Camp Blue Ridge - Clayton, Georgia

Kayja S.

Camp Blue Ridge is my kids home away from home every summer. We are so grateful for all the memories they have made. They come home with new skills and abilities and excited to go back the next year. My oldest has graduated the camp and is headed back to be a counselor because she can’t get enough. The staff is so good to them and so responsible. The administration is top notch and I will forever refer CBR!

marla S.

My oldest son enjoyed 5 wonderful summers at CBR. My youngest just came home from his 3rd summer at CBR, and like many others, we are a second generation CBR family: I spent many summers at CBR as a child, too. No where else can I send my kids and feel fully confident that they are having the best time and not worry for a moment for their safety and well-being. The Waldman family runs a very well-oiled machine on that beautiful piece of property in the Blue Ridge mountains. My kids make lasting friendships, build confidence, genuinely feel good about themselves, and come home better versions of themselves!

Brittany M.

Camp Blue Ridge has become my kids second home every summer. They attend for five weeks and love it! Each year they come back with incredible growth and memories that will last them forever. I love the huge variety of activities CBR offers too and the Teen Program is great! I love the memories I have as an alumni of CBR and now my kids get to experience it.

C W.

I am shocked I never left this review from my horrible 2023 experience.

⭐ 1 star should really be none.

I am extremely disappointed with my child’s experience at Camp Blue Ridge and feel compelled to share my story to warn other parents. I enrolled my child, age 7 at the time in the camp’s seven-week summer program in 2023, paying over $10,000 (including tuition, travel, and required expenses). Before enrolling, I fully disclosed that my child has ADHD prior to this and her need for antrebtion because I wanted to make sure that I enrolled her in a camp that would meet her needs as well as expose her to a wonderful camp environment, and she was truly truly excited to go and the camp administration assured me they could accommodate her needs. Unfortunately, they failed to uphold that promise.

Less than four weeks into camp, I received multiple calls (4-5) regarding her behavior, despite being told in advance that I wouldn’t be contacted for behavioral issues. Then, out of nowhere, I was abruptly informed that the camp could no longer “handle” her and that they felt in danger. They demanded that I immediately fly to pick her up from Miami! When I arrived, I found that my child had been mishandled by untrained staff, some as young as 16-20 years old, further traumatizing her instead of providing proper support. They could give no definitive reason to why they rejected my child. They said that she was throwing rocks occasionally, and sometimes would miss the Scheduled program for a day and get distracted in the woods looking at butterflies or whatever. Classic case of ADHD. And instead of nurturing that She told me that that she would get in trouble with the young counselor, and she thought she was continuously singled out. When I went to the camper, talk to him about a face-to-face, they could give me no reason as to why they could not handle this. She has been in other camps. She has been at schools and she has never had any issues Or expelled. She takes jiu-jitsu and at the time she was actually in dance classes so I could find no reason why they could not “handle her”. They are truly unprofessional and truly care about just making the money instead of caring for the kids. They need more educated and responsible adults or young adult adults managing the camp.

What makes this even worse is that my child was singled out and unfairly expelled, despite the camp knowing about her ADHD for having it!. Given the camp’s predominantly Caucasian demographic, I can’t help but believe that racial bias played a role in their decision. Their actions were not only discriminatory but also a complete failure of their duty of care.

To make matters worse, when I requested a fair refund for the unused portion of her camp stay and the extra expenses I incurred coming up to get her early with last minute flight costs, hotel rental and car, they only agreed to refund $2,045—leaving me at a huge financial loss. I paid over $12,000, and they kept most of it despite my child only attending half the program and having a terrible experience.

As a parent, I trusted Camp Blue Ridge with my child’s well-being And took all the necessary steps to make sure that any issue she had would be addressed prior to her arrival and they completely failed in their responsibilities. If your child has any special needs, or if you are a parent of color, I strongly urge you to reconsider sending them here. This camp does not provide the inclusive or supportive environment they claim to offer. Parents, beware before entrusting this camp with your child’s summer experience!

Alexa S.

I strongly do not recommend this camp! It is what I would describe as an no frills camp. It by no means is the nicest or even nice. It is just ok. They don't really keep up to date on maintenance of the facilities. They make them tolerable and functional, but you can tell just by looking at any of it that they don't pony up the funds to make anything great. It could be way nicer if they had the capital to make it better.

The staff all sort of come off like the rejects of well-known northeast camps. Everyone is a little strange. They are trained ok, but not phenomenally.

Now for the most important part to my experience. The owners. They inherited this camp from the generation before them and they are slowly making the transition for their daughter to take over. I have no idea what is was like in the olden days and if her parents were once good. The daughter is currently camp director. She's a mom of a little one and is very well spoken, caring and kind. She does a very good job of running the show. Unfortunately, her parents seem to not realize they have long overstayed their time in the summer camp industry and their involvement is what will run it into the ground. They need to start sitting the summers out. They are old. They are tired. They are short fused. They are jaded. They are living in a world where it's 1990 still and we all know times have changed. Certain things are considered wildly inappropriate and borderline criminal in 2025 when it comes to children that may have been looked at as normal 35 years ago. They talk to children with extreme disrespect. When called out on their behaviors, they talk to the parents with disrespect. They are antagonistic to the children. They are not quick to call the parents and while the entire point to being at summer camp is to be away at summer camp, they were caught doing a few things that were glaringly obvious to myself and other adults where the parents should have been contacted, but they try to hide things when they or their staff look bad. That is terrifying. They will go out of their way to stop the children from telling their parents if something upsetting is happening. A friend even had her child's letters to their parents intercepted by staff. That is a huge overstep.

I was extremely angry at myself for not doing enough research and sending my child. I should have read more reviews. I would go as far as to say I do not think they are safe there. I should have immediately picked up my child when I realized what a circus it was. We went to a new camp last summer and it was like being on another planet. The difference in professionalism, policies, procedures, staff, communication and facilities was like night and day.

The camp needs to find an investor, spruce the place up and mandate the owners don't take the trip to Georgia for the summer. Their daughter is their best chance at not ending up part of a child camp scandal.

Maria D.

It our second year at Camp Blue Ridge, and my 10 yr old loves every minute there. Camp is not done yet, and he's talking about next year. Counselors are nurturing, activities are well planned, exciting and keep campers enthusiastic, active and immensely engaged. Thanks again Camp Blue Ridge, we definitely will be back next year!

lori M.

Camp Blue Ridge is truly the best camp and such a special place. It is my home away from home and it is my daughter’s home away from home.. That is the best review any camp can get- to send your child to the same camp you went to! Every child feels so special and loved there and the communication with the parents is extremely unique. One example i will give (and there are a million) but this speaks to the uniqueness of the camp- every parent who had a new child at the camp received a personal phone call the second day to let them know how their child did their first night of camp. That is unheard of!!! Anyone who goes to camp here is the luckiest. It is owned and run by the best family ever!!!

Andrea P.

My 8 and 11 year old boys attended Camp Blue Ridge this year,. First time at a sleep away camp, and they cannot wait to go back. The boys had a blast! As a parent, I could not have been more comfortable with their process from registration, check-in and constant communications and pictures from the staff. There are so many best parts of Camp BR: Kids making memories, creating life long friends, stepping out of their comfort with new activities and foods and learning responsibilities/independence. Worse part about camp; having to leave. We are already registered for 2022, Thank you Camp BR for giving my children a great summer and experience.