Woodlands Camp — Hotel in Cleveland

This camp is definitely one of, if not the best camp I've ever been to. Now with that fact out of the way, I will get into the more specific parts of my trips here.

For all 4 times I've been to this camp (as of posting this review) it has never ceased to bring happiness, beautiful sights, and just a nice getaway to my life. The 4 times I've been here are all from the same yearly event, Vertical Reality (VR), which is a church retreat organized by Athens Church. Each year at VR, we would have 4-6 hours of free time. During this time, we were allowed to basically do whatever (except for things like property damage and stuff). There were many, many things to do, and I will list them here.

First off, there is a very fun zipline spanning over a section of trees. Lots of fun, I have ridden it well over 10 times (Keep in mind that if you're tall like me, or at the very least have long legs, then your feet will hit the tops of the trees). Second is the lake, with several different areas, such as the 2 big slides, the trapeze swing, the diving board and the kayak dock. There is also a massive swing overlooking the huge fields that are sometimes used for paintball. The Dome is another fun area, and it's impossible to miss. It's a huge white airplane hangar looking building, and inside are 2 basketball courts. Finally, there is an archery battle royale, and a volleyball court.

Even after reading all of that, the best way to experience this amazing camp is to go there. Anyway, have a wonderful day and go out and...

Overall my 11yo had a good time during his 5 night camp and thought his counselor was amazing. Campus is beautiful! Campers are treated respectfully by staff and given plenty of independence which he liked. My son saw no evidence of bed bugs and loved all the lake activities and ziplines (though didn’t get to ride them all due to long lines and time running out before getting the chance). However, don’t let the Christian part of this camp fool you. Teasing exists here. My child is not sports-inclined and yet much of this camp seems to emphasize sports. During a basketball game, other players belittled him and said “you suck” throughout the game and to just stand there and not do anything. He said all but 4 of his cabin mates were mean the whole time. He was also told that because he was baptized as an infant that he was not ”saved”. Not the display of love and acceptance I would expect from a religious camp. Majority of the photos they post daily were from sports competitions featuring the same kids all the time so I only got to see one cabin pic of him to know he was alive and well. He says he wants to go back but only if he goes with at least 5 of his friends. So basically, if your kid is super athletic or goes with a large group of friends, they will thrive. Otherwise, maybe...

I loved this camp for the first couple times I went. I was young and it was wonderful. However as I got older and went to the high school camp, I found some problems. The whole brother cabins speed dating was weird but not terrible. What Im writing this review for is to warn any queer kids coming to this camp. This is not a queer friendly camp. I was surprised since north point a church in close relation to it, is very friendly and accepting. They see it as something you cannot change, which is true. But my councilors were both sure that the devil was taunting me and I could pray it away. I was so surprised. It hurts being told by people who are supposed to help lead you to the truth that me being myself is hurting God, and I needed to repent. That im living in a pool of sin. As someone who was raised Christian that is the worst thing that you could say to me. That im hurting God. This camp is lovely if you are straight. If you are not this may not be the camp for you. It is a heteronormative place and is not a safe space for questioning teens are people like me who have already found themselves. I did really enjoy this camp but had to endure a lot of therapy and anxiety from those interactions with my councilors. that is why I cant give it higher...