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Stone Mountain Adventures (SMA) is a co-ed, overnight summer camp for teenagers aged 12-16. Nestled in the heart of beautiful Central Pennsylvania amongst mountains, rivers, and crystal-clear lakes, SMA offers teens a summer experience full of fun, adventure, friendship, and learning. Each day, we create opportunities for teens to challenge themselves: to ride a horse, to rock climb with good technique, to wakeboard or waterski, and most importantly of all, to develop lasting friendships. Building confidence and having fun are our goals; freedom to explore, positive reinforcement, and a superstar staff are our tools.
We know that teens are physically, intellectually, and emotionally more mature than younger campers, and we believe that they prefer camp activities and social engagement with others their own age. Because our enrollment starts at age 12, all activities and events can be specifically teen-focused, so that our campers get the most out of their SMA experience. From team-building games to white water rafting, all activities and events at Stone Mountain Adventures are designed to be physically, intellectually, and emotionally engaging for teens. Expect outdoor adventures, water sports, crazy evening games, local college tours (when relevant and desired), fairs, festivals, and other teen-level activities!
One of our greatest strengths at Stone Mountain Adventures is our amazing staff of camp counselors! They are dynamic, responsible, skillful, funny, and fair. Our staff listens, cares, and treats everyone with respect. Most of all, our counselors put the needs of our campers before their own. They are all over 21 years old, well trained and equipped to lead groups both outdoors and in the cabins, and excited to spend their summer with teen campers. Our awesome counselors specialize in cool things like wakeboarding, rock climbing, mountain biking, music, and horseback riding!
Our camp is a fantastic place for teens who love the water! Water sports available to us at SMA include swimming, wakeboarding, water skiing, sailing, SUP (stand up paddleboarding), canoeing, kayaking, fishing and white water rafting. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned veteran at these water sports, our experienced staff is there to assist you every step of the way. In addition to water sports, SMA also offers a diverse array of challenging outdoor adventure activities that include horseback riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, overnight camping trips, and caving [links to each activity’s page where applicable]. Our outdoor adventure activities and water sports challenge teens and give them the opportunity to learn new skills and have fun outdoors every day!
Stone Mountain Adventures is a small camp with never more than 60 campers per session. Thanks to our size, campers tend to feel at home here easily. Returning campers are kind and welcoming, our staff members are enthusiastic and friendly, and Director Jud creates an atmosphere that is exciting and inclusive.
An overnight summer camp experience at SMA is a unique opportunity for teens to gain independence while learning and growing away from home in a safe and supportive environment. At SMA, campers build confidence by challenging themselves in outdoor adventure activities, water sports, and traditional sports. Sharing these experiences with others creates strong bonds of friendship that often last long beyond the summer. This process of building confidence and making friends helps campers at SMA to develop positive self-esteem, independence, and a sense of responsibility and accomplishment.
Stone Mountain Adventures was founded in 1983 by Pam and Biff Houldin. Current Camp Director Jud (son of Pam and Biff) grew up at the farm, attending SMA as a camper and later working as a counselor. Jud and his wife Anne bring a combined 40+ years of experience teaching in traditional and non-traditional school settings, coaching youth sports, leading international trips for high school students, and leading wilderness and mountaineering trips.
Year after year, our greatest concern is for the safety of our campers and staff. Constant attention is given to the physical and emotional health of everybody at camp. Precautions are taken and safety is paramount (seat belts, helmets, life jackets, etc. are always non-negotiable). The small size of SMA helps Director Jud keep a finger on the pulse of camp and maintain high health and safety standards.
Read what parents and campers say about SMA
When Pam and Biff Houldin started Stone Mountain Adventures in the summer of 1983, they had 8 children (including current director Jud), lived on a horse farm called Horsepower Farm, and ran a therapeutic horseback riding program for people with disabilities. They decided to build a few cabins, remodel their country kitchen, and start a summer program for able-bodied campers. They named the camp Horsepower Adventures. There were only two sessions that first summer, with 28 campers in the first and just 19 in the second! Things went well, and as the years went by the camp grew and more adventure activities were added. In the winter of 1987 Pam and Biff decided to change the name of the camp, as they now offered many more outdoor adventure activities in addition to horseback riding. Because the camp is located in the rolling hills of Stone Valley at the foot of Stone Mountain in central Pennsylvania, so the name Stone Mountain Adventures seemed like a natural fit.
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