YMCA Camp Greenville sits on 1400 acres. We are lucky to have forests full of hiking trails, two waterfalls, a fishing lake, a swimming/canoeing lake, and an incredible mountain view. We are spoiled with our geography and take advantage of our surroundings to run great programs and activities.

Our first summer was in 1912 and we are honored to uphold an incredible legacy. To find out more about our camp history click HERE. There have been many impactful changes over the years but one thing has stayed constant and that is the "Magic on the Mountain". We hope we have the chance to show your camper exactly what that means this summer!

Our goal at Camp Greenville is to provide intentional experiences that create connection, confidence, and character

Camp Greenville offers a wide variety of programs including swimming in Lake Sudie, canoeing and kayaking and stand up paddleboarding, lots of arts and crafts, rock climbing, target sports, a great high ropes course, a zip line, sports and games, fort building, teambuilding, and hiking/outdoor skills. Some activities are restricted to certain grades for safety and progression reasons.

We have 3 main programs at camp: Base Camp, Specialty Camp, and Adventure Camp.

In Base Camp, campers rotate through activities as a cabin every Tues-Fri morning. These activities are predetermined for their Division and cabin as well as activities the cabin votes on. In the afternoon, campers have the opportunity to pick what they want to do based on their own interest. These are known as clubs. Its totally up to them, but there is always a ton of variety.

In Adventure Camp, campers participate in our all camp traditions Sunday, Monday and Friday evenings along with Base Camp. Tuesday morning they leave for whatever trip they chose at registration. They are either away from main camp but on camp property (Division 2) or off of camp property (Division 3 and 4) until Friday afternoon. Their activities during the week are dependent on their chosen trip but full of fun adventures.

ACA Accreditation

YMCA Camp Greenville is proud to be an American Camp Association (ACA) accredited camp. The ACA nationally recognizes camps that meet the highest standards, focusing on health, safety and program quality. The accreditation process has over 300 safety and quality standards to which we must adhere.

Every summer camp has words for different things that are just special to their camp. Some of ours are herbie the heron, morning shine, packout, Pretty Place, and vespers to name a few. Learn more about our camp culture and traditions

We love summer nights, lightning bugs, and evening program at camp. Our evenings at camp are so much fun. Here is a rundown of how our week looks each evening;

Sunday: Cookout and Opening campfire

Monday: Chapel

Tuesday: D3 packout, D1/D2 evening program

Wednesday: D2 packout, D1/D3 evening program

Thursday: D1 packout, D2/D3 evening program

Friday: Camper Show and Closing Campfire

Sunday, Monday, and Friday evenings are all camp activities. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday take place usually just with your Division. Tues- Thurs evening programs for Base camp may consist of Banana Olympics, Messy Games etc. Adventure campers are out on their trip!

Once activities are done we come together to regroup and prepare to wind down for the evening. We sing slow songs and then return to our cabins for vespers, getting ready for bed, and lights out.

If you want to sign up for 2 individual one week sessions you can sign up for stayover weekend in between sessions so you don't have to go home and come back. Stayover weekend is $200 per camper and includes laundry service and a souvenir laundry bag.

Stayover weekend is only available to campers in Division 2, 3, and 4 who are attending consecutive weeks of camp. Campers in Division 1 may attend if they have an older sibling also attending stayover weekend.

This can include multiple weeks of adventure, multiple weeks of base camp, or a combination of adventure and base camp! Programs that are already two weeks long (Monk’s Trip, Outback) do not need to additionally add stayover as it is already implicit in the program.

In 2027, stayover weekend is offered every weekend of the summer.

Due to the nature of our programming, we recommend starting only staying over two back-to-back weeks of camp, taking a break, and then returning at a different point in the summer if participation on additional sessions is desired. Certain elements of programming may change week-to-week, while other functional components may stay the same each week.

The cabins are fun places where you, your cabin mates, and counselors will live. We have three different villages of cabins: the Ridgetops, the Lakesides, and the Adventure Cabins. Base camp uses the Ridgetop and Lakeside cabins, which have electricity, heat, hot water, toilets, and private, individual showers. The Adventure Camp uses our Adventure cabins that have running water, toilets, showers, and electricity. Some cabins have air-conditioning – it is typically not needed due to the cooler weather up on the mountain, but accommodations are made based on weather.

