My childhood memories of this horrible place are way into the negative zone…read more The McBrides who ran the camp were terrible people who have left me with unpleasant memories from my childhood. The neglect and indifference from the whole staff still sticks in my mind. I would never send my child to such a place.

Best place ever!!! I went here for four years and it was awesome! Amazing faculty and campers. You…read moremeet so many amazing people! The best camp ever!

This beautiful camp truly embodies the motto "God's Backyard," and has since ~1947. Camp McDowell…read moreis a ministry of the Episcopal Churches in the Diocese of Alabama and is open to all! With over 1,140 acres and 834 beds, McDowell is one of the largest Episcopal Camp and Conference Centers in the U.S. It borders the edge of the Bankhead National Forest in Winston County, Alabama, and consists of breathtaking canyons, waterfalls, forests, and is known as the "Beautiful Queen of Clear Creek." Lodging ranges from group cabins such as Martha's Cabin, to the rustic cabins on the "boy's side" of camp beside the steps down to Clear Creek, to the hotel-style double rooms at Miller's Commons and the even bigger, newer cabins at Bethany Village. Camp is home to a wide range of programs year-round! Our Episcopal Diocesan Council meeting is held here every Feb., and is attended by over 400 delegates, and the dedicated staff runs the entire 4+ day event better than a well-oiled machine! There are live music performances, "special session" camp weeks for those who are differently abled, various church's retreats and learning opportunities at "Mark's Farm." Amenities include a camp store, a swimming pool, a covered basketball/gym with a stage, where we used to hold camp dances, at least one full service commercial kitchen, outdoor grills, a soccer field, tons of hiking trails, two chapels, a beautiful old bell that would be rung every morning around 0600 when I was a "midget camper," a multi-purpose field, an art studio, a fully functional animal farm, a produce farm, a nature center a welcome center, softball field, rowboats and canoes, among many, many more. There are also challenge ropes/obstacle courses, an amphitheater, picnic tables, various playgrounds, fire pits, word burning fireplaces with cut wood available to burn, and a fully accessible St John's swimming pool complex in Bethany Village! Dining is available at Stough Hall, served family style, or more often, buffet style. Doug Carpenter Dining Hall in Bethany Village would be lovely for a wedding reception and can seat 500-700 based on the table configuration. Eppes Hall is where we grew up eating and can seat up to 200 people. Again, grills, and covered grill areas are sprinkled throughout camp. Also, common use refrigerators are available, especially in the lodging in Miller's Commons. Among the biggest draws at camp are the swinging bridge over Clear Creek and the beautiful cross, and the fun short hike to arrive at the base of the cross! There truly is something for everyone at Camp McDowell. I highly recommend the camp for attending group sessions in the summertime, or renting whatever type of facility you desire for a best friend's/girl's getaway weekend, the lodging on All Saint's Road is primarily 4 double rooms that share a common living room/full-service, fully stocked kitchen with refrigerator, fireplace, and beautiful large back porches with rocking chairs. If you get the opportunity to visit Camp McDowell absolutely do! If you would like to send a person to summer camp, nearly all, if not all Episcopal Church's in AL offer scholarships - that's how I got to go to my first summer camp at Camp McDowell, thanks to my church at the time, The Church of the Nativity in Huntsville, AL!

If you love nature and lots of outdoor activities this is the perfect place to visit. There are a…read morevariety of lodging options and outdoor activities to choose from. I had the pleasure of visiting with a large group and had a wonderful time. The staff were very friendly and there's plenty of meal options available. The prices are very reasonable and the scenery was amazing. I would recommend.

Camp Skyline is a Christian all girls camp located in northeast Alabama on Lookout Mountain. My…read morewife spent many months researching camps that offered a variety of activities including some out of the box that include; Circus, yes, circus including all kinds of high wire activities, manners and modeling, golf, Bible study, cooking are just some. This will be our oldest daughter's sixth year and our youngest her fourth. Sessions are two weeks, not too long and not to short. We have found the staff and counselors really interested in the girls. Skyline is nearly 300 miles from our home and requires an over night stay going and coming but we feel worth the effort. Our girls consider it an important part of summer, they look forward to, they shop for it and they hate to leave when it is over. It has been a great experience for them in meeting and making new friends. None of their local friends attend so they meet girls from other places and learn about their lives. They learn how to live in close quarters with other folks that might be different from you. Costs are in line with other summer camps. We feel our girls are in good hands and will come back better people for the time spent there.

