Longleaf Adventure Camp

09/01/2026

Some of my favorite spots on Longleaf property are little gems that I can already see becoming the setting for some of our campers' quieter, but most powerful, moments.

The back porch of the clubhouse, with picnic tables overlooking the pond: a place to eat lunch, swap stories, and hang out with friends.

The benches around the fire pit: a place to gather at the end of an adventure, tell stories, laugh, and roast a few marshmallows.

And the big gazebo, with picnic tables just waiting for games, challenges, conversations, and all the inevitable camper shenanigans.

They're just spaces right now.

But I can already picture them filled with kids making friends, sharing adventures, figuring things out together, and making memories that have nothing to do with whatever activity happens to be on the schedule that day.

The Longleaf team can't wait to get started!

08/27/2026

New to Longleaf? Curious about what we're building?

Longleaf Adventure Camp is not your typical track-out camp. We’re creating a hands-on outdoor adventure program where kids learn real skills, explore nature, solve problems, and have a whole lot of fun doing it.

Our campers don't just learn about the outdoors, they get out there and experience it!

🌲 Explore the outdoors through hikes, pond investigations, wildlife tracking, and hands-on discovery.

🧭 Learn real outdoor skills like navigation, shelter building, fire safety, outdoor cooking, and adventure readiness.

🔥 Put skills into action, because learning how to read a compass is a lot more fun when you actually have to use it to complete a mission.

🤝 Work as a team through creative challenges that require communication, problem-solving, and a little bit of good-natured chaos.

Perhaps most importantly, we're building a camp where kids are encouraged to get curious, try things, make mistakes, figure things out, and become more confident in their ability to handle the world around them.

It's adventure with a purpose, and we're just getting started!

Intrigued? Come out and experience a taste of camp life at Preview Day on September 27 from 2–4 PM. Meet the team, try a few camp activities, and explore our gorgeous property.

The adventure starts October 12, 2026! Fall and winter registration are now open. Learn more and register at longleafadventurecamp.com!

08/22/2026

What does a day at Longleaf actually look like?

It starts with a morning spent learning a new outdoor skill.

Then it's time to get outside and put that skill to work: exploring trails, solving problems, trying something new, and figuring things out along the way.

There might be a little friendly competition. A lot of teamwork. Some muddy shoes. Plenty of questions. And hopefully, at least a few moments where a camper thinks, "Wait... I actually did that."

At Longleaf, we're designing days that give kids the chance to be active, curious, capable, and a little more independent.

Because the goal isn't just to keep kids busy during track-out, it's to give them an adventure worth remembering🌲

08/16/2026

Some of the best inspiration for Longleaf started years before Longleaf had a name.

This week, my Girl Scout Troop kicked off another year by learning about wilderness first aid and putting together their own kits, which got me thinking about just how much experiences like these have shaped what I'm building at Longleaf.

I've had the privilege of watching the kids in my Girl Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack grow over the years, learning new skills, taking on leadership roles, figuring things out when things don't go according to plan, working as a team, and discovering that they're capable of more than they thought.

That's the magic of outdoor youth programs.

It's not just about learning how to pitch a tent or read a compass. It's about giving kids the opportunity to do something real, make decisions, solve problems, and experience the satisfaction of becoming more capable.

Over my years as a leader, I've seen that transformation happen again and again.

And honestly, it's a huge part of why I wanted to build Longleaf.

I wanted to take the parts of those experiences that I've seen kids thrive on, like adventure, real-world skills, teamwork, choice, and meaningful challenges, and create that opportunity for even more kids.

That's the camp I'm working toward, and starting a new year with some of my favorite kiddos this week was a pretty great reminder of why!

08/11/2026

🌲 Save the Date: Longleaf Adventure Camp Preview Day!🌲

Ever wondered what a day at Longleaf Adventure Camp will look like? Come out and see for yourself!

Join us for our first Longleaf Adventure Camp Preview Day:

📅 Sunday, September 27
⏰ 2:00–4:00 PM
📍 2930 Optimist Farm Rd., Apex, NC

Bring the whole family and come explore the place where the adventure happens! Kids will have the chance to try some of our favorite hands-on outdoor activities while parents can meet the Longleaf team, explore the camp property, and ask questions about our programs.

🔥 Roast a marshmallow
🛖 Take on an outdoor challenge
🐾 Explore nature
🌲 See what a day at Longleaf could look like

Whether you're already thinking about camp or you're just curious about what we're creating, we'd love to meet you and show you around.

Come out to explore, ask questions, and get excited for adventure!

Fall registration is open now! Learn more and register at longleafadventurecamp.com

08/07/2026

The best things campers bring home don't fit in a backpack.

