Chestnut Ridge Camp and Retreat Center

★★★Dannielle Rice

My daughter went here with her school for a few nights. They have horses, canoes, archery and other outdoor activities as well as little educational seminars. While I understand the importance to maintain order, the councilors treat and speak to these kids rudely. The kids cant move their feet or get a glass of water without being called out. It's like military school almost. Kids go here to run and expend energy; not to be chastised for every little thing. There is practically zero signage to help you know how to get from place to place. The bunk houses - for a camp - are ok. Look & feel old. The staff at the horse area are extremely kind. For me - I'm a one & done.

★★★★★Mr. Champagne

Absolutely incredible place for kids to explore, play actively, get great outdoor experiences, and build resiliency. The counselors are all incredible, and the camp is clean and well run. My kids come home, dirty and excited every day. We do summer camp and after school, and cannot recommend them highly enough.

★★★★★Evan Overton

I am volunteering as Camp Nurse this summer and I’m writing to let you know how amazing this camp is. My sons age 6 and 8 have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of camp. The counselors have been wonderful, diverse, and have really nurtured the campers while allowing them to all be kids to their fullest extent. They have great teamwork and safety protocols in place and as a parent I’m truly blown away that we have such a world class summer camp right here in the triangle. I highly recommend this camp! I’m sure this will rank high on my boys “core memories” as the best week of their lives.

★★★★★Andy Bonner

First of all, we love Chestnut Ridge as a summer camp. Our girls have sampled some 15 or so local camps, and Chestnut Ridge is their undefeated favorite. They even consistently prefer it to camps with a similar model (outdoors, traditional "camp" activities like archery, canoeing, etc.). One explanation is that Chestnut Ridge has *so many* activities they can do—not many other camps let you ride horses, learn cooking, pet bunnies, climb trees on belay, and jump on giant inflatable water slides *all* in one place. Another explanation has to be that Chestnut Ridge is maintaining positive relationships among campers and counselors. At some other camps, even with similar activities, the girls have come home disconsolate and miserable, more for interpersonal reasons than because of programming. But Chestnut Ridge has stuff going on year round, and besides being a summer camp, it looks like being an amazing preschool and afterschool choice. They have regular equestrian lessons and horsey events like "horse slumber parties." They host a trail run in the fall. They're a popular school field trip option. We haven't used any of these options (well, aside from the field trip; that's how we found out about them), but if they're run with the same heart and quality as the camps they're a bargain.

★★★★★Ashley Román

Chestnut Ridge is an awesome place for summer camp and School field trips! My daughter has spent multiple summers here! She absolutely loves how much there is to choose from. She particularly loves archery and horse camp. Summer Camp can get pricey, especially for residential (overnight), but it is entirely worth the memories! Today I am on a field trip with my son in Kindergarten learning about Native Americans. I appreciate they are learning about the culture at an age appropriate level and not some white washed version.