Director Jud's Blog

Ah, Valentine’s Day, the perfect time to wax poetic about love! Love is in the air, and it's not just for sweethearts to share! Campers, gather 'round, for I've got a tale to regale, about an adventure that's sure to prevail. It's the overnight summer camp experience, a journey so divine, where every moment sparkles and every memory will shine!

Camp Director Jud Millar will be at the Tower Hill HS Camp Fair Tonight!

In an era dominated by screens and digital devices, the challenge of getting kids to put down their phones and embrace real-world experiences has become increasingly complex for parents. One avenue that promises to help your child break free from the clutches of technology while fostering personal growth and independence is overnight summer camp. In this blog post, we will explore strategies to encourage your child to unplug, connect with nature, and eagerly anticipate the enriching experiences awaiting them at summer camp.

The leaves are fall off the trees and the nights are getting colder... fall is finally here in earnest!  As the seasons change families start looking ahead to the upcoming wither, spring and even summer.  In the weeks and months to come summer plans will start to come into focus and as they do some families and teenagers will start searching for a teen summer camp. Teen summer camps have the potential to provide an amazing, memorable experience in the great outdoors for your child. As a parent, safety is likely your number one concern. You’ll be relieved to know most camps require staff to have first aid training and some camps even require staff to have wilderness first aid training. Here are the top reasons why this matters for your child:

The Access Fund is a non-profit organization based in the United States that is dedicated to protecting and preserving America's climbing areas. Founded in 1991, the Access Fund works to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment. Climbing areas can face various threats, including access issues, environmental degradation, and land use policies that might restrict or prevent climbing activities. The Access Fund engages in advocacy efforts, conservation initiatives, and education programs to ensure that climbers have access to the outdoor spaces they love while promoting responsible climbing practices and environmental stewardship.

The American Camp Association (ACA) is a national organization in the United States that focuses on the support of summer camps and youth development programs. Founded in 1910, the ACA works to ensure that summer camps meet specific standards related to health, safety, and program quality. Camps that are associated with the ACA work to ensure they provide a safe and enriching environment for children and teenagers. Stone Mountain Adventures (SMA) as been a member of the ACA since the 1980's.

Every year the ACA host Camp Conference's around the country to serve as professional development opportunities for summer camp professionals.  Within the ACA there are geographical regional and SMA is located in the Keystone Region which encumbrances Delaware and Pennsylvania.  According to the Keystone ACA summer camps in Delaware and Pennsylvania served over 1,500,00 kids in the summer of 2023.

As we close the book on the Stone Mountain Adventures Summer of 2023 we are fill with gratitude to all the humans who made this past summer such a success.  

• To the families who put there faith in me and my out standing 2023 staff team and who were patient with us we say: "Thank You"!
• The the All Star Stone Mountain Adventures Staff team of 2023 who persevered, who stayed up late and got up early with campers and went the extra mile to make everyday of this summer special.  To each of you and to you as a team I, Camp Director Jud Millar say "THANK YOU"!
•  To you outstanding campers of the summer of 2023 you were literally the best.  We challenged you on activities and you pushed your comfort zone.  You raised the bar during "Jud Games" and "Pole Barn" during crew.  I am grateful to each of you for your enthusiasm and willingness to be silly.  You helped make the SMA Summer of 2023 very special! 

And now it's time to look ahead to the SMA Summer of 2024!

Camper and Staff

Memory Book

3rd Session Summer 2023

A Note from the Camp Directors Jud Millar about SMA Session 3:

Greetings to everyone in our Stone Mountain Adventures (SMA) family. It is hard to believe that the summer of 2023 has come and gone so fast. It seems like only yesterday we were dusting off the canoes and tuning up the mountain bikes, and now this incredible summer is in the history books. The remainder of August was great, but we often found ourselves playing “remember that time in Third Session... that was awesome!” during our down time.

Campers, we miss each one of you so much, and it’s just not the same without you here. We hope you have recovered from the craziness of camp and had an awesome end to your summer.  

Parents, thank you for sending your son or daughter to Stone Mountain Adventures. Each member of the incredible third session of SMA 2023 possessed fantastic qualities and helped to make the group so special. We had incredible experiences as individuals and as a group – it was truly a memorable session.

On the last full day of the session we asked each member of our group to take a few moments and "reflect" about his or her experience at Stone Mountain Adventures. Enclosed are the written reflections of campers as well as a brief description of many of the activities that we did at camp written by our stellar staff.

We hope you enjoy this SMA Memory Book and these reflections as much as we do!

Best wishes on the school year ahead,

                    Jud, Anne, Wyatt, Molly, Pam, Biff, Comet, Jack, Piggy, the Cats, the Horses, the Rabbits & other random farm animals!

A Note from the Camp Directors Jud Millar about SMA2 Memory Book:

Greetings to everyone in our Stone Mountain Adventures (SMA) family. It is hard to believe that the summer of 2023 has come and gone so fast. It seems like only yesterday we were dusting off the canoes and tuning up the mountain bikes, and now this incredible summer is in the history books. The remainder of August was great, but we often found ourselves playing “remember that time in second session... that was awesome!” during our down time.

Camper and Staff Memory Book

1st Session Summer 2023

A Note from the Camp Directors Jud Millar:

Greetings to everyone in our Stone Mountain Adventures (SMA) family. It is hard to believe that the summer of 2023 has come and gone so fast. It seems like only yesterday we were dusting off the canoes and tuning up the mountain bikes, and now this incredible summer is in the history books. The remainder of August was great, but we often found ourselves playing “remember that time in first session... that was awesome!” during our down time.

They say that summer camp experiences have the potential to create lasting memories and provide a sense of adventure and fun that teens often cherish for a lifetime, that was certainly true during SMA Session 4 this summer. 

We had an incredible summer at Stone Mountain Adventures Summer Camp.  Third Session was so awesome. 

Here is the Stone Mountain Adventures Session 2, 2023 Slideshow! Photos in this awesome slideshow include: Rock Climbing, Mountain Biking, White Water Rafting, Evening Activities and So Much More!

Every summer, every session at Stone Mountain Adventures has the potential to be amazing and Session 1, 2023 did not disappoint.  Every camper and staff arrived at camp ready to give their best shot. 

On August 16, 2023 every SMA Session 4 camper and staff member woke early and had a cold breakfast which would give us the fuel we needed for the day ahead.  We loaded into our camp vans and began the road trip that would take us from Stone Mountain Adventures to Ohiopyle, PA.  Home of the mighty Youghiogheny river (aha The Yough).  Here we met our Wilderness Voyagers White Water Guides, got geared up for the day and did a in depth safety briefing.  We were about to embark on our 4th and final White Water Rafting Day!  We had an AMAZING Day on the river!! All would later agree that we saved the best for last!!

The final session of the year has launched and the challenging, fun and awesome activities that we have on offer have enabled everyone to create beautiful memories. We began the final session of the year with introductions so that everyone can get to know each other and speed up the transition into being a camper and living the sma lifestyle. Together as a camp we know everyone and have created friendships that will last a lifetime!

On August 2nd, 2023 every SMA Session 3 camper and staff member woke early and had a cold breakfast which would give us the fuel we needed for the day ahead.  We loaded into our camp vans and began the road trip that would take us from Stone Mountain Adventures to Ohiopyle, PA.  Home of the mighty Youghiogheny river (aha The Yough).  Here we met our Wilderness Voyagers White Water Guides, got geared up for the day and did a in depth safety briefing.  We had an AMAZING Day on the river!!

Everyday at Camp  starts the same way for our campers and staff: