This Isn't Just Camp. It's a Proving Ground.
Wilderness Adventure is for the kid who wants to do more than swim and make friendship bracelets. This program teaches real outdoor skills, from fire building and shelter construction to water purification and wilderness first aid. Every lesson is hands-on, every skill is practical, and the entire week builds toward a final wilderness simulation where campers put everything they've learned to the test.
All of it happens at Gretna Glen's Wilderness Ridge Outpost, where there's no electricity, meals get cooked over fires campers build themselves, and the night sky is the only screen in sight. It's an adventure that builds confidence, resilience, and the kind of stories kids tell for years.
Six Real Wilderness Skills
Every skill is taught hands-on, practiced under guidance, and tested during the final simulation.
Fire Building
Learn to build, light, and maintain a campfire safely. Then cook your own meals over it.
Shelter Construction
Build functional shelters from natural materials found on the Ridge. Design, test, sleep in it.
Water Purification
Collect water from Gretna Glen's creeks and learn methods to make it safe to drink.
Wilderness First Aid
Basic first aid skills for the outdoors: what to do when help isn't a phone call away.
Leave No Trace
The principles of minimizing human impact on the environment. Respect the land you explore.
Night Skills
Hang a bear bag, navigate by starlight, and spend a night sleeping under the open sky.
The Final Wilderness Simulation
Everything campers learn during the week comes together in an epic culminating challenge. Working as a team, campers apply their fire building, shelter construction, water purification, and navigation skills in a real wilderness scenario on the Ridge.
It's not a test. It's a proving moment. The kind of experience where a 10-year-old discovers they can do more than they thought possible, and walks away standing a little taller. The week concludes with this simulation, and it's what campers talk about long after they leave.
WHERE YOU'LL STAY
Wilderness Adventure is based at the Wilderness Ridge Outpost, Gretna Glen's rustic camping area. Campers sleep on cots in canvas platform tents or in rustic cabins with bunk-style accommodations. There's no electricity at the Ridge, but water and bathrooms are close by. It's an unplugged experience by design.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
This program runs two sessions: Week 2 (June 21-26, code GA23) and Week 6 (July 19-24, code GA65). Same program, same Ridge, same adventure.
Your camper will be cared for by trained staff who specialize in outdoor programming, and the entire camp is ACA-accredited, meeting over 300 health, safety, and quality standards.
No prior camping or wilderness experience is needed. Every skill is taught from scratch. Campers just need to bring curiosity and a willingness to try.
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR
- Kids who love being outside and want real outdoor skills
- Campers looking for something more hands-on than a traditional camp week
- First-time wilderness campers ready for a guided introduction to the outdoors
- Kids who want to test themselves and discover what they're capable of