Each meal has great food like you get at home. Breakfasts always have good cereals, juice and fruit, plus eggs, pancakes, or French toast. Lunch is great stuff like grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, soft tacos, etc., plus a complete salad bar and fresh fruit bar. For dinner, we offer things like chicken, spaghetti, turkey, taco night etc., along with vegetables and a salad bar. After dinner you get dessert! In addition, you can get a snack in the middle of the afternoon at the camp store Tues-Fri.

Dietary needs: we accommodate vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, nut free, and no red meat/pork. Any other needs must be discussed with the Camp Director by calling 864-836-3291 ext 0512.

Each camper may request up to 2 (any additional names requested will be disregarded) friends to be bunked (in the same cabin) with. We make every effort to honor cabinmate requests, but they are not guaranteed.

Cabinmates can only be placed together if they are registered for the same program and session, are of the same gender and division, AND only if they have ALL mutually requested one another. We recommend connecting with the parents of the camper(s) you would like your camper to bunk with to coordinate requests.

Cabins are otherwise assigned by session, program, division, and gender, and larger programs may be spread across multiple cabins.

Cabinmate requests may be added or updated via the registration platform up until 2 weeks prior to a camper’s session.

We make every effort to honor cabinmate requests that follow these guidelines, while also actively encouraging new friendships through promoting fresh connections & community living.

NOTE: Any instances of large cabinmate request "chains", "trains", or "circles" requests will not be honored. Only campers who ALL mutually request one another will be honored. If you have not been placed with your expected bunkmates, check in with the parents of your requested bunkmates to ensure they mutually requested your camper.

Campers are assigned to cabins the week before their session.

Campers are assigned to cabins, based on the following criteria, in this order: 1) Session - The week your camper is attending camp. 2) Program - Base Camp, Adventure Camp, Leadership Program, 3) Gender - Girls Cabin, Boys Cabin, 4) Grade Division, 5) Cabinmate Requests

A desired outcome for campers at Camp Greenville is to make new friends. We also want all campers to feel comfortable in their cabin groups, whether or not they’re attending camp with a friend. For this reason, our cabinmate request procedure has been updated for 2024.

Each camper may list a maximum of three names of other campers (in the same session, program, gender, and grade division) that they’d like to be assigned into the same cabin with.

For a cabinmate request to be granted, both campers must list each other as cabinmates forming a mutual request.

Requests for cabinmate “chains”, “trains”, or “circles”, where each camper lists a different camper as their request attempting to form larger groups, will not be granted.

Criteria which will NOT be taken into consideration when assigning cabins (but rather will be randomly assigned) includes:

Home address, Years of experience at camp, Specific requests for cabin building, Specific requests for cabin leaders, “Same as last year”.

Camp is an active place where you are outside having fun, playing, being active, and doing amazing things. You can bring things like books, board games, cards, cameras, flashlights, and other fun stuff, plus any sports equipment you like. If you bring a mountain bike for the adventure program, it can be used only on the adventure trips and not in camp. Since you’ll be so busy, you won’t have time for I-pods, game boys, cell phones, etc. Cell phones don’t get signal at camp anyway, so they are useless. Don’t bring things like water balloons, fireworks, skateboards, knives or any type of weapon. Of course, any type of tobacco (including e-cigs, vapes, or juuls), alcohol or illegal drug is NOT allowed.

A detailed list is available in the link below

Packing List 2026

Every Friday night we have a themed dinner in the Dining Hall to celebrate at the end of session. We encourage campers and staff to dress-up for this special occasion. Don’t feel you have to buy anything. You probably already have stuff at home that you can be creative with!

Click here to see past year’s themes!

Leaving home is a universal developmental milestone; consequently, homesickness is a near-universal experience, too. A study cited by the American Camp Association reported that nearly 96% of all boys and girls spending two weeks or more at overnight camps reported feeling “some homesickness” on at least one day at camp.

At Camp Greenville, we look at homesickness an opportunity for growth, through providing a safe and controlled environment to continue building upon child’s experience of healthy independence. All our seasonal staff members are trained on how to assist campers going through homesickness, and how to help them move through this process. But you can help, too!

