Welcome to camp deer run

 

 

Camp Overview

Camp Deer Run was founded in 1995 for the purpose of providing programs directed at the social development and personal growth of young people of metropolitan New York City, the southern Hudson Valley region and beyond.  Deer Run is located in the foothills of the Catskill and Shawnagunk Mountains approximately 1¾ hours from New York City. The ecology of the camp is unusually varied, offering access to 110 beautiful acres of woodlands, meadows, marshes and streams that make the camp an ideal environmental laboratory.   

Our Service Philosophy

Our service philosophy is unique in that we do not offer “cookie-cutter” programs, but instead tailor our programming to suit the objectives and needs of each client organization, regardless whether the client is visiting Deer Run for as little as a day or for as long as a month or more. 

Camp Programs

options include traditional camp recreation and sports, plus adventure activities such as an extensive high and low ropes challenge course, an environmental education program, miles of hiking trails, adventure games and numerous other choices.  The team challenge course effectively addresses a range of personal development issues, including teamwork, self-esteem, trust, leadership, decision-making, conflict-resolution and more, while the environmental program teaches participants about the natural world, their place in it and their responsibility for its health. All camp programs are designed to develop relational and interpersonal skills, as well as motivation and self-control.   

The Extraordinary Benefits of Experiences in Nature

One of the most beneficial aspects of the Deer Run experience is the contact with nature that the camp affords all young people who come there.  The evidence is overwhelming that exposure to the natural world provides very important developmental benefits for children.  A large body of research now documents conclusively that experiences in nature benefit young people socially, psychologically, cognitively and spiritually.

Richard Louv, in his acclaimed book, “Last Child in the Woods” states,

“What’s more, environment-based education is shown to dramatically improve standardized test scores and grade point averages and to develop skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and decision-making.  Even creativity is stimulated by experiences in nature. As one scientist puts it, we can now assume that, just as children need good nutrition and adequate sleep, they may very well need contact with nature.”

Click here for research report and over 50 additional research study references