This is the second year my daughter has attended Summer Day Camp. This year she was old enough for…read morethe overnight camp out they have for day campers. I think her smile says it all on the huge water slide!

Our 9 year old son just finished his second summer session (3 straight weeks of sleep-away camp in…read morenon-air conditioned cabins with no direct parental contact or tech devices allowed) at Camp Champions on Lake LBJ in Marble Falls and before we even left the property, he was asking us to sign up for next year. That right there is a glowing endorsement, folks. As budget-minded, practical parents, it was a tough sell for us at first. This camp, while phenomenal on the surface with a long history of success since 1967 and amenities & growth experiences galore, costs almost an arm & a leg. I'm saying our whole family of 3 could go to Europe for the cost of the 3 weeks for 1 kid here (an hour's drive from Austin). Why would we make the sacrifice and commit to this quite pricey annual tradition? As Brian J mentions in his excellent review, it's the 4 Rs that Camp Champions models in every staff member and enforces every day in all of the campers: Responsibility, Respect, Reasonable Risk, and Reaching out to others. You will never find another summer program with such enthusiastic and caring owners, staff members, teen counselors, and youth participants. Sure, it all looks great on paper, but it's truly fantastic in practice. Participants learn how to: live with 8 other "siblings"; share responsibility for their living space; maintain a caring community; manage conflict; support others in need; self-regulate; appreciate nature; honor elders; step up as a leader; and try something new & challenging every day. Yes, these are all lessons that we teach within our family, but there's nothing like having these kinds of experiences in an environment outside of the group of people who have to love you because you're a blood relative. The maturation that I see in my singleton child each year after the Camp Champions experience is priceless to me. What else? Fun, of course! The property is gigantic, with every kind of summer activity you can imagine, from swimming (lake & pool) to ropes course to skiing to sailing to climbing to archery to horses to go carts to arts/crafts to gaga & pickle ball. You can tour the camp virtually here: http://www.campchampions.com/campers/video-map-tour. There are also the Trojan/Spartan color battles, evening torch lighting, Sunday vespers, and hundreds of other little inside jokes, rituals, and traditions that make campers feel that they are a part of special tribe for the rest of their lives. Parents are kept informed about their child during the camp session via daily photos and owner Steve Baskin's inspiring blog. We also have access to a system where we can send as many emails as we'd like to our campers, but if your child is like mine, you won't be receiving many letters in return. Both years, we've received a measly 2 postcards the entire time -- he was having too much fun to write home! A note on diversity. This is a desirable quality which needs improvement at Camp Champions, and efforts are underway to do just that. During Summer 2016, campers and counselors from 7 different countries were represented, with about 1/3 of my son's cabin speaking a first language other than English. Recently, a foundation was started to help fund scholarships for campers who could not otherwise afford to attend. There's more to do, but I appreciate that the Baskins recognize this issue and are acting to address it.

This is the best camp EVER! I have been going here for 2 year's and I will defiantly come every…read moreyear that I can. This camp help's you become a better person by practicing the 4 R's (Responsibility, reaching out, reasonable risk, and respect). Everybody there is nice and kind. My first day ever going, I was so nervous that I wouldn't make any friends but when I first met my cabin mates, I felt like we've been friends for ever. The cabins don't have any air conditioning but they do have fans and on the bright side it's cold in the morning but that's the fun of it. The bathrooms are grows but that stuff does not matter. What does matter is the fun of camp. Their is always so much to do. You could never get bored. From sitting at the hearth (the place were fine arts is) too climbing the rock wall, your always having fun. There are also many water activity such as pool, paddle sports, free swim, ski, knee boar, tubing, blobbing, etc.

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.

