Timberlake FAQs

Timberlake accepts boys ages 6-16.

We have no deadline. Both our camps are on “rolling admission”; we take new campers after the close of our first session and continue taking applications until camp is full. Please apply as early as possible in the year, but never hesitate to check on availability. The easiest way to check, and to get other questions answered, is to call us in the office at 828-669-8766.

We do not. We have found that our boys are most successful with two weeks as the minimum stay. For those families not ready for a full summer experience, we recommend checking out our Father Son Weekend!

A list of items is included in our camper packets released in April.

Our cabin size ranges from 6 – 16 and our overall staff to camper ratio is 1 to 3.5.

The digital camper packet provides instructions about how to access online forms. Select ten (10) activities, ranking them from 1 to 10 according to preference, then submit them online.

Our waiting list is first-come, first-served. To get on the waitlist, simply register online, and you will be notified when a spot becomes available. The deposit will only be charged if we have space available. We fill early each year.

Campers bring their laundry to our in-camp laundry service once a week at breakfast. They pick it up later in the day. It is very important that every item be permanently labeled with your camper’s name.

Phone calls are strongly discouraged. We will never prevent you from communicating with your child. We will, however, encourage you to speak with a director or your child’s counselor first, and all phone communication must be initiated by the parent. The best way to communicate is with encouraging letters and email.

You should bring a large, canvas duffle to camp. These are nice because they are both able to carry all camp necessities and are easily stored away when not in use. You do not have to ship the duffle ahead of time, unless your camper is flying, though many parents choose to ship in order to lighten the load in the car.

We work very hard to send campers home with all they brought. The most effective action you can take is labeling all of the belongings your son will bring to camp. Whatever a camper brings to camp is his own responsibility to keep track of; we are not liable for items that remain lost at camp. We regularly police our grounds and return items to campers while they are still in camp. When something is found after camp, we check with the parent to see that they would like the item back. If so, the item is returned to the camper and shipping is charged to the camper’s account.

Usually. Campers of the same grade can request to be in the cabin with each other. You must express this preference on your application. We honor as many of these requests as possible, but cannot guarantee you will be in a cabin with a particular person. If you have not listed this information on your application and want to request a cabin mate, email us the information. The earlier we receive a request, the more likely we are to be able to honor it.

No. The camp fee will cover all expenses in camp. When filling out the online form for the camp store, you may choose to give your camper a ‘spending allowance’ that they can use to buy clothing in the camp store during the session. If you would like to do this, we generally recommend $150 for a two week session.

We think everyone should go to camp, but not every camp is right for every boy. Timberlake can be socially intense so we are not the right fit for boys with behavior or emotional challenges. If a boy’s behavior is hurtful to the group then we will ask him to leave. There are no refunds if this happens so please give us a call if you are unsure if your son ready. We want him with us if it is a good fit, and we want to help you find the right camp if not.

Eating is especially important at camp since the boys are so active, so let’s talk if this is an area of concern. We work hard to to make special diets work, but we are not able to accommodate vegan diets or severe airborne peanut allergies. We should also talk about any special medical needs, like diabetes or severe allergies.