For nearly 104 years, Alleghany campers have been swimming in the Greenbrier River.
We have black-and-white photographs of girls in bathing caps and wool swimming costumes, smiling on the riverbank. In those early years, campers even performed synchronized swimming routines in the river! The Greenbrier has always been part of our story. It is part of the joy and the growth that define an Alleghany summer.
But tradition alone is not enough.
Today, that joy is supported by layer upon layer of preparation, supervision, certification, and oversight. The Greenbrier is beloved, and it is managed with seriousness and care.
What Waterfront Activities Include
At Camp Alleghany, our waterfront programming includes swimming, canoeing, daily Free Swim, and river floats.
Swimming and canoeing are scheduled activities. Free Swim and floats are optional. No camper is required to enter the water. If a camper prefers not to swim, she simply does not sign up for those activities. If she would like to participate but feels hesitant or is still building confidence in the water, she may wear a Personal Flotation Device.
Participation is supported thoughtfully, and comfort levels are respected.
Who Oversees the Waterfront?
Waterfront safety at Alleghany operates within a clear leadership structure.
The waterfront is overseen by Stephanie Albert, Program Director and Lifeguard, along with the current Head of the Waterfront, and supported by both a Head of Swimming and a Head of Canoeing. These leaders supervise all waterfront activities and lifeguard staff, ensuring consistency and accountability across every program area.
More than half of our staff are lifeguard certified. Last summer alone, including Stephanie, we had over 50 Red Cross certified lifeguards on property, which was a record for us.
Every counselor teaching Swimming or Canoeing must be lifeguard certified in addition to having the instructional skill set for that activity. For special events such as Blue–Gray Swim Meets, Canoe Meets, or Free Swim, the counselors running those events must also be lifeguard certified.
In addition, every staff member, whether lifeguard certified or not, completes Waterfront 101 training during orientation so that waterfront expectations and procedures are understood camp-wide.
As Stephanie explains:
“I think parents don’t always realize the sheer volume of staff training hours dedicated just to waterfront safety before camp even starts. It’s a huge focus. Every counselor that is on the water is a Lifeguard, so in order for them to teach Canoeing or Swimming, they are required to have that training in addition to the skill set of the activity. We also abide by the ACA standards for our accreditation and keep to the minimum ratio of one guard to 10 campers while in the water.”
Waterfront safety at Alleghany is not concentrated in one person. It is a shared, structured responsibility.
ACA Accreditation and Mandatory Standards
Camp Alleghany is accredited by the American Camp Association. Many waterfront requirements fall under what the ACA designates as mandatory standards. If a camp fails even one of these standards, it fails the accreditation process.
Among those mandatory standards are the requirement that lifeguards be present at all waterfront activities, that Personal Flotation Devices be worn in all watercraft, that supervision ratios be maintained, and that lifeguards hold certification from ACA-recognized certifying bodies that include in-water training.
We maintain a minimum ratio of one lifeguard for every 10 campers while swimming and one lifeguard for every 12 campers while canoeing.
Accreditation is not a formality for us. It provides structure, accountability, and external review.
Certification Is Only the Beginning
At Alleghany, certification alone is not considered sufficient preparation.
Each summer begins with a full Skills Verification conducted in the Greenbrier River itself. This process is overseen by Stephanie Albert and our Lifeguard Instructors so that staff are evaluated in the environment where they will actually be working.
Stephanie explains:
“It ensures staff are comfortable with our specific river currents, depth changes, and canoe handling which is different from a pool environment. For some of our staff, it’s been awhile since they have practiced or refreshed their Lifeguard skill set, whether that is a life saving jump or a refresh on our emergency procedures when it comes to the Waterfront. We begin each summer with a Skills Verification, so that not only do I, as the Program Director, feel comfortable with my staff and their knowledge and skills but also so the counselor will be comfortable and confident in theirs.”
In addition to preseason verification, the ACA requires lifeguard in-service trainings throughout the summer so that skills are reassessed and refreshed. These repeated checks form another layer of oversight.
The Swim Check
Within the first few days of each session, every camper participates in a Swim Check. This is not a pass-or-fail test but an assessment of comfort and ability in the river environment.
Campers who are not yet comfortable or successful with the Swim Check are required to wear a Personal Flotation Device whenever they are in the water. Many choose to re-check later in the session as their confidence grows.
As Stephanie shares:
“Our mandatory swim check at the beginning of each session, the constant presence of our certified Lifeguard staff on the docks and in the water, and our clear buddy check system are foundational to our waterfront safety.”
The goal of the Swim Check is placement and safety, not performance.
The Buddy System and Active Lifeguarding
Anytime campers are in the water, they use our Buddy Board system. Every person in camp has a name on the board. When entering the water, a camper places a washer on the hook above her name, and when she exits, she removes it. No one enters the water without a buddy.
From Norah Cook, 2025 Head of the Waterfront:
“Activities make use of the river in many different ways and cover a large area, which means we need to match the needs of the activities with the way that we lifeguard. Not many lifeguards learn how to monitor the water from a rescue kayak that works in conjunction with the lifeguards on the docks, or how to perform rescues when dealing with a current. Those are things that get covered in our beginning of summer in-service training.”
Lifeguards actively guard from above the water, whether positioned on docks, in canoes, or in rescue kayaks. They do not lifeguard while standing in the water. Clear boundaries are established for swimming and canoeing areas, and lifeguards are strategically placed to ensure full visibility and response readiness.
Monitoring the River
A river is dynamic, and conditions can change during the course of a day. What is appropriate in the morning may not be appropriate in the afternoon, and we adjust accordingly.
Stephanie explains:
“The river has unpredictable currents, debris, and depth changes that a pool doesn’t have. I, as well as Garrett, Katie, and Elizabeth, all monitor the river every day. We use modern technology. An app called Rivercast is my best friend during the summer. Rivercast gives us the current depth of the river along several spots but also predicts when it will rise or recede.”
Experience matters as well.
“As a former Head of Waterfront and Head of Swimming, I have grown up on this river and know that it can change quickly. Sam Dawson taught me years ago, it’s not necessarily what is happening right in front of us but what is happening up river.”
If river levels rise or the current becomes unsafe, waterfront activities are paused. If thunder is heard or lightning is seen, campers are immediately removed from the water and waterfront remains closed until conditions are safe.
This vigilance forms yet another layer in a system built intentionally over decades.
We understand that entrusting your daughter to a river environment requires trust. That trust is never assumed. It is earned through preparation, vigilance, and decades of experience. Our goal is not simply to allow river activities to happen, but to manage them intentionally so that girls can grow in confidence while parents can rest in assurance.
Joy, Supported by Structure
For many campers, the river becomes one of their favorite parts of camp.
As Norah reflects:
“Parents should know that the river is one of the best parts about camp. Even the new campers that can be hesitant to swim in the river at the start of the term often leave camp considering the river to be one of their favorite parts. They learn to explore a new environment and gain skills that help them feel confident in the water, all of this taught and supervised by our lifeguards. On the river, as with everywhere else in camp, campers feel seen and cared for. This team of lifeguards make everyone feel so safe that the campers can just have fun.”
For nearly 104 years, Alleghany girls have entered the Greenbrier with laughter and courage. Today, they do so supported by systems that are deliberate, layered, and continuously reviewed.
Fun in the river, always supervised.
