Quick Facts about
Camp Pinnacle

We are deeply committed to our families and our mission: To ensure the safest, most substantive, and most exciting summer camp experience through our personal attention to every camper, our caring, and our competence.

Location

Camp Pinnacle, established in 1928, is located on a wooded 126 acre campus surrounding our private, 20-acre Wolfe Lake in Flat Rock, NC. We are within 10 minutes of DuPont State Forest, 5 minutes of Ride Kanuga, and 30 minutes of Pisgah National Forest.

Accreditation

Camp Pinnacle is fully accredited by the American Camp Association.

Campers

Camp Pinnacle serves campers ages 7 through 16 (completing the 1st through 10th grades). We host campers each summer from more than 35 states and 16 countries. (We consider the grade that campers are currently in, not the grade they’re going into after camp.)

Session length

Camp Pinnacle offers two-week sessions. Many choose to combine sessions for a four-week experience. We also offer a one-week junior camp for our youngest and newest campers. See our session dates and tuition here.

Small, personal size

Maximum session size at Camp Pinnacle is 250 campers. A typical cabin group consists of 8–10 campers of similar age and grade with two counselors. Overall, there is a 1:3 counselor-to-camper ratio.

Activities

Campers participate in more than 50 different camp activities. Activities are scheduled to insure that every camper samples a wide variety of activities. There are also camper and cabin choice activities so campers can improve skills in the activities which interest them most. Every camper participates in off-camp adventures, including rafting a whitewater river, summiting a mountain with an incredible view, and camping out overnight with s’mores, of course.

Program goals and guiding principles

• Physical and emotional safety is our top priority.
• Fun and exciting outdoor activities help campers grow and gain life skills and a greater sense of self.
• Our caring counselors take a sincere interest in the growth and development of young people.
• We encourage campers to develop a lifetime love of the outdoors with a corresponding conservation ethic.
• We empower campers to create an inclusive and reflective cabin and camp community that maintains a culture of kindness, sense of humor, and spirit of cooperation and volunteerism.
• We strive to be a sustainable and responsive business, with a focus on our families and the quality of our programs. We form long-term relationships with our campers, their families, counselors, staff, and outfitters.

Counselors

• Minimum age is 18 with at least one year of college or a gap year
• Medically trained in wilderness first aid; our trip leaders have the more intensive wilderness first responder certification
• All new counselors go through an intensive hiring process with three interviews, three reference checks, and complete background checks.
• All counselors go through, at minimum, 12 days of specific counselor training.
• 1:3 counselor-to-camper ratio

Return rate

Each summer, about 70 percent of campers return to Camp Pinnacle or move on to Bold Earth programs. This is one of the highest two-week camp return rates in the industry and it’s attributed to the fact that so many campers feel that Camp Pinnacle is their second home! However, if you’re new to Camp Pinnacle, don’t worry—our returning campers and counselors are eager to welcome and greet new campers into our warm and welcoming community.

All-inclusive price

All outdoor equipment (backpacks, sleeping pad, tents, cooking utensils, and group gear), food and snacks, and activities are including in tuition. There is no extra charge for special activities, snacks or food, or out-of-camp trips. Not included in tuition is clothing and personal items, credit card fees, airfare (if required), and optional tuition protection. We do have a camp store on opening and closing days where families may choose to purchase Camp Pinnacle merchandise.

Cancellation policy

Payments are 100 percent refundable prior to November 30, 2023. From December 1 to March 1, payments are refundable, minus a $1,000 cancellation fee. For cancellations after March 1, payments are non-refundable. If a participant withdraws voluntarily or is sent home as a consequence of unacceptable behavior, no refund of any type will be granted. It is the parents’ responsibility to cover any additional travel expenses.