We utilized Peaceable Kingdom Retreat to hold a 4 Day training workshop, and I must say it was one…read moreof the most splendid weeks we've had to date thanks to the Retreat and their awesome staff. This place is like an oasis in the middle of Central Texas, there are ample resources, supplies, rooms, and accommodations which made it easy and flexible. The staff here were phenomenal and worked diligently to meet our needs - - they're eager to please. I dealt primarily with Laura Nickel who was very helpful throughout the scheduling and set-up process. We also had last minute changes and adjustments the week before - - but no worries w/ Laura as I learned she thrives on challenges like these. She remained positive and focused to ensure everything was quality good and met our expectations, and her staff were polite, professional, flexible and accommodating. I was so impressed w/ their positive attitudes as well as their spot-on execution even when we changed things up at the last minute. There were close to 40 people in our group as we requested a particular set-up with tables and chairs to facilitate learning workshops, Laura and her staff flexed to meet our needs and that helped make things run a lot smoother during our time there. I took a small tour of the grounds and was really impressed with the offerings and environment. They had everything one could possibly need - - podium, speakers, lighting, chairs, tables, and a variety of spaces to choose from. I would not hesitate to reach out to them in the future for any group activity or camping / outing / team-building adventure planned as there is ample grounds to play and rooms to facilitate whatever your heart desires. There are also several bedrooms for overnight stays and large kitchen spaces with all the tools you need. It actually was very peaceful and quiet there during the week which helped limit distractions, and most of all the customer service was top notch. I could not be happier with Laura and her staff's performance, they work hard to please and went above and beyond. I think Laura could tackle any obstacle and challenge that any corporation / company / team brings to the table as she finds way to meet your needs and obviously loves her work. It was a memorable week and we'll definitely utilize them again in the near future.

I've coordinated events all over Central Texas for more than 20 years, and I've had the privilege…read moreof working with some outstanding organizations--but T Bar M set a whole new standard. Their service and staff were top-notch from start to finish. We hosted a four-day event for about 60 adults, which is probably on the smaller side for their team, but you'd never know it by the way they delivered. Everything was seamless. I wish I could name every incredible team member we worked with, but Zack, Lily, and Chase stood out as true servant leaders. The food was fantastic--well-prepared, on time, and served with care. Huge thanks to Pepe, Elizabeth, Alyssa, Shayna, Daniel, Deidra, and the rest of the kitchen crew for taking such great care of us. Our group is already counting down the days until we return in 2026!

Such a lovely retreat campus for kids, families and couples. It's faith-based, so perfect for youth…read moregroups and other church programs. My hubby and I came with a nonprofit organization and had the best couple of days. So much to do on the grounds! Athletic/sports activities, softball field, swimming pool, wading pool, indoor gym and, a playground for the littles, meeting rooms, multiple types of accommodations, different dining halls and the accommodations are comfortable and clean and the food is WONDERFUL! Love the little store on the property and enjoyed the staff very much. Highly recommended!

Lorie is an amazing. She cares not only for her dogs but for every dog that she looks after. It is…read morea truly great place to leave your cavalier King Charles Spaniel there. My Lancelot spent 8 nights there and he was really well taken care of and LOVED! Thank you, Lorie for caring for my dog.

I cannot say enough good things about this camp. Both my 8 and 12-year-olds had a wonderful time…read more They made great friendships, bonded with the counselors, had an amazing time, and cannot wait to return next year. Oh, and they came home exhausted!! I only wish we would have started sooner.

My daughter absolutely loved this camp and Skylar Bossen is such an amazing camp coordinator. We…read morewill definitely be returning.

We've been testing out several summer camps around the N. Austin area and I have to say, Neuron…read moreGarage (Avery Ranch location) has been the absolute best. Hands down. My kiddo has had some challenges with socialization, but he's blossomed & become the confident kid he once was. The camp director, Robin, and their staff are so caring and fun. They even share great tips on mindset growth via email with parents. We're a little sad this is the last week, but we'll be back next summer. We can't wait! Big thanks to this awesome team!

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!

My daughter is a perennial participant and has enjoyed the welcoming, supportive and inclusive…read moreenvironment of the leadership, counselors and other staff and attendees.

Went here and was awful. First of all the coddling I received was god awful. Rule of three is…read moreinsane and we can't fill our own water bottles. Also I got bullied and isolated A LOT and the counselors didn't do anything except shush me. The vegetarian food is BELOW subpar and when I sent a letter home telling my mother about it I was pulled aside and told off. The sleeping rules are cumbersome. Was totally ignored most of the time and generally felt pretty down about everything. Counselors were rather mean. All in all a very very bad place for kids unless they are bullies or conformists. Also vegans beware. Was not asked permission before they filmed a TikTok and now my face is out there

Everyone at Live love Paddle is super friendly and helpful! Enjoyed the time with friends on the…read morewater

This was an amazing experience from start to finish. Staff was professional and friendly. Highly…read morerecommend!