Overnight Camp
Entering 9th-12th Grade
Adventure, leadership, and lifelong friendships.
Choose your camp
Summit Outdoors
Camp favorites plus extra outdoor adventure: the Shady Chute, archery, the Aquapark, bouldering, trails other groups don’t hike, and an off-site overnight camping trip.
Watercraft Adventure
One of our most adventurous weeks: kayak challenges, canoe trips, tubing, and water activities, split between Ferncliff and the rivers of the region. Two trips: Current River, MO and Buffalo River, AR.
Night Owl: High School
Camp after dark: hiking under the moon, campfires, a late-night pool party, late-night worship, and a chance to sleep under the stars.
Leaders-in-Training (Future Counselor I)
Learn what it takes to be a great camp leader: leading games and activities, helping younger campers, and growing your faith and confidence. Earn 10 service hours.
Counselor-in-Training (Future Counselor II)
For 11th and 12th graders ready to take the next step. By day, work alongside a Day Camp counselor guiding a group of younger campers. In the evenings, join the classic overnight camp fun. Earn about 20 service hours. Requires Leaders-in-Training or equivalent training approved by Ferncliff staff.
Camper Weekend Stayover
Camper Weekend Stayover is a two-night add-on between back-to-back weeks. Campers must be signed up for the week before and the week after.
2027 9th-12th grade camp overnight dates
View our 2027 9th-12th grade overnight session schedule below. We recommend checking availability before starting your registration.
View full 2027 calendar →
| Dates | Program | Grades | Availability | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 6-11 | Summit Outdoors | 9th–12th | Filling up | Register, June 6-11 |
| June 13-18 | Watercraft Adventure: Current River, MO | 9th-12th | Filling up | Register, June 13-18 |
| June 18-20 | Camper Weekend Stayover (add-on) | 3rd–12th | Almost full | Register, June 18-20 |
| June 20-25 | Leaders-in-Training (Future Counselor I) | 3rd–12th | Filling up | Register, June 20-25 |
| June 27-July 2 | Summit Outdoors | 9th–12th | Filling up | Register, June 27-July 2 |
| July 11-16 | Counselor-in-Training (Future Counselor II) | 9th–12th | Filling up | Register, July 11-16 |
| July 16-18 | Camper Weekend Stayover (add-on) | 3rd–12th | Filling up | Register, July 16-18 |
| July 18-23 | Counselor-in-Training (Future Counselor II) | 9th–12th | Filling up | Register, July 18-23 |
| July 18-23 | Watercraft Adventure: Buffalo River, AR | 9th–12th | Filling up | Register, July 18-23 |
| July 25-30 | Night Owl: High School | 9th–12th | Filling up | Register, July 25-30 |
Availability updated weekly
Why three prices?
Recognizing that families have different abilities to pay, Ferncliff has a voluntary fee program. You choose the price that is most suitable for your family.
No matter what price you choose, the amenities, activities, and camp experience are exactly the same.
Need more support? Scholarships are available.
See All Camp Pricing & Financial Aid
Tier 1
True
The true cost of camp
Tier 2
Partial
Partially subsidized
Tier 3
Fully
Subsidized price
Every camper is welcome here
Whatever their background, beliefs or ability. Our staff are trained to make that true in practice, not just on paper.
Background-screened counselors
Extensively trained staff
First aid & CPR certified
Certified lifeguards
Trained in camper well-being
Nurse on site 24/7
New and updated facilities
Meet our counselors ›
First-time camper resources ›
Welcome & Inclusion ›
An experience crafted just for your teen
Adventure beyond the usual week
From off-site camping with Summit Outdoors to river trips with Watercraft Adventure and after-dark camp with Night Owl, campers choose the kind of challenge that fits them.
Cabin or yurt life with a group their age
Campers live in a cabin or a yurt with a small family group of campers close to their age.
A path to leadership
Leaders-in-Training and Counselor-in-Training give high school campers a step-by-step path toward becoming a Ferncliff counselor, with service hours along the way.
Trusted staff support
Every session is led by background-screened, extensively trained counselors who are First Aid and CPR certified, with a registered nurse on call at all times.
Meet our Counselors
Faith, Creation, and fun
Daily Bible exploration, worship, swimming, hiking, and time outdoors help campers connect with Creation, others, and themselves.
Focused on their needs
Our dining hall at Ferncliff Commons serves hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus daily snacks. We accommodate most dietary restrictions and focus on balanced, kid-friendly meals.
Real voices
What Families & Groups Are Saying
Thousands of families, campers, and retreat leaders have found something meaningful at Ferncliff. Here are a few of their stories.
Ella H.
Camper & Counselor · 12 years
“Camp is always worth a shot. There’s so many opportunities for brand new experiences. Otherwise, I never would have been comfortable getting in a creek and helping kids catch crawdads. I never would have tried archery. I do all sorts of things that I never would have been comfortable with before and these skills do genuinely translate into life. Like, for example, I have a scholarship for archery now.”
