Camp Mom program — a mom away from home for campers
Camp Ozark has a Camp Mom program. Each session, the Camp Mom team is typically made up of five women. Their primary role is to simply be a mom away from home for the campers. They help in all sorts of ways: from supporting a camper through a bit of homesickness to offering campers directions to their next morning activity. They schedule one Camp Mom to work in the office when campers are awake (approximately 7:30 am–10:00 pm). The remaining team circulates through all the areas of the camp looking for ways to help.
400+ acres in the Ouachita mountains, western-central Arkansas, bordered by Ouachita National Forest and Ouachita River; bisected by a spring-fed crystal-clear lake. Lake Ouachita (1,000+ acres shoreline, 200+ islands) is a short drive away.
Cabins
Rustic cabins arranged by age group and gender; typical arrangement is 9–12 campers with 2–3 counselors; screen doors, screen windows, ceiling fans; bunk beds; shelves and electrical outlets. Most use bath houses; some cabins have own facilities.
Ages
7–17
Enrollment
Coed
Accreditations stated by camp
American Camp Association
Activities
Waterfront
Fishing
Wakeboarding
Land Sports
Soccer
Tennis
Basketball
Archery
Volleyball
Lacrosse
Gymnastics
Arts & Creative
Dance
Woodworking
Outdoor Adventure
Hiking
Mountain biking
Clues to fit
Friendship as a core value — making new friends in the cabin
One of our core values at Camp Ozark is Friendship — learning how to be a friend, make a friend and keep a friend. Making new friends is a rich component of the cabin experience and many of our campers choose to not make cabin requests for this reason. We encourage campers to attend without concern for cabin requests.
Staff selection — only the best Christian role models, highly selective
Camp Ozark is highly selective during the interview process and we only select the best of the best, true role models. From over 2,200 applicants from over 100 college campuses around the country, 750 are chosen during our highly selective interview process. Each new applicant is required to submit at least 4 references. We run a criminal background check on each staff member every year. Our goal is for campers to be surrounded by the finest young Christian role models that colleges around the country have to offer.
Cabin arrangements — age groups, bunk beds, rustic setting
Cabins at Camp Ozark are arranged by age group and gender, and are strategically located throughout Camp Ozark. The Summit and Pines are areas set apart for our older campers and are serviced by a separate dining facility and Health Center. The typical cabin arrangement is 9–12 campers with 2–3 counselors. The cabins are rustic (screen doors, screen windows, ceiling fans), and campers sleep in bunk beds. Each sleeping area has a shelf and access to an electrical outlet (for fans or clocks). Most campers use bath houses, although some cabins do have their own facilities.
Over 150 activities — from high adventure to waterfront
Our daily program features over 150 different activities in a variety of areas, our famed Team Competition, our unbeatable, unbelievable Special Events, and our upbeat and inspirational Lifeline services, designed so kids will have an absolute, total blast. Campers aged 7–17 can ride horses, work on craft projects, ride the waterslides, jump on the Blob, practice their tennis skills, fish in the fishing pond, challenge our Ropes Course, shoot hoops with their friends — the options are practically unlimited!
Special Events every night — Western Night, Red White & Blue, Planet Ozark
Whether campers are boot scootin' at Western Night, enjoying the fireworks show at Red, White, & Blue, or jumping onto the Velcro wall at Planet Ozark, each night promises a fun-filled, out-of-sight experience!
Camper independence — first-timer anxiety and growing self-reliance
At Camp Ozark, we know campers flourish and grow in confidence when allowed to exert some independence. Of course this means different things for a 7-year-old and a 17-year-old, but we encourage all campers to explore what it means to make choices on their own. Our goal is to provide a safe environment where kids can make choices, grow in independence, and discover they are capable of much more than they previously thought.
Notable alumni testimonial — YETI co-founder on leadership and entrepreneurship
"Camp Ozark instilled the confidence in both Roy and myself to go out and start our own business. If you have a young camper that might want to be an entrepreneur, the leadership skills and values learned at Camp Ozark are invaluable." — Ryan Seiders, Co-Founder of YETI Coolers
Camp Moms and Program Dads — 40+ experienced parents throughout the summer
The Camp Mom and Program Dad team consists of over 40 moms and dads throughout the summer who have a total of over 200 summers of Camp Ozark experience. This team also includes an on-campus Care Consultant who is available to all campers for extra support, as needed. The Camp Moms and Program Dads roam the program throughout the day, monitoring the camper experience and providing a valuable presence within the camp program for campers.
Morning Activities are primarily designed for campers to learn or improve upon a skill from one day to the next. Each camper will receive a unique, individualized morning class schedule based on the camper's indicated preferences. All classes are first-come, first-served. Each camper will be able to change his or her class schedule upon arrival at camp. Age and gender restrictions for some activities may apply.
