It’s not at every summer camp that kids get to meet and interact with folks from countries all around the world, but at Camp Folkmoot in Waynesville, kids will get to do just that.

Youth groups in sixth through 12th grade from Haywood and Haywood-adjacent counties are invited to experience a Lake Junaluska Summer Youth Event at a special program-only price for local commuters.

Now in its second year, Critter Camp at the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society is a win for kids and critters alike.

Kids with a penchant for learning and exploration will have the chance to see where their curiosity takes them during ASTROcamp this summer at Smokey Mountain Elementary School. 

Neither Jamie and nor Ruffin Shackleford ever attended summer camp as children, but they believe they were built to lead it. 

Jamie first heeded that calling at the tender age of 10, when she invited all the neighborhood 3- and 4-year-olds to attend her three-day-a-week backyard summer camp. All it cost them was a quarter to help pay for snacks. 

It’s never too early for parents to begin planning for the summer and deciding which summer camp they want their children to attend. Western North Carolina offers a vast variety of summer camps with a focus on outdoor activities, personal growth, fine arts, sports and more.

Every summer for the past seven years, the warmer months have brought opportunity for adventure and learning to the small group of students participating in Camp WILD.

From early June through early August, the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center offers residents and visitors of all ages an opportunity to find community and make memories with free or nominally priced activities such as outdoor movie nights, crafts, workshops, game days, yoga, bonfires, moonlight boat rides and more. 

Three years ago, Meg Hanshaw was in full-on planning mode for a camp that she hoped to see grow into something big, but that would — for that summer at least — roll forward hosted in her home with just two campers attending.

In addition to the year-round fun art spaces and activities for youth, The Bascom, A Center for the Visual Arts in Highlands offers a number of summer camp opportunities.