and coronavirus impacts, ending the legacy of this historically popular camp that often sold out with waiting lists.

Activities

[‘running and playing’‘various station activities’‘skill development activities’‘outdoor play’‘canoeing’‘snow cones’‘horseback riding’‘archery’‘fishing’‘arts and crafts’‘hobby and craft activities’‘gardening’‘performances’‘exploration in nature’‘horse activities’‘Friday Fest activities’‘animal interaction’‘nature observation’]

Key Highlights

  • [“Historic Christian day camp with ‘Where Children Are Children’ motto”
  • ‘Extensive outdoor facilities including lake
  • horses
  • gardens
  • and unique tipis’
  • ‘Operations ended in 2020 – camp is no longer available’]

Special Features

  • [‘Christian day camp with chaplain’
  • “‘Where Children Are Children’ philosophy emphasizing creative play and freedom”
  • ‘Multiple elaborate garden types (vegetable
  • fruit
  • herb
  • fairy gardens)’
  • ‘Unique facilities including tipis
  • tents
  • and extensive animal areas’
  • ‘Nearly 40-year history of operation (1970s-2020)’
  • ‘Special Friday Fest tradition activities’
  • ‘Historically popular with sold-out sessions and waiting lists’
  • ‘Separate preschool program (Camp Little Whip-Poor-Will)’]

Best For

Children who thrive in nature-based, unstructured play environments and families seeking a traditional camp experience with strong outdoor programming and gardening activities

Parent Considerations

[‘Camp ceased operations in 2020 – verify current operational status’, ‘Limited data on counselor ratios and safety protocols’, ‘Only 2 rating votes makes the 4.5 rating less reliable’, ‘No information about special requirements or accommodations’, ‘Unclear if programs have resumed post-2020 closure’]

Schedule

Camp is not meeting for summer 2024 – operations ended in 2020