Explore North Carolina in Camp Highlander's Wilderness Program. Boys and girls have fun on the waterfront, ride horses, pursue the arts - all part of our traditional summer camp program. Our summer camp program also includes trips to North Carolina attractions such as the Appalachian Trail, Carowinds, and Pisgah National Forest.

Summer Camp Activities & Programming

Wilderness Program

The Wilderness Program at Camp Highlander is a signature of our camp. Highlander’s emphasis on wilderness activities provides a unique experience for many campers. In the process of discovering the great outdoors, our campers discover a great deal about themselves, becoming more self-confident individuals and valuable team members. Our goal is to let our campers enjoy the beauty of nature around them, without abusing it. The Wilderness disciplines include:

Traditional Camp Program

Our traditional camp activities include riflery, archery, basketball and various land sports. Campers enjoy the challenge of many individual activities as well as the team-building activities on our land sports field. Cabins will participate in many popular camp games such as “Elephant Ball,” “Dwarfs, Wizards and Giants” and “Bombardment.”

Waterfront

The waterfront on our own spring-fed lake is one of our most popular on-camp activity areas. Campers have a splashing good time with the rope swing, our “Blob,” our waterslide and newest addition…the “Wild Willie.” All waterfront instructors have current Red Cross certifications and offer varying programs to ensure safe, challenging and fun activities at the lake and the pool.

Arts

Our arts department includes a variety of special activities including pottery, woodworking, bead-working, metalworking, photography, music, cooking and traditional crafts. These programs continue to be camper favorites because they offer creative outlets and special keepsakes that will remind them of their exciting summer experience.

Riding

The riding program has been a growing, successful program at Highlander. Our program is CHA certified, and we have a group of exceptionally trained instructors. Their professional instruction and patient nature creates an environment for each camper to enhance their personal skills. We offer both English and Western disciplines, including trail rides and hunt seat instruction.

Tripping Program

Day and Overnight trips are a hallmark of summer at Camp Highlander. We don’t limit ourselves to our beautiful campus. We enjoy venturing to the beautiful Western North Carolina mountains, Pisgah National Forest and other surrounding areas.

Many campers look forward to the trip to Sliding Rock or to Coon Tree and Dolly’s Ice Cream Bar. Every cabin can experience a traditional overnight, sleeping under the stars and building fires to cook over, while some have the opportunity to hike the Appalachian Trail or see the waterfalls at Looking Glass. Our most popular overnight is to beautiful Lake Keowee, where campers enjoy waterskiing, wakeboarding and knee-boarding, under the instruction of a former Olympic Ski team member.

For campers 11 and older, a special optional trip to Carowinds theme park is offered once during their stay at camp for an additional charge. Our older campers will enjoy a trip whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River. We call these the “not so lazy days of summer.”