As an 8 year camper myself, daughter who was a Mystic summer counselor while attending University…read moreof Texas during her school years, grand-daughter a 10 yr, camper, now a counselor in training, our Family loves all the wonderful things in our life at Mtstic, like sharing, caring and loving all peoples ,listening to others, respect all, following rules, making new and lifelonf friends and many more good traits, memories, and friends! I hate that grand-mothers cannot go back and swim in the Guadulpe one more time!!! You cannot get any better than this for your daughters,grands,cousins,sisters,etc, Mystic is family at it's BEST! Angele Schleeter Fanning '56-'63

This is something I sent to Camp Mystic expressing my gratitude:…read moreI just want everyone to know how grateful I am for the life altering experiences you have given to Mica. I'll never forget when she was barely seven years old, speaking to her about your camp (which we had thoroughly researched and had many wonderful recommendations!). I thought MAYBE she could go that first year for the short term. Or even start the following year. But Mica is a determined young lady and she let it be known she wanted to go the full term that first year. I think (no, I KNOW) it was much harder on me than it was on her that first year!!! But, it turned out even better than I could ever have imagined! And with the online access to photos and events and her letters, my feelings were assuaged. And then I saw her happiness that first moment at Round Up... Mica had fallen in love with Camp Mystic and everything it represents. My only concern is when she is too old to go or return hopefully as a counselor!! Camp Mystic has helped form and reinforce values at the core level. By going every year since she was little, it has had an amazing impact on her that will continue throughout her life. AND the friendships formed will be life long, I'm sure. As her Mom, I owe everyone there eternal gratitude. It is one of the best decisions we have made for her. I don't mean to be overly sentimental, but everything I say is true and then some.

We sent both of our children all the way from SC to attend Indian Springs. The activities and…read morecounselors are top-notch. Safety is a priority and fun the top goal. As the kiddos like to say, "Everybody is somebody at Camp Longhorn." Our children attended for 12+ years a piece. One is an introvert and the other an extrovert, and they both loved it. Nan, Bobby, Carley, Matt and Mark Manning were WONDERFUL keeping us posted on our kid's spirits from five states away. The email system to contact campers and the daily photos of all the fun under the Texas sun were a bonus! No place on earth where truer friends you'll know... Camp Longhorn!

Camp Longhorn is an unbelievable place!!! I attended as a camper, counselor, and now my children…read moreare campers. While Camp Longhorn is an amazing place, it is the staff that truly makes it a place like no other. It is the highlight of their summer each year. I am beyond blessed that my parents sent me to CLH years ago and I now get to share it with my kids.

Kickapoo Kamp , was my home away from home . I wished I could have lived there all year . Amazing…read moreexperiences. I loved everything about Kickapoo . I loved it so much my children went there and had the time of their lives . Very fond memories at Kickapoo . GO CHEROKEES

My daughter has attended every year since she was eight. Highly recommend. She's made lifelong…read morefriends and loved each year.

We (Medina Community Church) had a marriage retreat at Deer Creek Camp in September of 2022. It…read morewas our church's first marriage retreat, and everyone at Deer Creek went above and beyond to make the retreat successful. The Camp is beautiful, and you know you will have a good experience from the moment you start down the drive. There are a variety of activities available for all ages. Our retreat was primarily in the pavilion, but our attendees enjoyed spreading out over the camp for our break-out sessions. It was a joy to work with the full-time staff! They are wonderful Christian people, and we loved having the staff join us at different times. They make you feel like you are part of their family. Deer Creek Camp catered all three meals for us, and the food was wonderful. The breakfast and lunch were tasty, and there were a number of options to please everyone. Our evening dinner was a nice sit-down dinner, and the food was delicious. Alma knows how to cook! The coffee and smoothie bar was also enjoyed by our couples. The drinks were delicious. The staff and the interns who served us at dinner were fabulous. They were respectful young men and women who went out of their way to make sure the meal was a pleasure for our married couples. They were obviously well-trained, as they were better than servers we have had in nice restaurants. We strongly recommend Deer Creek Camp for your retreats or other events. It is our go-to place for events for all ages.

2021 will be our son's third year attending Deer Creek Camp's Friends Week. He has the absolute…read morebest time while he is there. Even the first year I had no reservations leaving him in their care. This is the most amazing camp ever. My only regret is that we didn't know about them sooner! Lynda N. 04/10/2021 Odessa, TX

I have come here for multiple years. I stopped coming in my "SIT2" year, because I had to work over…read morethe Summer instead of spending money on coming here, but it gave me so many amazing expiriences and opportunities! I made awesome friends and got to grow and learn as a person. I would definitely recommend this place to other young girls, it was such a valuable expirience and a welcoming and beautiful community!