My now 7 yr old grand daughter/daughter I'm adopting LOVES THIS CAMP. She has been a buckaroo week…read morein summer as a 6 yr old. Been to winter camp had a birthday party there. Loves going to camp so I put her in for 2 weeks this 2023 summer. Great fun and memories to be made. She takes swimming lessons each summer session $50 add on. She enjoys the art singing chants and friends she makes. TAKE A BAG WITH CRAYONS MARKERS COLRING BOOKS for their down time I didn't know that and mine had nothing while other girls laid on bunk coloring she was said about that. This summer we are better prepared.

I came here for UAB's student government retreat, and it was a great place for team building! Nice…read moreAC in the dining hall, and the food was good. We got served juicy chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, green beans, casserole, dinner rolls, and chocolate chip cookies. They also had a salad bar on the side. The lake is nice and calm. They have paddle boarding , canoeing, and the blob in the water. They also have a pool and basketball courts. The cabins are okay. It's pretty hot and humid on a September day, so make sure to turn the AC down. I wiped down the mattress with a Clorox wipe and it turned from white to brown. Pretty good place for a retreat. Not a good place for a neat freak.

We were looking for somewhere unique to take our daughter for her birthday and found Ark Wings. Our…read moredaughter had been expressing a desire to do some gymnastics recently, so we thought this would be a perfect way to try it out and let her have some fun at the same time. We setup the birthday party with the staff and showed up. The staff were very friendly and made sure the party was fun for all the party-goers. I was very happy with how my daughter and everyone else was treated, and now, even weeks later, she is still talking about how much fun she had.

Was really hoping for more coaching after going to a few tournaments and watching the coaches at…read morethe other gyms I realize how unqualified our coaches were and what was worse at the end of the season they hand out awards in my child who had won almost every tournament didn't win not one award but all the kids that took private lessons did it really upset my daughter

I have been taking groups camping for years. I met Luke Milam and discovered Apologia Outdoors…read moreearlier this year and could not be more pleased. I have been on 2 trips with Apologia and will continue to use them for every camping trip I take from here on out. Their knowledge of the outdoors and ability to teach survival skills has made our trips both fun and unique. The most important element in my opinion is that they use God's creation to teach the truths about who God is and the reality of His tremendous Gospel. I cannot reguard this ministry more highly and look forward to many more trips with them.

From the owner: Apologia Outdoors commits to having exceptional stewardship of God's opportunities and resources to…read moreequip God's people to build His church through outdoor ministry. Our definition of outdoor ministry is: "Using creation as a tool to reach people for Christ." Apologia Outdoors exposes the worldly misconception about possessions through wilderness experiences. God taught His people to pack light for maximum effectiveness. It is remarkable how much people enjoy outdoor experiences with so few material belongings. God's create is a natural setting to teach a counter cultural worldview that we need very few material possessions to enjoy a Godly life. Apologia Outdoors designs its trips to equip God's people to share Christ's love in word and deed. This is done by using creation as a stage to provide the necessary raining for individuals and churches. Apologia Outdoors views every believer as a missionary, and our passion is to evangelize the world by growing world-changing leaders. Even after the trip is over, it is our intent that these missionaries nurture disciples that nurture disciples. It is Biblical for every believer to show leadership in fulfilling the Great Commiss

I do NOT recommend this business! Staff are not properly trained to handle toddlers!read more

If your child is of African American decent or have any special needs, I do not recommend this…read morecompany. The biggest mistake I've made as a mother is enrolling my son into this school. I regret not paying attention to the signs. The first one being the cotton stems and plants in the directors front office. The second sign was them calling my son pet/nicknames instead of his government, which I sent emails pleading them to address this situation. Also, my son is allergic to dairy and they still fed it to him although I provided them with a prescription from his nutritionist/ pediatric doctor. As the days went by things got worse. They would send my son home with a dirty diaper and snotty nose, he always had a diaper rash we could not get rid of, rushing to Children's emergency room became part of our routine. He caught the hand foot mouth disease twice within six months. He came home with bruises and whips on him. I was getting complaints of behavioral issues until I asked to see the tape of the accusations they were making and saw that children were abusing my son and the teachers were enforcing it! That was the last straw for me. Once I picked my son up it was during nap time and the rug they had him sleeping on was filthy. I have videos of it as well.