Sure, they'll come home with muddy shoes, stories from the trail, and maybe a plaster animal track or a handmade project.

But we're hoping they leave with something even more valuable:

🌲 confidence from figuring something out on their own
🌲 pride in helping their team solve a challenge
🌲 curiosity to notice birds overhead or tracks along a trail
🌲 willingness to try something new, even if it feels a little hard at first

Outdoor skills and adventure are important, but if campers leave Longleaf believing they're capable of more than they thought when they arrived, we'll consider that our greatest success!

08/02/2026

🌲 Adventure Preview: Wildlife Detectives

At Longleaf Adventure Camp, every adventure is designed to help campers learn a new skill, put it into practice, and work together to solve real-world challenges.

🦌 Explorer Training: Before we hit the trail, campers will learn about the animals that call our farm home. We'll discover how to identify common wildlife, recognize the clues animals leave behind, and learn what tracks can tell us about their movements and behavior.

🥾 Adventure Academy: Then it's time to become wildlife detectives! Campers will hike the trails searching for tracks and other signs of the animals that have passed through before us.

🦶 Team Challenge: Once we've made our discoveries, each team will create plaster casts of their favorite animal tracks to take a closer look at the amazing details left behind in the mud.

By the end of the adventure, campers won't just know more about local wildlife—they'll see every trail with new eyes, knowing that every footprint tells a story.

That's what happens when curiosity leads the way!

07/29/2026

We have had an amazing time this week meeting so many future adventurers!

We’ve had so much fun attending school Meet the Teacher events, talking with families, answering questions, and sharing a few hands-on outdoor activities - like our animal tracks matching game!

If your school is hosting a family night or other community event and would like some nature-based activities for students to explore, we’d love to join you! Feel free to send us a message, we’re always happy to bring a little outdoor adventure along.

Thank you to all of the schools and families who have welcomed us so warmly. We wish everyone a fantastic start to the school year and can’t wait to welcome campers to Longleaf Adventure Camp!

07/24/2026

Come out and see us at Festa Italiana North Carolina on September 19 🇮🇹🌲

Our team will be there all day to answer your questions about camp, meet new families, and host the Longleaf Adventure Challenge, where kids can complete a series of fun, nature-inspired activities!

We can't wait to meet you and share what makes Longleaf Adventure Camp such a special place for kids to explore, learn, and grow.

Stop by our booth, take on the Adventure Challenge, and start your next adventure with us!

Welcome to new Festa Italiana North Carolina vendor Longleaf Adventure Camp, located right here in Apex! We're kind of wishing we were still kids so we could go too! But if you have kids, check this out!

Longleaf Adventure Camp is a brand-new outdoor adventure and nature-based track-out camp for upper elementary and middle school students opening in October 2026.

Built for kids who love exploring, climbing, discovering, and getting outside, our camp focuses on real outdoor experiences and hands-on learning through:
🥾 Hiking & trail adventures
🧭 Outdoor navigation & cooking skills
🌿 Nature exploration & wildlife discovery
🔥 Team challenges & confidence building
🏕️ Adventure-based learning in the outdoors

This camp is built for kids who have outgrown traditional track out camps, but still want something hands-on, purposeful, engaging, and fun to do with their time away from school. Longleaf Adventure Camp will engage these kids, challenge them, and get them outside building skills, solving problems, getting muddy, and having their most adventurous track out yet.

📍 Apex, NC
🍂 Registration Now Open for October 2026
🌲 Upper Elementary + Middle School Students

Founded by local educators, Longleaf Adventure Camp will engage and challenge your older students with hands-on, experiential adventures in nature. Follow along as we build something wild, meaningful, and unforgettable!
Adventure starts here 🌿

07/20/2026

One question we have gotten a lot since beginning this journey is why we chose to design Longleaf Adventure Camp specifically for upper elementary and middle school students.

The answer is simple: because this is an incredible age for adventure.

Older kids are ready for more than just participating in activities, they're ready to take ownership. They're ready to make decisions, solve problems, work through challenges as a team, and discover what they're capable of.

That's why our campers won't just watch someone demonstrate an outdoor skill.

They'll learn how to navigate with a compass, build a shelter, cook over a camp stove, identify wildlife, and tackle real-world challenges together.

As an educator and longtime Scout leader, I've always believed kids learn best when they're actively engaged in meaningful experiences. When they're trusted with responsibility, given the chance to make choices, and encouraged to work through challenges, something amazing happens.

They don't just learn outdoor skills, they build confidence.

And that's exactly the kind of adventure we're creating at Longleaf 🌲