I have been lucky enough to be a member of the Rocky River family for 12 years now. I started when…read moreI was nine years old and was a shy little girl who had a really hard time making friends. This wonderful place gave me the love and attention that I needed to find myself. I went through the leadership program offered through the camp and that gave me the opportunity to thrive even further. Now, having completed my fourth summer as a counselor and entered the camp's coveted Decade Club, I see the impact that this place has on every single girl that stays here. I love working with these girls, and feel as though my RRR campers carry a large piece of my heart. All of the RRR counselors have a tendency to refer to their campers as "my girls" or "my kids," because even though we have them for only a few weeks, we love being around these girls and watching them gain the confidence only camp can give you. Also, I have had the privilege of working alongside many other counselors who came up with me through the ranks of camperdom, as most of the staff this past summer attended RRR and went through the leadership program. These people are some of my best friends and most trusted confidantes, without whom I cannot imagine living a full life. The ten core values of the camp stay with all of us past summer: friendship, honesty, loyalty, creativity, kindness, leadership, enthusiasm, optimism, determination and helpfulness. Each value is represented by a different colored bead, presented to campers at the end of their sessions. I wear my beads all year round as a reminder of the standard that I am held to and the bonds that I have made in my years at RRR. This is truly a camp that runs on a sense of family, belonging and tradition. I can trace many of my personal successes in my life back to the confidence that Rue, Shanna, Skeet and the other amazing staffers at RRR have instilled in me. Their sense of caring and community is unparalleled in any other place that I have seen. For me, and many of the people who are RRR girls, it's not just camp...it's home.

Our sweet & shy 14 year old daughter had the most amazing time on the 8 day River Safari. She…read morelearned so much about team work, leadership, and outdoor survival from the wonderful leaders and had an overall excellent time. Her only complaint was bug bites. But seriously; that's expected on an outdoor adventure. lol.

I just picked my 13 year old son up from the 12 day Texas Hill Country trip and all I can say is…read moreWOW! When I mentioned this camp to him he wasn't interested at all! He said there was nothing he could gain from it, nothing that interested him. All he wanted to do was sit around the house all summer. I signed him up anyway... Needless to say I was nervous picking him up. When I got there he was hugging everyone and high fiving and talking about how he was going to miss everyone and how all of them were going to do it again next year. Even though he was away from his beloved cell phone for 12 days, he was much more interested in telling me all the wonderful things he did than texting with his friends! That's a pretty big deal there! This has been one of the hottest summers in Texas in a long time, but he never once said anything about how hot it was or anything else. The only complaint I heard from him was about powdered milk and peanut butter ramen noodles! What's even better is that he is happy to have gone but also happy to be home! He even thanked me for making him go on the trip!! The trip isn't cheap, but with the reaction I'm getting from my teen, I think it is WELL worth the money! I'm going to start saving so he can attend the 16 day Big Bend trip next year!

If I could give 10 stars I would. My little man attended a day camp here, came home, and…read moreimmediately asked to go to ALL the day camps. He is so proud of the art he did he ran to the neighbors to show them. Gina is a great teacher and we are so happy we found her studio!

Had my kiddos party here and was amazing. My child choose what the party would paint from a broad…read moreselection. Communication was great leading up to the party. The party of 16 6-7 year olds was well managed and turned out great! Highly recommend!

The first time Thing One came to this camp, he lasted less than two days here. This wasn't because…read morehe was homesick nor because he hadn't been to any camp before. This was because this camp and staff (in my experience) deal poorly with those with mental health issues. Thing One has Asperger's Syndrome and has difficulty making new friends, and has social issues in environments where bullying is prevalent. During Thing One's only stay at this camp, he was bullied by other campers and became distant and disenchanted with the staff here. The director of this camp called me and asked me to retrieve Thing One via a voicemail. My frustration with Thing One's experience here stems from the manner in which the situation was handled. My son was asked to leave, but the children who bullied him were allowed to stay for the remainder of the camp session. Thing Two has come here for the past two summers and has had a mediocre experience here at best. While she is pleased with her counselors she has gotten, she is less pleased with the vernacular and behavior of the children who attend the camp (e.g., lots of cursing and not following the word of Christ). While the camp staff can't control what occurs in one's home outside of the camp, they can certainly control how the children behave when at camp. Each review of this establishment will be unique to those who attend this camp/retreat. Overall, my children's experiences have been less than stellar here. If anyone intends to send their child here, it is advisable that they carefully review the policies of the camp. Further, if the child being sent here suffers from anxiety or other mental health issues, this may not be the best place to send this type of camper because of the staff's inability to work with youth who fit into this category. Other camp attributes No technology is allowed during the camp session. There is no cell service here as the camp is remote. Campers must bring their own Bible for devotional. Digital camper mail may be purchased for a camper at an additional cost (aside from camp fees). As the camp is remote and the terrain is rough, it is advisable to use a truck or SUV to transport campers to the camp site.

Kids always had a great time Beautiful setting ! Clean . Lots to see and do always nice people …read more Clean camps , lofts and tons of excitement .