Pre-Camp Prep:

And important part of preparing your camper for the possibility of homesickness is to talk with them before camp about these feelings and how they can best move through them, whether that’s writing a letter, talking with their counselor, or another coping mechanism that helps them to reset. We also encourage our camper parents to share prepatory information with our Cabin Leaders through our registration forms so that we can best prepare to serve your camper. Time away from home (“practice runs”) at trusted friend’s or family member’s house can also help to build up those experience and prepare your camper for a week away.

Please do not promise your camper they can simply be picked up from camp is they are homesick. This “bargain” just sets your camper up to not have their mind of camp, but rather the promise of returning home — and we want them to be full present here during their time with us.

While at Camp:

Homesickness can sometimes slip through back to you when campers write letters home. Your first action step should you receive a letter like this is to remember that your camper has long moved past this particular moment. These strong emotions hit them at a particularly difficult moment, and they used the medium of letter writing to help themselves through it.

You can respond by writing your camper a Letter through our Campminder app letting them know you are so proud of them for their growth at camp and that you know they can continue to move through this week. You can also give us a call, or send us a message to inquire more into the situation. We are most likely already aware of the situation, but our mutual parent-camp partnership can help us to further understand and assist with the situation, and provide you with more information.

Our Goal is for your Camper to Experience Camp to the Fullest.

We know receiving a sad letter in the mail or seeing your camper looking down in a picture can be hard, as can the idea of your camper being away from home, familiar surroundings, and you, their parent — but please remember always: you sent your child to camp for a reason, and we want them to have the fullest experience they can. Help us to create an amazing camp week by alongside us to prepare and guide your camper through this period of growth.

Your biggest concern is for your child's safety and we understand this. The health and safety of our campers is our top priority here at YMCA Camp Greenville. Regardless of how beneficial a program could be, it is worthless unless an effective camp health and safety program is in place and implemented by knowledgeable staff.

Health Center

A state-of-the-art and well equipped Prisma Health Center, is well staffed with an RN or Paramedic along with Health Center Coordinator 24/7 when camp is in session. In addition our summer staff are First Aid/CPR trained and certified. The safety of a great camp depends on the experience and professionalism of the director and their staff. We will give you a call if anything happens at camp that we would want to know about as parents. This includes spending more than one night in the infirmary or any needed visits to the nurse or doctor that require special medical attention.

Health Forms

On your Camp Greenville account page you will find a forms links. This link will include a few different forms that need to be completed, signed by you NOT A PHYSICIAN, prior to your camper attending. We will also ask you to let us know of any changes at check in so that we can make them to your account. Please fill these forms out prior to arriving to camp, campers who do not have the forms filled out will sadly have to be turned away.

Medications

Campers may NOT keep any medications in their cabins. All camper prescription and non-prescription medications will be dispensed by the camp nurse or by the Trip Specialists while on adventure. Medications must be given to the medical staff during check in. At check in, you will stop at the Health Hut to drop medication off with our two nurses for the week. Medications (prescription and over the counter, including vitamins etc) MUST be prepared according to THESE INSTRUCTIONS, or they cannot be accepted at camp.

Before you register

Please call us in advance to discuss any medical conditions or special concerns that need to be managed at camp. Our first priority is being sure we can care for your child while at camp.

At check in, you will stop at the Health Hut to drop medication off with our two nurses for the week. Medications (prescription and over the counter, including vitamins etc) MUST be prepared according to THESE INSTRUCTIONS, or they cannot be accepted at camp.

Campers are not permitted to keep any medications in their cabins. All camper prescription and non-prescription medications will be dispensed by the camp nurse or by the Trip Specialists while on adventure.

All camper behavior management is implemented with care and respect by our staff. There are some times when a campers behavior distracts from the overall experience of the cabin group by requiring excessive one-on-one attention from staff. As a commitment to the success and enjoyment of camp by each camper, we want you to know our usual steps for redirecting challenging behavior.

Step 1: Cabin leaders will talk about specific undesirable behavior with the camper and together make a verbal corrective plan for success. The cabin leader will let his / her Division Leader know about the verbal agreement.

