What Makes a Great Wilderness Camp?

A great wilderness camp requires more than just wilderness. It needs clear, experienced guidance and instruction; proven immersion strategies to maximize the impact of the lessons; and a spirit of education and camaraderie that leaves participants with valuable learnings and a strong sense that they are part of the natural world.

As we launch this new blog, we wanted to answer this important question first!

At Turtle Island Preserve in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina, our founder Eustace Conway carried forward the legacy of his grandfather, Chief Johnson, who founded Camp Sequoyah back in 1924. Chief developed many wilderness camp guidelines and goals that are still in practice today, and these formed the basis of Turtle Island, a ~1,000-acre wilderness preserve and education center Eustace launched in 1987. 

Turtle Island Preserve serves everyone from children to adults with age-appropriate programs that engage, educate, and inspire.

What Is the Turtle Island Wilderness Camp’s Mission?

Turtle Island Preserve guides people through experiences with the natural world to enhance their appreciation and respect for life. We achieve this by nurturing a comprehensive understanding of nature combined with the lessons and traditions of our ancestors.

• We work to make it second nature for people to live side by side in harmony and cooperation with each other and the natural world.

• All campers participate in group planning, decision making, and delegating of responsibilities.

• We prepare campers for endurance, preservation, fortitude, initiative, and even survival.

How Is a Wilderness Camp Different Than A Standard Summer Camp?

Summer camp is a cherished tradition for many. Wilderness camp takes that tradition to a new level of learning and appreciation. Where a standard summer camp creates fun, wilderness camp creates fun, meaning, and lasting impact from raw depth.

In fact, a 2014 study showed that just five days at an outdoor education camp without screens improves preteen skills with nonverbal emotion cues!

Our Turtle Island Preserve wilderness camping experience is a complete cultural immersion. Visitors receive more than the typical bunk away from home and time learning crafts offered at a standard summer camp. Our wilderness campers learn skills that our human ancestors used for everyday life and survival in the natural world.

Pick your own vegetables from the garden for supper. Gather wild foods and medicinal plants from the land. Practice harnessing a mule. Pound metal in the blacksmith shop. Practice sustainability in everyday living, whether for a day, a weekend, or a week on our preserve. We customize our programs to meet your needs and interests.

What Outdoor Education Options Does Turtle Island Preserve Offer for Groups?

We offer a variety of outdoor educational experiences for groups. Our beloved school camps give students a chance to gain a fresh perspective of the natural world and what it means to live and work as part of a community. We also have boys camp, girls camp, father-son camp, and family camp options.

All of our camps and programs offer one-of-a-kind outdoor education and living experiences, giving campers  an opportunity to understand the true essentials of life with the support of compassionate educators. Day-long and overnight options are available.

Just let us know what kind of experience your group is looking for and we can build an outdoor educational retreat around you.

What Makes Turtle Island Preserve Different?

Our founder Eustace Conway answers this best:

“We created a place where people can get in touch with the roots of humanity and connect with the resources and abilities that sustain our existence. We simplify our day to food, shelter, water, and clothing, which enables us to see more clearly the picture of how we fit into the bigger circles of life: our food chain, water cycle, ecosystem, and environmental economics. … At Turtle Island, you can meet people who really live in the forest and take immediate responsibility for their actions. We work with groups of all types, from business professionals to elementary classes. We are eclectic, diverse, spontaneous and creative. We offer a door to a renewed vision of an ancient natural reality that governs all. With a few sticks and bones, we can wake up your world!”

Put another way, here’s what one of our visitors, Allen Wagner, had to say:

“From the time that you drive down the 1 ½ mile entrance way to the preserve, you instantly know you are in a wonderful, peaceful place. Upon your arrival at the meadow, you roll back over a hundred years of time when you see the old barns, buildings, horses, outhouses, and the beautiful stream flowing by. Also, the hospitality is at its best when you come here. Please put Turtle Island Preserve on your bucket list. I don’t know of any other place like this. Eustace has built this through hard work and dedication for us to enjoy.”

Frequently Asked Questions

• Appropriate ages?  Some of our guided camps have dedicated age ranges, such as our young boys’ camp for ages 8 -12 or our girls’ camp for ages 8-13. All ages are welcome at our family camps, however, and we would love to work directly with you to plan an outdoor education program that is a perfect fit for the age ranges in your group. Adult-only camps for work, community, family, or friend group outings are also available.

• Previous outdoor experience?  Nope! Come as you are and start your learning from there. Our compassionate educators are here to meet you where you’re at and make your experience educational and fun.

• Phones allowed? No phones, no screens, just time connecting with each other and the natural world! For children’s camps, parents can text or leave a voicemail in a true emergency with a provided Turtle Island Preserve contact number. The messages will be checked once daily.

• Safety? Some risk is inherent to working and living in the natural world, though our educators go above and beyond to provide a safe experience for all. We encourage you to read the liability statement at the bottom of this page, and to contact us with any specific questions or concerns. We would love to speak with you and put your mind at ease.

• Instructors? We utilize the best teachers in bushcraft, traditional, and homesteading skills from all over North Carolina and beyond. Some are former students of Eustace’s and others are simply the premier subject matter experts in their respective fields. 

• Group experiences? We welcome all sorts of groups, from school groups of students to family reunions to work retreats and more. We do limit how many groups have access to the preserve at a time, so get in touch today to discuss your idea and reserve a spot on our calendar.