River Valley Ranch (RVR) — Attraction in Manchester

My kids attended RVR this summer for the first time. It was not a good experience. My son was bullied by a group of boys all week. When he returned home and told us about the week, I called the camp to complain and ultimately was told "Sorry, yes the counselor saw your child being bullied all week and we talked to him about how to handle that in the future."

Additionally, they pressured my kids to become saved at camp, which is a personal decision that each child should make on their own (IMO). Both of my kids felt a lot of pressure to say yes, though neither did. They also came home telling me that their counselor spoke unfavorably about the LGBTQ community, sharing views that our family doesn't support. These topics should not be brought up by counselors at a summer camp. We don't teach our kids that other people's lives are wrong.

My kids were also scolded for trying to speak to each other because they are opposite gender. Despite staff knowing that they were siblings, they were told they were not allowed to speak to each other due to some kids having "inappropriate conversations" (unclear why this was a rule for all campers). This was especially problematic for my younger child as she was not having a good experience and wanted to be able to talk to her brother, who she feels comfortable speaking too. She also wanted to call home, and because she didn't have our phone number memorized was unable to do so. Camp counselors were unwilling to look up our phone number for her.

Finally, my daughter started her period at camp, for the first time ever. She did not ask for help as she is young and was confused, however, the counselors did not ever notice. I find it unacceptable that they paid so little attention to my child that they didn't notice she was bleeding through her clothes for days. Again, I spoke to the camp about this and the counselor confirmed she "never noticed", which is hard to believe based on the laundry my daughter brought home.

If one of these issues was not enough, the fact that we had all of these issues in one week leads me to believe that this camp has some serious issues to resolve with staff training. I will not be sending my kids back. Ultimately, the head of the camp said sorry, and while I appreciate that, these are my children and I would not expose them to these views or...

Absolutely first rate! Stephanie at the front office was incredible helping me to shoehorn four of my grandchildren into the same week. Maybe this wouldn’t have been a big deal early on in registration. But I consider it a near-miracle in the closing days when I found out they wanted to go! It took countless phone calls, texts and chats to accomplish. During all of this she showed a great deal of know-how and skill, not to mention generous doses of grace and patience on her part. She never made me feel like I was being a nuisance and was always helpful and gracious. Thanks again Stephanie!

There was absolutely no let down in our experience in the weeks leading up to camp either. While my daughters got their children packed and ready to go, RVR kept in touch with numerous emails that kept us informed all along the way. All the bases were covered and every detail and possibility, many of which I never would have thought of, we’re addressed.

And our actual experience at camp was even better! They have partnered with Bunk1 to provide a very easy to use web interface and an even better phone app for keeping in touch by way of daily pictures and “bunk note” emails.

When we picked them up the kids were excited about all they’d learned, the fun they’d had, and the friends they ‘d made. The fun continued with a carnival that day followed by a really cool rally, and a great meal in the dining hall.

I must admit the kids were a little crabby going home, not because they had a bad time, but because they didn’t want to leave!

This is already a long review and I could go on and on. It was so obvious to me that these folks really know what they’re doing. They’ve been doing it for a long time (we sent all three of our kids there about 30 years ago!) and it shows. This is not a business - it’s a ministry. It seems clear to me that everyone here loves and cares for the children who come because they know God’s love and care for them - and they want everyone to know it for themselves. If you come, you will.

Thanks again RVR, And above all,...

I just picked my son up yesterday from his very first summer camp & wow, I’m blown away. He had been begging to go to camp, so I did a ton of research before stumbling across RVR. After reading countless positive reviews & browsing their website, I decided to take a chance & sign him up. Which was a little nerve-wracking considering I had never been there & didn’t know anyone who had attended.

From the moment we pulled in, I was immediately impressed. Friendly faces greeted us, the check-in process was smooth, & the facilities were very clean & well-kept. My son was in the Fort Roller Cadet overnight camp for a week & was the first to check-in to his group, where he got to meet his counselors, Hoot & Fluffy. They were so kind & made him feel at ease.

Throughout the week, I loved getting daily calls from him full of excitement over all the activities, from pool parties & pirate carnivals to snow cones, zip-lines, & learning about God. I also enjoyed sending him daily notes through the app with photos of our pups & checking the activity photo updates to try to catch glimpses of him having the best ime.

This camp gave my son the best first camp experience I could have ever hoped for. He made memories to last a lifetime thanks to the amazing staff & especially his counselors, Hoot & Fluffy. In today’s world, it takes a lot to trust someone with your child, but the staff at RVR made that feel easy. They were patient, kind, & answered all of our questions with understanding.

My son already can’t wait to go back...