What families ask us

Tentpole is for kids 8 to 13, in six summer weeks from June to July. Each week has its own theme, and campers can book one week or several.

Camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the trailhead. A day has a circle and water check, a morning trail, lunch in the shade, quiet time, an afternoon block of camp craft or navigation, and a closing circle.

Flagstaff sits at a little over 7,000 feet. The first days of a week are slower, with shorter routes, water and snacks at every stop and a counselor at the back. Tell us at registration if altitude has bothered your camper before.

Campers wear a hat, put on sunscreen at home and again after lunch, and take shade breaks. On a hot day the long walk moves to the morning. When a storm is near, groups come back to the trailhead, and we text families before camp if the plan changes.

Sturdy closed-toe shoes or boots, layers, a rain shell, a brimmed hat, sunscreen, a filled water bottle, a day pack and lunch.

An adult on your list signs your camper out at the trailhead between 2:45 and 3:00 p.m. We ask for ID until we know you, and we call you if someone new is coming.

It depends on the weeks you book and whether you have more than one camper. We are glad to go through it by phone.

Tell us about allergies and medicine at registration, and we ask what we need privately once you enroll. Please keep those details out of the forms on this site.

Tell us when you register, and we place friends in the same group where we can. Groups are set by age, so campers in different age bands are in different groups.

Phones stay home. Counselors carry a phone and a first-aid kit on the trail, and the camp phone is answered during camp hours.