Image Via: Ridge Haven Facebook
Ridge Haven, the PCA’s denominational camp and retreat center, hosts more than 13,000 people annually at its campuses in Brevard, North Carolina, and Cono, Iowa. The summer months are the busiest, with more than 6,000 campers visiting the camps between May and August, and registration is now open for summer 2026.
For about 2,200 Ridge Haven campers, summer camp includes staying in cabins with Ridge Haven-provided camp counselors. But Ridge Haven also accommodates groups that want to use Ridge Haven’s facilities to implement their own programming, or families that camp together for the week.
“Our goal is, any kind of camp or retreat you could imagine, we will try to accommodate it,” said Cameron Anderson, Ridge Haven’s executive director.
But no matter how campers experience Ridge Haven, the goal is the same: a closer relationship with Jesus.
Though Ridge Haven is the PCA’s denominational camp, the staff expects that some campers will not know the Lord, usually because they were invited to Ridge Haven by a friend. Whether the campers are the children of PCA members or hearing the gospel for the first time, Anderson hopes they leave Ridge Haven with a deeper relationship with Jesus.
“We want kids to leave Ridge Haven knowing Jesus better than when they came,” Anderson said. “We hope everything we do helps kids draw a step closer to Jesus.”
The camp also prioritizes relationships, particularly helping campers strengthen their relationships with local churches. Ridge Haven tries to partner with youth groups and churches in a camper’s hometown to ensure the camper has the opportunity to continue growing in faith after leaving camp.
“A counselor will only have them for five days, but when we can encourage them to develop relationships with a church back home, that will have a long-term impact on them,” Anderson said.
Ridge Haven hopes to have a number of capital projects completed before the 2026 camping season begins. At its Brevard campus, plans are underway to complete nine additional cabins, a new overlook chapel atop Keyes Summit, and a second lake. The pool completed in 2025 at the Cono campus will continue providing fun for the eight weeks of overnight camp.
But all the programming and facilities upgrades are designed to serve Ridge Haven’s mission: helping students grow in their relationships with Christ.
“It’s cool to see how the Lord can work at the different programs we present, but at the end of the day, we just want kids to know Jesus better,” he said.
Families that register before February 14 will receive the deepest discount on a week at camp. For more information, visit the Ridge Haven website.