Seasonal & Special Interest Camps

Chanco on the James

Chanco on the James is a non-profit organization that is managed by a volunteer board of directors under the guidance and leadership of the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. Chanco is a residential camp for boys and girls ages 8 to 18 years. It is a place for having fun, making friends, trying new things, and enjoying God's creation. The camp offers opportunities for summer camp, conferences, and retreats.

Chanco has earned the title "Best Summer Camp" in our region as named by Virginia Living Magazine for the last six years!

The Edge Christian Camp

The Edge Christian Camp is a public non-profit organization located on 283 acres along the James River in Surry County. The camp exists to provide children and adults with opportunities for Bible study, activity, and fellowship in natural surroundings free from the distractions of everyday life. Camp activities include archery, axe-throwing, canoeing/kayaking, corn hole, field games, hayrides, hiking trails, laser tag, and volleyball.

The Edge offers several lodging options, including a motel, bunk-style dormitory, lodge, rustic cabins, and an 1800s-era manor home. Contact the camp to schedule retreats and events for adults, or to enroll children and teens in summer camp. The Edge is prepared to meet the needs of all ages!

Camp Idlewild

Camp Idlewild is owned by Idlewild Christian Endeavors, Inc., a Virginia non-profit organization. It’s purpose is to provide Christian camping experiences for children and families, and it has been doing this for about 50 years. The camp offers summer camp options for youth.

The camp began because of the generous contribution of about 80 acres of farm and forest by the Menzel family of Surry County, Virginia in the early 1960′s. The corporation formed to receive the grant and develop the property has a membership composed of individuals and congregations of Churches of Christ in eastern and central Virginia.

Pipsico Scout Reservation

Pipsico, as a Scout camp, dates back to 1958, but its history goes back much further. On December 13, 1634, when King Charles I patented 2,000-plus acres of land on the South shores of the James River and 4 miles upstream from Jamestown to Colonel Henry Browne. The name Pipsico honors Chief Pepsicumah of the Quioughcohannock Indians. He was referred to by the settlers as Pipsico. Chief Pipsico assisted settlers by providing them with food and training them to raise and manage indigenous crops, such as corn. Tidewater Council purchased Pipsico Plantation, now Pipsico Scout Reservation, in 1958.

Pipsico Scout Reservation is located in Surry County, Virginia. It encompasses 916 acres of woodland, open fields and marshes. The terrain includes a natural ravine system and ranges in elevation from 20 to more than 100 feet above sea level. Pipsico Scout Reservation's northern boundary extends for a mile and half along the banks of the historic James River.

Cliffs 60 to 75 feet high overlook a picturesque mile-long sandy beach and several cypress tree coves. The cliff walls are studded with marine shells and fossils, providing tangible evidence of the James River's influence on life over the centuries. The beach has proven to be a beach comber's delight for discovering nautical treasures like shark teeth, prehistoric whale bones, driftwood and a peaceful observation site for beautiful shoreline sunrises and sunsets.

Pipsico is owned and operated by the Tidewater Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Skyanchor Spiritual Outdoor Center

Skyanchor is a non-profit organization serving the Virginia area in outdoors, spirituality, and service. Skyanchor recently added a dormitory room that will sleep 12, allowing them to host overnight/weekend/week-long retreats, and hopefully jumpstart their "Mission Abroad" program, where they host groups from other countries and show them the birthplace of the colonial government and a taste of the United States!

In 1970, Skyanchor was founded in Washington, DC to provide inner-city youths an opportunity to experience the outdoors. In 1984, the 45-acre Idlewild Farm in Surry County, Virginia was donated to Skyanchor to provide religious, educational, and humanitarian groups an outdoor education and camping experience. Today, Skyanchor has added a Disability Awareness Challenge course to help able-bodied people experience the challenge of performing various tasks while limiting the full range of their ability. Today, Skyanchor offers a robust spiritual outdoor experience to all who wish to enjoy the great outdoors.