Appomattox, VA
My favorite part about school groups is seeing how much fun the children can have while also learning so much about nature. Sometimes I get jealous of some of the children we teach because I know our programs make a lasting difference and do not exist everywhere. Mostly I am grateful for the opportunity Holiday Lake has given me to share some of my favorite parts of nature and 4-H with other children.
Explore on the camp’s website ↗After reminding people how important the 4-H Center is and what it means to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been here over the past 75 years, many generations were represented during the cutting of the ribbon, from a camper in the 1940s to a camper who will be coming to her first week of Junior Camp this year. The purpose still remains the same: we are here for the kids.
Teen & Adult Leader training covers: Homesickness / Bullying, Managing Youth Behavior, Camp Communication, Roles and Expectations for Volunteer Leaders, Camper Supervision and Care, Risk Management, Camp Policies / Procedures, Being a good Group Leader, Keeping Camp Inclusive, and Camp Health.
Nestled among tall, whispering poplars and Virginia pines of the 19,000-acre Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, and caressed by beautiful, clear, Holiday Lake, this 4-H Educational Center is the best kept secret in Virginia. Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center has served the youth and adults of Central and Southside Virginia since 1940. Lives have been enriched through programs, friendships, and closeness to nature.
Outdoor recreational facilities include canoeing and fishing on 150-acre Holiday Lake (Northern Pike, Bass, Blue Gill, Crappie, and Pickerel abound), a main fishing dock, three hiking trails — one five-mile trail that follows the shoreline of the lake and two nature trails — along with a Jr. Olympic swimming pool, two rifle ranges, an archery range, and a skeet field.
Camp classes include Archery (instructed by a Certified Archery Instructor), Canoeing, Kayaking, Beginning and Intermediate/Advanced Swimming, Campfire Cooking, High Challenge/Climbing Tower (7-station High Ropes Course with zip line at nearly 30 feet), Low Challenge Course, Hunter Education, Nature & Forestry, Outdoor Living Skills, Performing Arts, Riflery (instructed by a Certified Rifle Instructor), Leather Craft, and CIT (Counselor in Training) for campers ages 13–14.
The CIT (Counselor in Training) class is designed especially for 13 and 14 year old campers who wish to become teen leaders in the future. The focus of this class is teambuilding, leadership, and responsibility.
2027-06-28 – 2027-07-02
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Registration through local Extension Office. Cost varies by locality.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-07-12 – 2027-07-16
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Registration through local Extension Office. Cost varies by locality.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-07-19 – 2027-07-23
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Registration through local Extension Office. Cost varies by locality.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-07-05 – 2027-07-09
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Registration through local Extension Office. Cost varies by locality.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-06-07 – 2027-06-11
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Registration through local Extension Office. Cost varies by locality.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-06-14 – 2027-06-18
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Registration through local Extension Office. Cost varies by locality.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-06-18 – 2027-06-20
Overnight camp
Limited to 60 boys and 60 girls. For youth turning 5-8 before September 30, 2026. Price fields blank on website (cost: '$' shown without value). Trained teen & adult also '$' with no value shown.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2026-12-05 – 2026-12-06
Overnight camp
Listed on programs/cloverbud page as 'Winter In The Woods, December 5-6, 2026'. Distinct from the Winter In The Woods program on p37 (ages 7-13, $100). Operator should confirm if this is the same event or a separate Cloverbud-specific session.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-05-31 – 2027-06-04
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Registration through local Extension Office. Cost varies by locality.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-07-25 – 2027-07-29
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Listed on calendar for 2027; pricing and age range found on 2026 pages (Shooting Camp: $385 camper, ages 12-16; Nature Adventure: $330, ages 12-16) — operator should confirm 2027 details.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2026-12-05 – 2026-12-06
$100
Overnight camp
Teen & Adult Leader Volunteers: $25. Registration/refund deadline November 28, 2026. $35 registration fee nonrefundable; teen and adult volunteer registration nonrefundable. For campers ages 7-13 (7 by Sept. 30, 2026).
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗2027-06-21 – 2027-06-25
1 weeks
Overnight camp
Listed on calendar; no additional detail page found for 2027 dates.
Dates, rates & eligibility ↗Rustic but comfortable bunk style lodging. There is not any air conditioning in the cabins. Plenty of fans keep the air moving through our 1930s WPA cabins and lodges. Cabins 1–15 each sleep 10, with four over/under bunk beds and 2 twin beds in center.
Read more on the camp’s website ↗For an emergency call the center office at (434) 248-5444. After hours, you will be directed to someone who can help you.
Read more on the camp’s website ↗Holiday Lake 4-H Center has a kitchen team that strives to prepare great tasting, nutritious, balanced meals for our campers. Examples of meals may be: Breakfast — Eggs, Sausage, Fresh Fruit, Cereal; Lunch — Chicken Strips, Mac & Cheese, Vegetables; Supper — Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable. Lunch and supper will also provide a salad bar. Fresh fruit is available all day. Soy butter (peanut butter like) sandwiches are also available for campers with more refined palates.
Read more on the camp’s website ↗For daily communication with your camper we suggest a good ole letter writing campaign. Nothing feels better than hearing your name yelled out at mail call. Some parents choose to pre-write letters, label one for each day of the week, and sneak them in at registration. Care packages are welcome. However, please do not send food or candy. Food = mice = snakes!
Read more on the camp’s website ↗