Summer Camp Overview:

At River Valley Ranch, we are committed to provide an excellent summer camp program that engages campers physically, emotionally and spiritually. A carefully planned program is prepared with each age group of campers in mind to achieve these goals.

Since our inception in 1952, experience has been our most valued teacher. We believe it is imperative to have an excellent, trained staff (certified medical personnel, certified lifeguards, certified ropes and climbing instructors, certified horsemen, and well-trained and dedicated counselors) alert to the needs and safety of our campers. At River Valley Ranch you will also find carefully prepared food and clean accommodations approved by the State and County Health and Fire Departments..

In all our summer camps we strive to communicate:

1. That God loves us and sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so we could have an eternal relationship with Him.
2. That loving God also means loving others.
3. That we are accountable to God and must live under His authority.
4. That being a Christian is the most exciting and fulfilling experience that anyone can ever have.

Summer Camp FAQ:

1) I Noticed You are a Christian Camp. What does that mean?

We are a Christian camp, and therefore teach Christian principles and values from the Bible in our summer camping programs. We also hire mature Christian staff who we expect will model a Godly lifestyle that we hope campers will want to emulate. In each camp, we give campers to opportunity to make a decision to follow Jesus Christ and his example. However, we recognize that it is a personal choice to become a Christian and fully respect each individual's decision. We do not force nor use scare tactics to try and make someone do something they don't want to do. Since we are a non-denominational Christian camp, we do not promote a particular denomination or church. This means it is our practice to present the simple message of the Gospel as found in the Bible and teach Christian values without promoting nor condemning any denomination or church. If you have any questions about who we are and the Christian messages and values we teach, please call us at 443-712-1010.

Retreats Overview:

River Valley Ranch offers two types of retreat programs:

1) Retreat Rentals – these retreats are designed to allow guests the most flexibility in arranging their schedules.  The retreat groups organize and implement all meetings.  RVR provides the meals, lodging and optional activities for the group. While most retreat rentals are Christian churches & schools, we also welcome groups that do not have a religious purpose (i.e. schools, non-profits, businesses, etc.) so long as the activities of these groups do not conflict with our Statement of Faith.  We are confident that our faith convictions enable us to better serve your group, whether or not you fully subscribe to our beliefs.  We simply ask that you respect our principles and abide by our conduct requirements while you are at River Valley Ranch.

2) Programmed Retreats – these retreats are designed as an all-inclusive experience for church groups of all sizes.  RVR provides all meals, lodging, activities, meetings and speakers.  The focus of these weekends is encouraging Christians in their spiritual walk and/or inviting non-professing Christians to make a personal commitment to Christ.  Currently, our programmed retreats consist of Winter Meltdown (Jan-Feb) and Rooted: A Conference for Youth Pastors (November).

Outdoor Education Overview:

The River Valley Ranch Outdoor Education Program is designed to engage students & adults with the outdoors to help teach leadership skills, overcome obstacles and learn to value the creation around us.  The curriculum is designed to teach through personal discovery with the goal of increasing awareness and retention. For public schools, we have designed a curriculum that will work with your existing curriculum to achieve your academic and personal development goals.  For private Christian schools, we have a curriculum that can provide the added spiritual emphasis and development that you desire along with your academic and personal development goals.

Outdoor Education Overview FAQ

1. I notice you are a Christian ministry and we are a public school or other non-religious group.  Will you proselytize for the Christian faith while we are there?

No.  We welcome groups that do not have a religious purpose (i.e. schools, charities, businesses, etc.) so long as the activities of these groups do not conflict with our Statement of Faith.  We are confident that our faith convictions enable us to better serve your group, whether or not you fully subscribe to our beliefs.  We simply ask that you respect our principles and abide by our conduct requirements while you are at River Valley Ranch.

Special Events Overview:

River Valley Ranch hosts a number of unique special events throughout the year. Our purpose is to create a fun, wholesome environment where individuals and families can have a unique experience in the beauty of God’s creation. This means all our events are designed to be family-friendly and take advantage of the amazing property with which  River Valley Ranch is blessed.  Currently, the special events offered by River Valley Ranch are Summer Saturdays (June, July & August) , The River Valley Run 10k, 5k & Kids Fun run (August), and Maizefest Fall Festival (October).