Camp Tekoa is a Christian summer camp for teenagers in the mountains of Western North Carolina, serving middle school and high school students ages 11 to 17, as well as elementary aged children. Located at 211 Thomas Road in Hendersonville, Tekoa has offered church camp for teens since 1949 through the mission of Touching Hearts, Changing Lives, and Sharing the Light of Christ. Teen campers spend a week away from screens, take on real physical challenges, and work through questions of faith alongside trained Christian staff and a small family group of peers their own age.
If you are looking for a teen camp in NC where your student will be genuinely known rather than processed through a schedule, this page covers the programs, the pricing, the funding options, and how to visit.
Why Teenagers Need Church Camp Specifically
Middle school and high school are the years when faith either becomes a student's own or quietly becomes something they inherited and never examined. A week at church camp interrupts that drift. Teens at Tekoa participate in morning devotions, evening cabin sharing time, campfire services, time with the pastor of the week, and quiet personal reflection, all built into a schedule that also includes adventures like whitewater rafting and a 40-foot climbing tower.
Tekoa staff are trained to look for what they call “God Moments” during the day and to help campers connect an afternoon on the high ropes course to their own spiritual walk. Faith is not a separate hour on the schedule: it runs throughout the week.
Teen Programs at Camp Tekoa
Tekoa's overnight program is progressive, meaning activities scale in challenge as campers age up year after year. Teens have two main tracks to choose from, Overnight and Adventure.
Middle School TKO Overnight Camp, ages 11 to 14
Middle School TKO combines on-site and off-site activities across a full week. Campers can climb the 40-foot tower or ride the lake zipline, then spend other days on group challenge courses, boating, swimming, the rope swing, arts and crafts, hiking, campfires, and talent shows. Off-site trips may include hiking trails and waterfalls in Pisgah National Forest.
One of the most popular middle school traditions is the group cookout and campout. Tekoa has five campsites on property where groups cook dinner over an open fire and sleep on a covered platform under large trees, playing games, telling stories, preparing skits, and sharing devotions.
High School TKO Overnight Camp, ages 14 to 17
High school campers get activities reserved only for their age group. Alongside classic camp activities like boating, swimming, climbing, hiking, swamp canoes, and outdoor cooking, high school TKO campers experience Tekoa's high ropes course, whitewater rafting, the Big Zip at the Meadow, and a community outreach project. Whitewater rafting requires additional parental authorization.
Older teens consistently describe the week differently than younger campers do. Whether or not they have been to Tekoa before, high school campers tend to arrive ready for something that will actually stretch them.
Adventure Camps for Teens
Beyond the standard overnight track, Tekoa runs adventure programs built around specific challenges. Middle school options include Breakout for rising sixth graders, Cascade, Journey, Overboard, Survivor, and Water Adventure. High school options include Blitz for rising ninth graders, Expedition, Expedition Extreme, Cascade, Ultimate Challenge, Survivor, and Water Adventure.
Adventure activities vary depending on the selected camp, but can include backpacking, paddle boarding and canoeing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding.
The Family Group Model
Teens at Tekoa are not managed in a crowd. Overnight campers are organized into family groups of roughly six to nine boys and six to nine girls, led by a male and a female counselor. Groups eat together, move through activities together, and are housed separately by gender in bunk style cabins.
That structure is the reason teen campers form the friendships they do. It is small enough that a quiet student cannot disappear, and consistent enough that a week is long enough to actually build something. Family groups are organized by camper age and by cabin mate requests.
Tekoa employs roughly 100 staff each summer to serve more than 2,000 campers. Staff complete a training course covering program facilitation, camper management, camp policies, worship and devotions, and specialized certification including CPR, AED, and First Aid. All staff pass a national background check, and a registered nurse is on duty 24 hours a day.
Rates and Registration
Recent published rates for teen programs have included Middle School TKO at $875, High School TKO at $900, middle school adventure camps at $1050, and high school adventure camps at $1100 ($2300 for 2 week Expedition Extreme). Learn more on the dates and rates page.
Registration is online only, and camp sessions fill in the order registrations are received. A $150 non-refundable deposit reserves a spot. Families who register before April 1 can set up a monthly payment plan, with all balances due by May 1. If a preferred week is full, families can join the waitlist through the registration system and will have 24 hours to claim a spot when one opens.
Certain teen adventure programs require additional waivers, including whitewater rafting waivers for High School TKO, Breakout, Explorer, and Water Adventure, and horseback riding waivers for Cascade, Journey, and Expedition Extreme.
Scholarships and Financial Assistance
Camp Tekoa's position is that no child should be excluded from the camp experience because of financial concerns. Families who cannot afford the full fee should first contact their church about support, since many congregations sponsor campers. If the family and the church together cannot cover the fee, full and partial scholarships are available from the Tekoa Scholarship Fund.
A Financial Assistance Request Form must be completed in full and signed both by a parent or guardian and by a minister or sponsoring agency representative. It should be submitted before or along with registration. The registrar can answer questions about the process.
Tekoa also maintains dedicated scholarship funds, including the James and Jerrilyn Johnson Scholarship Fund for children in foster care or who have been adopted, and the Brian Scholarship Endowment.
Leadership Opportunities for Older Teens
For students who age out of camper programs, Tekoa offers a path forward. The Leader In Training program is open to current high school juniors and includes one week of training followed by between one and seven weeks of service. LITs lead devotions, guide games, facilitate interest groups, run a Fun With LITs activity, and assist adventure resource staff on off-site trips.
After high school graduation, students can apply as Family Group Leaders with a minimum age of 17. Details are on the work at camp page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ages does Camp Tekoa's teen camp serve?
Middle School TKO serves ages 11 to 14 and High School TKO serves ages 14 to 17. Teen adventure programs are grouped by middle school and high school, with several tied to a specific rising grade.
Are cell phones allowed at teen camp?
No. Camp Tekoa does not allow cell phones, smart watches, tablets, or other devices with communication functionality. If a family emergency arises, parents can call the camp office and staff will connect with the camper.
Do teens have to be United Methodist to attend?
No. Camp Tekoa is a United Methodist camp with an openly Christian program, and campers come from many churches and backgrounds. Tekoa maintains a nondiscrimination policy.
How are cabin mate requests handled?
Tekoa honors one and only one cabin mate request per camper. Both campers must register for the same camp and week, and each must list the other. Group requests are not honored, and no changes are made at check-in.
Can we see the camp before registering?
Yes. Families are welcome to arrange a visit. Start with the tour camp page or call the office at (828) 692-6516.
Plan Your Teen's Summer
A week of church camp gives a teenager something the school year rarely does: a small community, a real challenge, and the space to think about what they actually believe. Camp Tekoa has been doing that work in the North Carolina mountains for more than 75 years.
Explore program details on our summer camps page, read more about our approach on the why choose Tekoa page, or contact our team to schedule a tour.
