Cabin Life and Traditions at Skyland Girls Camp
A century-old mountain camp in Clyde, NC where lasting friendships, daily rituals, and heritage traditions create a summer experience like no other.
Historic Cabins, Heartfelt Rituals, and Timeless Bonds
What Makes Cabin Life at Skyland Unforgettable?
Cabin life is at the heart of the Girls Camp experience. The cabin is where campers unwind at the end of a day, cultivate lifelong friendships, and connect with inspiring camp counselor mentors. Campers will be housed in either a cabin or in Skyland’s Lodge, depending on their age. No matter where campers call home for the summer, they’ll be sleeping on screened-in sleeping porches (for a treehouse feel!), where they can hear the morning birds, listen to the light rain, or watch the fireflies as they drift off to sleep in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Life in our cabins is tech-free, encouraging authentic connection, simple joys, and real rest. Here, every girl finds her place in a caring community, building resilience, independence, and magical memories that last long after summer ends.
The Lodge
Rising 1st-5th Graders live in The Lodge, which was built in 1897 as a hotel and features the original hotel rooms and a 2nd-story screened-in wrap-around sleeping porch. Campers are divided into smaller groups by grade level, and each group has a room to call their own. Each room is lined with shelves, and each camper receives a set of shelves that she can use to unpack her clothes and store her camp gear. Campers gather for group activities in their room with their counselors – before they climb out the window onto the screened-in porch for a good night’s sleep after an active day. (Doors are also available, but it’s MUCH more fun to climb through an old Victorian window that’s been permanently opened for the summer fun!)
The Cabins
Rising 6th-10th graders live in Skyland’s historic cabins that were originally built in the 1920s and have been added onto over the decades. Campers are housed by grade level, with 10 campers and 2 to 3 counselors per cabin. Girls sleep in bunk beds on the screened-in sleeping porches, and keep their items on their selected set of shelves in the interior rooms. Each cabin has a bathroom and sink, and most have private showers, with additional showers available at shower houses around camp.
Joy-filled traditions that build community
Why Campers Love Skyland's Traditions
More than ten decades of Skyland campers have been engaging in the same activities, singing the same songs, and honoring the same values. These time-honored traditions are a vital part of the camp experience and allow campers to deeply connect to their peers, their counselors, generations of campers who came before them, and most importantly to themselves. From daily Mail Call to spirited team competitions to singing songs on Sunday night, campers are creating memories and bonds that will last a lifetime. Our tech-free camp is a deliberate gift: it protects girls from digital pressures, helps them unplug, and fosters a space of belonging. With American Camp Association accreditation and a long-standing commitment to individualized care, Skyland is a place where traditions do more than entertain. They create a wonderfully fun environment that gives families peace of mind and gives girls space to grow.
Camp Teams: Tallyhos & Trossachs
Skyland’s two camp teams—the Tallyhos and the Trossachs—have provided campers with lessons in sportsmanship and friendly competition for generations. Each camper is assigned to a team and competes in court games, swim meet, art show, and horse show to win points for their team. While the girls love the competition, best friends from opposing teams are always arm-in-arm after the games are over.
Camp Songs & Song Night
Song Night brings campers together for a high-energy evening of music, movement, and tradition, with songs passed down for generations. It’s a joyful, can’t-miss experience filled with laughter and camp spirit.
Daily Mail Call
Each afternoon, campers gather with excitement to receive letters from home during the beloved daily Mail Call. It’s a meaningful moment of connection that campers look forward to every day.
Closing Banquet & Bonfire
On the last night of camp, campers and staff celebrate successes, reflect on the summer, and share laughter and tears as the session comes to an end. Campers also reflect on perhaps the most beautiful things that come from a summer at Skyland: their newfound confidence and their many friendships.
A Day in the Life of a Skyland Camper
What to Expect: Routines and Daily Life at Camp
Skyland campers wake to the sounds of reveille at 8a.m. and wander down to the Flag Pole for morning announcements before a yummy breakfast, served family-style with fresh fruit and a yogurt bar always available. After breakfast, counselors lead cabin cleanup, teaching girls important life skills in communal living and sharing tasks to clean their living space. Campers spend time each day in a mix of core activities and camp electives that allow them to craft their own unique schedules. Campers choose from electives like archery, crafts, culinary arts, horseback riding, tennis, and more! There is something at Skyland for every camper. In the afternoon, campers enjoy Rest Hour in their cabins, giving them time to read, write letters, make friendship bracelets, or relax with friends. Every evening, you will find the whole camp in The Clubhouse, playing a rousing all-camp game, like Disco Bingo, Newspaper Fashion Show, or Counselor Hide and Seek. Each day ends with Evening Embers, a time for campers to wind down and reflect on the day with their cabinmates. At 10p.m., Taps is played and campers drift off to sleep with the fireflies glowing outside their windows.
