Begun in the summer of 2003, Mini Camp is aimed at rising 2nd-5th grade girls who’ve never been to Camp Alleghany before; indeed, they may never have been to a sleep away camp.
The purpose of Mini Camp is to give these girls a taste of what sleep away camp is all about. This will help each girl (and her family) decide if Camp Alleghany is the place for her, all while having fun! Mini Camp lasts for one week. Our traditional Term Camp counselors teach classes while tent responsibilities are taken care of by some of our Alleghany Alums.
Mini Camp is not an alternative to our traditional three-week Term Camp. This one week mini version offers an introduction to the traditions, routines, and unique experiences that Camp Alleghany affords girls in its three-week Term Camp. Because of that focus, Mini Campers may attend only once and then transition into Term Camp. Typically, each summer there are a number of Mini Campers who actually head home for a few weeks and then return to camp for 2nd Term.
2021 Dates and Rates
The 2021 Mini Camp will be the 18th Mini Camp Summer! It will be held June 20-June 26 2021. All of our 2021 dates and rates are available here.
Our 2021 registration opens to the general public for Mini Camp and Term Camp at an Early Bird Rate on October 1, 2020. It’s important to register early as many campers who were registered for 2020 rolled over to 2021, so we are already almost full!
Mini Camp Colors
Camps have long used color traditions for various age groups, friendly rival color teams, and special groups within a camp, such as a Counselor or activity color. The same goes for our Mini Camp whose color is tie dye. The mix of colors in tie dye represents the many colors that they will be a part of over their future summers as ‘Ghany girls. The explosive pattern of tie dye is symbolic of the burst of excitement that accompanies the abbreviated ‘Ghany experience enjoyed by each of these one-week, first-time campers during Mini-Camp.
Mini Camp Opening and Closing Days
On Opening Day, parents should plan to drop their campers off at Alleghany between 2 and 4pm. Families will not be able to enter camp any earlier than 2pm.
On Closing Day, parents should plan to pick up their campers between 9 and 11am.
Note: there are NO charter buses available for travel to and from Mini Camp.
What to wear (or not)
We ask that you begin planning for camp with our complete, downloadable packing list for your Mini Camper’s clothing and supplies (also available on our Packing for Mini Camp page). Below are some clothing rules and must-do’s that we especially want to emphasize:
Shoes
All campers and counselors must wear closed toed shoes. Flip flops may be worn to the shower, but all other footwear must be closed toed (e.g. Tevas are not acceptable, but Crocs and Keens with toe covers are). River shoes are recommended for swimming and canoeing.
Uniforms
Navy blue shorts and a plain white t-shirt (known around camp as B’s & W’s — blues and whites) comprise our traditional camp dinner uniform. Each girl must wear this to dinner only. Throughout the day girls wear whatever clothing the weather dictates. They then change into B’s & W’s for dinner. In Term Camp, on Sundays, campers and counselors must wear white shorts and a white shirt from 10am to 5pm. The Sunday uniform does not apply to Mini Camp. Camp Alleghany shorts in navy and white are available at the camp store, as well as white Alleghany tee-shirts.
Chilly Mountain Weather
The mornings and evenings at Camp Alleghany can be chilly. A hoodie adds a comforting layer from the cool, damp temperatures. Jeans and sweatpants are appropriate for evening activities. Rain gear is a must! It rarely rains, but when it does it pours, and can add to chilly temperatures! Ponchos, and knee-high rain boots are strongly recommended.
Top 5 Benefits of Mini Camp
More Information
If you’re curious to learn more about the benefits of our Mini Camp, please, download Assistant Director Elizabeth Shreckhise’s FREE e-book, 3 Reasons to Begin Your Child’s Sleepaway Summer Camp Journey Early.