Step 2: If the behavior continues, the Division Leader will have a conversation with the camper and create a plan for change and document it on the Behavior Contract. After a conversation with the camper, the Division Leader will notify the Summer Camp Director and the SCD will email the behavior contract to explain what has happened, let the parent / guardian know the approaches that we have tried, and ask for advice with the situation. Our partnering with parents in this way has been very successful! However…

Step 3: If the behavior continues, the Summer Camp Director will contact the parent again with the camper in the room and the camper will be required to leave within 1 hour plus travel time from the parents home.

And unfortunately, there are situations when campers are removed from camp activities and parents are required to pick up their child from camp without a refund. This, of course, is not our preference, but for the well-being and safety of the whole group, or as a logical consequence for continued inappropriate behavior, dismissal from camp may be required.

There are also some behaviors that may result in immediate dismissal from the camp program. These include, but are not limited to: physical violence, possessing any prohibited substance, theft, emotional abuse of another camper and bullying.

Initial deposit:
A deposit of $200/camper/session is due at the time of registration to hold your child's place for selected camp(s). This is nonrefundable.

Balance due:
If you do not pay in full at the time of registration you are automaticllay enrolled in monthly payments starting the 10th of the month after you register with the final payment occurring on April 10, 2026.

Any balances left unpaid after this date (due to insufficient funds, accounting error, etc) may result in the camper losing his/her place in a chosen session, as spots will be filled by our waitlist after this time.

All families with overdue balances will receive communication from our office between April 11-22, 2026 before registration will be cancelled due to non-payment.

Returned payments:
There will be a $25.00 fee for all checks returned or credit cards declined to Camp Greenville. An official bank check, money order or credit card payment will be required within 72 hours to continue to secure the selected session(s).

Session transfer:
While we try to be accommodating of circumstances, we ask parents to understand the adjustments to cabin assignments, food preparation, and staffing that is necessary when transfers are made. For this reason, please request session transfers a minimum of 7 days prior to arrival date.

Refund policy:
(Updated Sept 2025)

If you realize you must cancel (at any time), you are required to notify the camp office in writing via email, including any relevant information that might be used to determine refund eligibility.

Before January 9, 2026, our summer camp cancellation and refund policy is very flexible. If your circumstances change, just let us know, and we'll provide you with a refund, (less your non-refundable $200 registration fee per camper per session.

If you are registered for multiple weeks and you cancel one, the deposit of the second week is not refundable and does not go towards your overall balance.

Between January 9 and March 9,2026, a cancellation for any reason will result in a 50% refund of program fees paid to date (beyond the original $200 non-refundable registration fee).

Between March 10 and May 10, 2026, refund requests for major life circumstances beyond your control (such as family relocation, serious injury/illness, emergency hardships, etc) may be submitted with documentation for refund consideration.

After May 10, 2026, no refunds can be provided for any reason.

If, at any time, a refund is requested in such a way that does not represent our core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility, no refund will be provided. Refunds are provided at the discretion of the Executive Director.

Dismissals:
Camp Greenville reserves the right to dismiss a camper from their session in-progress.

Behavioral - Camp Greenville reserves the right to dismiss a camper due to behavioral issues.

Health – Camp Greenville reserves the right to dismiss a camper due to health concerns, including but not limited to: the camper introducing a communicable condition to camp (such as suspected viral/bacterial infection, rash, or lice), or unforeseen health conditions which hinder the camper’s experience or require medical attention beyond the reasonable scope of camp’s Health Hut.

Injury – Camp Greenville reserves the right to dismiss a camper who has sustained an injury that requires medical attention beyond the reasonable scope of camp’s Health Hut. Camp Staff will contact the parent to arrange either parent pick-up at camp, or camper transportation to a health care facility, depending on the severity of the injury.

Decision to Leave – Although Camp Greenville staff will make every effort to ensure a camper has a positive experience, if a camper decides that their camp experience must end, camp staff will contact parents to arrange for pickup.

Session adjustments:

Camp Greenville reserves the right to adjust programming or cancel sessions based on the number of registrations. In this event, transfers will be made to alternate sessions without additional processing fees.

Payments made towards camp during and for a particular season cannot be applied towards a future year/season.

Just one summer at camp can positively influence a child’s life forever and every child deserves that opportunity. Our confidential Financial Assistance Program allows numerous children, who would otherwise not be able to attend, to experience all that YMCA Camp Greenville has to offer.

