Build Community Here. Take the Adventure Out There.
Youth Blast is one of Gretna Glen's flagship youth programs, and Camelbeach kicks off the series. The concept is simple: spend the first part of the week building real community at camp, then take that crew on an epic off-site adventure together. The friendships that form during challenge courses, night games, and cabin conversations are the same ones that make the waterpark trip feel like a celebration instead of just a field trip.
Campers will spend their week eating meals together in the Dining Hall, learning new skills at program activities, conquering fears on high ropes elements, and feeling the energy of a close-knit group that's genuinely rooting for each other. Then they'll head to the Poconos for a full day at Camelbeach, the biggest outdoor waterpark in Pennsylvania.
A Week of Community, Challenge, and One Epic Day Out
Camp life at Gretna Glen meets an off-site adventure at Camelbeach Waterpark.
Challenge Course and High Ropes
Campers push themselves on Gretna Glen's challenge course and high ropes elements. These aren't just about adrenaline. They're about trust, encouragement, and discovering what you're capable of when your crew is cheering you on.
Camelbeach Waterpark
A full day at the biggest outdoor waterpark in Pennsylvania. Slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, and splash zones. It's the adventure payoff for a week of building community, and it's even better with friends you've made at camp.
Community That Runs Deep
Night games, cabin conversations, meals together in the Dining Hall, and shared challenges on the course create the kind of bonds that don't fade when the week ends. Youth Blast is designed to build community fast and make it stick.
Worship and Service
Meaningful worship experiences and a service project here at Gretna Glen round out the week. Campers leave having given something back, not just having had a good time.
Why This Program Works
Most camps either do on-site programming or off-site trips. Youth Blast does both, and the order matters. The first days at Gretna Glen are about forming a group identity. Campers learn each other's names, push through challenges together, and start to trust each other. By the time the Camelbeach trip arrives, they're not just a group of strangers at a waterpark. They're a crew.
That's the difference between a day at a waterpark and a Youth Blast day at a waterpark. The shared experience at camp gives the off-site adventure a completely different energy. Campers come back from Camelbeach talking about what they did together, not just what they did.
WHERE YOU'LL STAY
Youth Blast campers stay in the Raab Retreat Lodge, a two-story lodge right on Gretna Glen's main site. The Lodge has bunk-style housing with restrooms in the building. It's comfortable, communal, and close to the Dining Hall and all main camp activities.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
This is a mainsite program. Campers stay in the Raab Retreat Lodge with restrooms in the building, eat meals in the Dining Hall, and have access to all of Gretna Glen's main campus facilities.
The Camelbeach trip is a supervised off-site day. Staff accompany campers for the full day at the waterpark. Transportation is included in the program cost.
Gretna Glen is ACA-accredited, meeting over 300 health, safety, and quality standards. No prior camp experience is needed.
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR
- Teens who want a camp experience that goes beyond the campground
- Campers who thrive on group challenges and team building
- Anyone looking for an action-packed week with a waterpark day built in
- Youth groups or friend groups who want to sign up together