A Summer of Growth, Connection, and Joy on the Hill
The Lasting Impact of Skyland's Cabin Life and Traditions
The traditions of cabin life at Skyland Camp do more than fill days with fun. They lay the foundation for lifelong confidence, leadership, and connection. Every girl who climbs through a Victorian window or joins in a Tallyho or Trossach cheer steps into a living history, sharing rituals with campers who came before and those yet to come. The tech-free environment and intentional routines help girls decompress, build real friendships, and find joy in simple moments. Parents notice the difference: girls return home with new resilience, a sense of belonging, and stories of cherished rituals. The small camp size ensures every camper is known and cared for, while the commitment to fun and belonging reassures families year after year. Cabin life at Skyland is not just about where girls sleep, but how they learn, connect, and grow. This legacy continues on Skyland Hill, season after season.
Questions About Cabin Life and Traditions?
Frequently Asked Questions About the Skyland Experience
What does a typical day look like at Girls Camp?
On most days, Skyland follows a structured schedule that includes morning and afternoon activities, free time, and an evening activity. Here is a sample schedule from a typical day at camp:
8:00 a.m. - Reveille/ wake up
8:25 a.m. - Flag raising
8:30 a.m. - Breakfast
10:00 a.m. - Three morning activities
12:25 p.m. - Free time
1:00 p.m. - Mail Call
1:15 p.m. - Dinner
2:00 p.m. - Rest Hour
3:00 p.m. - Three afternoon activities
5:40 p.m. - Free time
6:15 p.m. - Supper
7:30 p.m. - Clubhouse
9:30 p.m. - Lights out (Lodge campers)
10:00 p.m. - Lights out (all camp)
Free time allows campers to take advantage of unstructured time so they can explore, play, and be independent. To end each day, the entire camp gathers for the evening Clubhouse, with activities ranging from scavenger hunts to carnivals to dance parties.
Where will my camper sleep and shower?
Rising 1st-5th Graders live on the second floor of The Lodge, the original Victorian hotel that was repurposed into Skyland’s main building. Campers keep their belongings in one of the original hotel rooms and sleep on the large screened wrap-around porch. Rising 6th-10th Graders live in nearby cabins, which also have screened-in sleeping porches, as well as living rooms with shelves for clothes and a bathroom.
Each of the cabins and The Lodge contain modern restroom facilities. Campers have access to hot, indoor showers either in their cabin’s personal shower or in the centrally located shower houses. We pride ourselves on keeping our spacious living and bathroom facilities clean and comfortable.
What activities are available to campers?
All campers participate in 3 core activities (Games, Musical Theater, and Swimming) and choose 3 elective activities each week. Electives include: archery, arts and crafts, culinary arts, horseback riding, dance, tennis, pickleball, and more! Each year, we encourage our counselors to add electives based on their own interests and passions, so there's something new and exciting for campers every year!
How does Skyland select and train counselors?
With decades of experience, we know it is always the people who make a summer camp experience special. As a result, we take extra care in our recruiting and selection process, hiring only those who display high levels of creativity, integrity, and passion for teaching, mentoring, and supporting youth development.
Staff members are carefully screened through at least two interviews, reference checks, and criminal background checks. Training begins several weeks before camp with customized videos and readings on essential topics from experts in the field.
Staff Development Week begins the week before campers arrive and covers everything from creating a supportive cabin environment, to emergency procedures, to handling homesickness, to lesson planning and delivering dynamic and progressive activity options.
A minimum of two staff members are assigned to any group of campers, whether in cabins or at activities.With a camper-to-staff ratio of 3:1, each camper receives individual attention and is helped to immediately feel at home among new friends.
Does Skyland have a religious affiliation?
Skyland is an independent camp and has no religious affiliation. Campers of all faiths and beliefs are welcome to join and to help strengthen our community.
In its early years, Skyland (like many camps in that era) adopted some Christian traditions. While most are no longer in practice, some of those rich traditions are still present today. You’ll see those traditions in the pre-meal blessings/songs of thanks, as well as in our Sunday night Vespers service, and in selected songs performed by Skyland choir.
Real Stories from Campers and Families