Applications for assistance are available mid January but an email will go out notifying when it opens. After you pay you $200 deposit via your Camp Greenville account, log into your account and click the 'forms' tab. The form must be submitted online via the parent portal.

Parents can add funds to their camper’s camp store account (by logging in to your Parent Portal) before (prior to check-in) and during their time at camp. Campers will not be allowed to use cash or cards while at camp, so please do not send these with them. Store items range from $1-3 for snack item, and up to $65 for clothing items. Camp Store funds are non-refundable and non-transferable.

If your camper is in Base Camp, they will have the opportunity to visit the camp store snack window throughout the week for snacks, ice cream, candy, and slushies. Base Camp campers will also get to visit the main store (to purchase clothing items, souvenirs, and other branded merchandise) at least once during their week at camp.

Adventure Trip camper, will have the opportunity to visit the camp store on both Monday and Friday. Cash (please no credit cards) may be sent with adventure campers for use on their trip, but this is not required, and any cash sent is the sole responsibility of the camper.

Parents may also visit the store and utilize cards or cash on check-in and check-out days or additional items.

Drop off for both one and multi week sessions is the Sunday that starts their session. Gates open at 2:30 p.m. and the program begins at 4:00 p.m. You'll receive instructions for this process a few days before your arrival. The closer you come to gate opening time, the longer the wait. A lot of people arrive early creating long lines.

Pick up is the last Saturday of your child’s last session (if attending multiple weeks). Gates open at 9am, and checkout ends at 9:45am. If your camper is attending multiple weeks and you are not picking them up in between make sure you are registered for the stayover weekend session in between.

We do not allow early or late check in or check out.

We’ve specifically designed the start and end of the week to support smooth transitions into camp and from camp back into home life. If your camper cannot arrive/depart during the scheduled times, our first choice is to transfer your camper to another session when they can fully participate in the program. Please reach out to our office to reschedule.

If an emergency makes it absolutely unavoidable for your camper to arrive or leave outside of the scheduled times, you must contact our office in advance for approval. Please note: early/late arrivals and departures are extremely disruptive to the camp schedule and camper experience. Exceptions are considered only in true emergencies. Travel, sports, or other scheduling conflicts/commitments do not qualify. Please make sure you are keeping in mind all activities that could interfere as you fill in your summer around your session of camp.

Emergency exceptions will result in a $150 fee and the loss of returning camper status for the following summer.

At camp, communication between parents & campers is one-way — by dropping off mail & packages at check-in, sending mail, or sending a Letter (email) through the Campanion app. Do not send your child with a cellphone to camp; if found with a cellphone or other communication device, the device will be confiscated until pick-up. Note that while we have a standard phone line for business calls & emergencies, your child will not be able to call you, and you will not be able to call your camper directly.

Should an emergency situation arise, camper-parent communication is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Drop-Off Mail:

The best way to ensure your camper gets mail is to drop letters or packages off on check-in/drop-off day. Care packages are welcomed, but we highly discourage food (if sending food items, please be sensitive to common allergies; note that we are a peanut & nut-free camp).

During check-in, we will collect mail for delivery each day of the week (Monday-Friday; NO SUNDAY OR SATURDAY DELIVERY). Please label each piece of mail with your child’s name, session, day you would like it delivered, & cabin name (you will receive this information in the week before check-in).

Snail Mail:

Traditonal snail mail is an option, but be aware that it can take 4 – 6 days for mail to arrive at camp, or reach home from camp. If sending traditional postal mail, please label each item accordingly:

Child’s Name
Session # and Cabin Name
YMCA Camp Greenville
4399 YMCA Camp Road
Cleveland, SC 29635

Emails:
One-way emails (from you to your camper) can be sent by via the Campanion app. These are called Letters and can be sent at any time. Letters are printed each morning at 10 AM, and are delivered during lunchtime. No emails sent after 10:00 AM on Friday may be delivered.

NOTE: Adventure campers will ONLY receive snail mail & emails on Mondays and Fridays as they are away on their trip the remainder of the week. Any check-in mail will be carried with Trip Leader and distributed accordingly.

For parents who would like to book a nearby hotel room before or after check-in / check-out, please view our hotel booking portal by clicking here.