Director Jud's Blog

Valentine’s Day Vibes: Why SMA is the Perfect Summer Camp Crush

By Camp Director Jud

How Two Weeks at Camp Can Shape Your Child’s Future

Summer—once a time of long, unstructured days filled with adventure, boredom, and new discoveries—is now a busy, packed schedule for many families. Kids are involved in a multitude of activities, sports, camps, and travel. Parents, especially working moms and dads, are juggling everything from work commitments to trying to find the right balance of enriching experiences for their children. It’s a different world than it was just a few decades ago, and with so many options, one question has emerged: is it enough to send your child to a two-week overnight camp?

The answer? Absolutely.

In today’s fast-paced world, we’ve become conditioned to the idea that more is better—longer camp sessions, bigger itineraries, more options—but when it comes to overnight camp, the magic doesn’t need to take a full month. In fact, two weeks is just the right amount of time to provide your child with an authentic, life-changing camp experience that will stay with them for years to come. Let’s break down why and how a two-week session is more than enough for your child to grow, make lasting memories, and return home as a stronger, more confident individual.

Attention campers and families! Camp Director Chase Cloward has an incredibly exciting and important announcement about the upcoming summer that you do not want to miss. Make sure to watch the video to hear all about the thrilling plans and updates for the upcoming season. Get ready for an unforgettable summer filled with adventure, fun, and new experiences. Stay tuned for more details and get ready to be a part of something truly special. Let's make this summer the best one yet!

All of us at Stone Mountain Adventures are so excited to share the Session 1, 2018 Slideshow with you!

 Isabelle Kough:

4th session was amazing- all the overnights, meeting new people, my cabin, the activities, and just everything made me want to come back. The counselors have made everything more fun. The camp itself didn’t change me but the people did. Darius taught me not to care what people think. Ben the counselor made me realize to laugh. On the overnight was fun because Will was fighting everyone with lightsabers. I had an amazing session with everyone especially Adi and Jordyn. I can’t wait to come back next year! I love Jem (because she made me write this).

Matthew Weitzel:

This was my first summer camp that is an overnight, as it was the longest time I’ve been away from family. It started to feel normal after about 2-3 days. By for this is the most outdoor activities I’ve done this summer. The adventures beheld a mass of emotions including the happiness of belly whomping to the pain of falling off my bike and cutting my arm and leg. Overall, I think I learned a lot and became a lot tanner which I’m happy about, but in all seriousness I will leave a better person and with a lot more skills (and scars).

Jack Weiman:

I like Ben. Ben is cool. So is Jay. Jem is cool. Will is one of my favorites. He used to look like a cool Viking warrior but then he was lame and shaved off his beard and now he looks like a British person. Helen is cool because she is majoring in what I want to major in. I also love Connor and myself. Ben is my favorite. I learned how to wakeboard and had a lot of fun on all the activities. My favorites were sailing, mountain biking, white water rafting. I made a lot of new friends and I really enjoyed my time here.

Mary Zaher:

Coming to camp, I was excited and relieved to have finally made it here. The moment I stepped into my cabin, I was greeted with friendly faces. I got to know my cabin mates better, and tried several new activities with them. Some of my favorites activities were the Amish market, the fair, white water rafting, and overnights. The Amish market and the fair were both opportunities to learn more about the Amish culture. White water rafting was exciting as well as scary, and it required teamwork and cooperation as well as the ability to listen to instructions. While I was on my overnights, I had to learn to coexist with the critters and bugs living in the forest. I had a lot of fun learning how to get up on the kneeboard and hiking through the woods. Overall, I had a great time at camp. I made new friends and tried new activities. I was an unforgettable experience and I hope that I will be back again next year.

Ruben Matell

This session at SMA was probably the best two weeks of my life. Last year, I was so shy and insecure when I came here. This year however, I felt instantly at home when I stepped out of the car. SMA helped me to completely come out of my shell and be who I really am. I am so happy that I was able to be myself, be happy and be confident for the most part. I hope I am able to take it home with me.

As far as activities go, I had so much fun on the wakeboard and I was far better at it than I expected. I also really enjoyed the Yough; it was such a crazy experience with the water that high. I also really enjoyed getting to know everyone here. I made such close friends. It always astounds me that in two weeks I am closer to the people here than I am to people I’ve known my whole life. I love this place with all my heart 

Aiden McAleer

My time at Stone Mountain was amazing, I will 100% be coming back for next year. I found my better self. I have went outside of my comfort zone so many times, I have taken care of a bunny during my time here, I don’t know if I’m taking him home with me but it was fun! I stood up on a wakeboard for the first time and it was the best thing ever! I have met many people at this camp that I will never forget.  Im not very good at writing but this is the best I could do to explain my time here! If  you could draw a line for how good it was, the longer the better

Meghan Lewis

I could not have asked for a better last session. I got to meet many new great people and spend time with old friends. There was not a single time this session where I was unhappy. All of the amazing activities and people made this a session I will never forget. I am going to bring home with me all of the memories I have made and the happiness of myself and others around me!

The First Session Slideshow is finally here!

First Session of Stone Mountain Adventures 2 week summer camp began on Sunday, June 22nd. After much anticipation by parents and campers and a 10 day staff training, it was safe to say that we were all extremely excited that the summer of 2014 was finally off and running.  

In the ensuing two weeks we took photos and captured special moments at activities (think rock climbing, horseback riding, and soccer), service learning projects, camping overnights and evening activities (Disco Roller Skating, yea!) and while hanging around camp with friends. We collected these photos and created a slideshow!

More 2014 Session Slideshows to be uploaded in the days to come!

In today's society we have become dependent upon technology to the point that we find ourselves in a place where we take for granted the beauty around us if we notice it at all. Not only does the natural world offer us the ability to feel relaxed and rejuvenated, but it also provides us with a sense of serenity and happiness. At adventure summer camps, teenagers are exposed to the wonders of nature in ways they may not have experienced before. Some benefits may include developing an appreciation for the environment, humanity and each other. At Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp we focus on the powerful connections between our campers and their experiences in the great outdoors. This connection is not just limited to the natural environment around campers; it also includes the culture that is created here at camp and the people around them, and how to be a leader with the goal of acquiring a responsible appreciation for the natural wonders of our awesome planet. 

A truly S’MAzing summer at Stone Mountain Adventures has come to a close. We ended the summer as we began it with an incredible final two week session!

The summer of 2014 at Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp really was one for the ages. We had campers from 16 states and five foreign countries including Spain, the UK, France, Switzerland and Dubai.  Our staff was equally diverse with a total of 15 full time camp counselors from nine states as well as “funny-talkers” from England, Northern Ireland, and Australia.  Of those counselors, five were former SMA Campers.