Rooted in Faith. Grown in the Woods.
Gretna Glen's story begins not with a building, but with a gathering. In 1892, a campmeeting movement took root in the Mt. Gretna area under the United Brethren Church, bringing people together outdoors for worship, reflection, and community. It was a simple idea: that something happens when people step away from ordinary life and into nature together.
That idea never left. In 1959, the camp established its permanent home on 200 acres of Pennsylvania woodland, and the same spirit that started in a tent meeting has shaped every season since. Today, Gretna Glen serves more than 200 retreat groups each year alongside a full summer camp program, all grounded in the belief that this place can change people.
Owned and operated by the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church, Gretna Glen welcomes campers, students, families, and groups from every background and every tradition, or none at all.
1892
FOUNDED
200+
ACRES
130+
YEARS OF HISTORY
"God's Place Apart. Transforming Lives."
The tagline is not a slogan. It is a description of what has been happening here for over a century. People come to Gretna Glen carrying ordinary life and leave carrying something more.
The Same Idea, Still Working
More than a century in, the core belief has not changed. Getting outside together, with intention and faith, still changes people.
A Place Worth Returning To
Gretna Glen hosts more than 200 retreat groups annually, from schools and churches to clubs and businesses. People come back year after year because something about this land still does what it has always done.
Welcoming, Always
From the beginning, this has been a place for everyone. Gretna Glen welcomes campers and guests from all denominations and no affiliation. The door has always been open. That is not a new policy. It is the original one.
ACA Accredited
Gretna Glen is accredited by the American Camp Association, reflecting a commitment to program quality, safety, and best practices that goes beyond what a camp meeting in 1892 could have imagined.
Come Be Part of the Story
A summer week, a weekend retreat, a first visit or a fiftieth. The next chapter of Gretna Glen is still being written.