Read Ella’s Full Story →
“Our daughter looks forward to Ferncliff all year. It’s her home away from home! What I love most about it is I know it’s a place where they love our child as if she’s their own.”
Camper Parent
Summer 2025
parent
“I had a lot of fun and would love to be a counselor.”
Camper
Summer 2025
Camper
“It was the best week of summer.”
Camper
Summer 2025
Camper
What to pack
Remember: at camp, you’ll be playing outside in the summer heat. No need to bring your Sunday best!
Card title
- Several pairs of shorts
- Several T-shirts
- Underwear and socks for a week
- One pair of long pants or jeans
- One long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt
- Pajamas
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Swimsuit
- Water shoes
- Two pairs of sturdy, close-toed shoes
- Sandals or flip-flops for cabin time or at the pool
Please leave at home
- Electronic items such as cell phones, iPads, video game players, etc.
- Food, snacks, or candy
- Expensive or sentimental items
- Clothes that can’t get dirty
- Pets and animals
- Money and wallets
- Weapons such as knives, guns, fireworks, pepper spray, etc.
Miscellaneous
- Sleeping bag, or sheets and a blanket
- Pillow and pillowcase
- Bible (we have extras if you don’t have one!)
- Laundry bag for dirty clothes
- Flashlight and batteries
- Refillable water bottle
- Hat and sunglasses
- Camera
- Paper, pens or pencils, stamps, and envelopes to write letters
- A book, coloring book and crayons, friendship bracelet string, or other quiet activities for rest time
Toiletries
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Shampoo, conditioner, soap
- Personal care items (deodorant, lotion, contact solution, etc.)
- Sunscreen
- Bug repellant
- Bath towel and washcloth
- A beach towel to use at the pool
- Any medications you take, in a separate bag to give to the nurse at check-in
Questions about camp?
Contact Ruth Arnold, Program Director, at summercamp@ferncliff.org or (501) 821-3063.
FAQ
Sessions begin on Sundays and end on Fridays. Check-in is from 4:00 to 5:00pm on Sunday. The Closing Program is at 4:00pm on Friday (about 20 minutes, in the Christian Activity Building), followed by check-out until 5:00pm. Drop-off and pick-up times are strictly enforced because staff are opening and closing camp sessions. Camper Weekend Stayover has no check-in or check-out, because campers stay between two sessions.
Campers entering 9th-12th grade may stay in either a cabin or a yurt, with campers of the same gender expression and approximate age. Lodging is assigned by Ferncliff, not chosen by the camper or family. Our Belden Pond cabins have air conditioning, bunk beds, showers, and stall toilets. Our yurts have air conditioning and bunk beds, with a shared bathhouse with showers and stall toilets next door.
We follow American Camp Association ratios: 1:8 for overnight campers ages 9-14 and 1:10 for ages 15-18. There are one to two staff members with each cabin or yurt group. Campers in a group are about the same age, usually within a couple of grades.
Yes. A registered nurse is on call at all times, and all staff are trained and certified in First Aid and CPR. Medications are held and given out by the camp nurse, so pack them separately and hand them to the nurse at check-in.
We have certified lifeguards on duty any time campers are in the water, and each group’s counselors swim with campers the whole time. At the start of the week, lifeguards complete a skills check with each camper and recommend swim areas.
Of course! Campers come from many faith backgrounds, including none. We only ask that all campers take part in the daily Bible studies and worship times that are part of camp.
They are our path toward becoming a Ferncliff counselor. Leaders-in-Training (Future Counselor I) is open to 9th-12th graders and teaches what it takes to lead games and activities and help younger campers. Counselor-in-Training (Future Counselor II) is open to 11th and 12th graders who have completed Leaders-in-Training or equivalent training approved by Ferncliff staff, and it includes working alongside a Day Camp counselor. Both earn service hours.
Campers love getting mail. You can buy credits in the Ferncliff Camp app to send one-way Bunk Notes, which are printed each morning and delivered after lunch. You can also send regular mail to 1720 Ferncliff Road, Little Rock, AR 72223, and it is delivered after lunch too. Campers do not make phone calls or carry cell phones. If you are concerned about your camper, contact the Camp Office. Small care packages are welcome, but please do not send food, snacks, or candy. We provide snacks several times a day, keep all food out of cabins, and work to be as nut-free as possible. Any food that arrives is held by the director until pick-up on Friday. See Camper Parent Resources for the full details.
Yes. During registration you can enter one friend’s name as a buddy request, and the friend can enter your camper’s name. We do not place larger groups together, so no camper is left out of a group of close friends.
Ready for a week at Ferncliff?
Choose your session and register through our portal. We can’t wait to meet your camper.
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