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Who can attend camp?
Hidden Valley 4-H Camp is open to all boys and girls ages 8 through 15 (16 and 17 year olds may attend as CITs) without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. Campers need not be 4-H members to attend. Return to Top How much does it cost? The base fee for one week of residential camp is $285. One week of day camp is $150. The fee for the CIT program is $600 total. There is an additional fee for a weekend stayover ($100), and for cabin photo ($10). Schuyler County residents receive a $15 per week discount, and campers whose registration is received by April 15, 2011 receive a $15 per week discount. There is also a discount for multiple siblings from the same family -- $15 per week for each sibling. A maximum of $30 per camper in total discounts may be taken. Discounts do not apply to Day Camp or to CIT. Return to Top Is there help paying for camp? From time to time, Hidden Valley 4-H Camp may be able to offer camperships. An application form is available here. (Please contact the office for updates.) Also, each participating county's Cornell Cooperative Extension office (see list here) has information on camperships that may be available for that county's residents. Social Services agencies, churches, and civic groups are another resource to check for potential funding help. If payment is not included with your registration, you must include confirmation in writing from the sponsoring agency, indicating the exact amount to be provided. Return to Top How do I register a camper? Click here to go to the registration page. Return to Top When is the registration deadline? All paperwork and payments must be completed no later than the Wednesday before each camp week starts. If there are openings left after that date, additional registrations MAY be accepted. Each week is limited to the first 100 campers to register. Camp registrations received by April 15, 2011 receive a $15 discount per week. Return to Top How do I get to camp? We recommend using maps.google.com and getting directions from your specific location (Use Hidden Valley 4-H Camp, Watkins Glen, NY as your destination). Alternatively, you can enter your address below to be redirected to www.mapquest.com to get directions. From Rochester, Buffalo, and points Northwest: Take the NYS Thruway (I90) east to Geneva, Exit 42. Take Route 14 South into Watkins Glen. In Watkins Glen, take a right onto Route 329 (at the 5th traffic light in town). Follow Route 329 2.7 miles and take a right onto Whites Hollow Rd. Hidden Valley Camp signs are at the bottom of the hill; bear left into camp. From Erie, PA., Jamestown, and points West: I-86/Route 17 East to Corning Exit 46 to 414 North toward Watkins Glen. About 20 minutes from Corning, turn left at signal light onto County Rte. 16. After one-half mile, turn right on to Meads Hill Road. At the stop sign, go straight. Hidden Valley Camp signs are at the bottom of the hill, bear left into camp. From NYC, Binghamton, and points Southeast: Take I-86/Route 17 West to Elmira. Exit 52N onto Route 14 North to Watkins Glen. When reaching Watkins Glen, turn left at the second traffic light onto Route 329 (just before the State Park entrance, which is the third light). Follow Route 329 approximately 2.7 miles and take a right onto Whites Hollow Road. Hidden Valley Camp signs are at the bottom of the hill, bear left into camp. From Albany, Syracuse, and points Northeast: Take the NYS Thruway (I90) west to Geneva, Exit 42. Take Route 14 South into Watkins Glen. In Watkins Glen, take a right onto Route 329 (at the 5th traffic light in town). Follow Route 329 2.7 miles and take a right onto Whites Hollow Rd. Hidden Valley Camp signs are at the bottom of the hill; bear left into camp. Return to Top When is check-in and check-out? Each weekly camp session runs from Sunday afternoon through Friday evening. Registration and check-in is from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Check out is between 3:30-5:30 p.m. Friday. Weekend stayovers begin on Friday evening between 5-6:30 p.m. and run through Sunday afternoon, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Day campers are at camp from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Return to Top Who works at camp? Staff is hired based on experience and qualifications, and screened through personal interviews, reference checks and background checks. All staff members participate in an intensive pre-camp training to prepare them for the camping season. Counselors come from the U.S. and overseas, bringing diversity and cultural richness to the Hidden Valley experience. Return to Top Will my child be safe at camp? Health and Safety are job #1. Hidden Valley 4-H Camp exceeds all regulatory and safety standards and is inspected and certified by the New York State Department of Health and accredited by the American Camp Association. Certified lifeguards are on duty at the pool and accompany campers to all water activities. New York State Park Police patrol regularly, and there is a certified nurse or EMT on site at all times; several other staff members are first aid and CPR certified. Return to Top Where do campers sleep? All campers live in cabins with counselor supervision, and are assigned by appropriate age groups and gender. Return to Top What do campers eat? Our professional kitchen staff takes pride in preparing traditional camp food that is delicious and nutritious, using fresh, locally-grown produce when available. Return to Top What if I have to cancel, or my camper is sent home? The Hidden Valley 4-H Camp staff strives to maintain a safe and productive atmosphere at all times. The Camp Director reserves the right to send any camper home for disciplinary reasons at their sole discretion. Campers who fight, use profanity, and behave inappropriately are disruptive to the entire camp and will not be permitted to stay. Campers sent home for disciplinary reason will not receive a refund of any monies paid. If you must cancel your camper's registration before camp starts, we will refund all but $100. After a camper is signed in to camp on Sunday, there will be no refund for any reason. Return to Top What about the camp store? The Camp Store is open during free swim each afternoon, during registration on Sunday, and during Friday pickup for campers (and others) who want souvenirs from Hidden Valley 4-H Camp. Each camper has a $5 credit at the store included in their registration fee; additional funds may be added. The camp store will have healthy snacks, sweatshirts, t-shirts, toys, bottled water, water bottles, stamps, toiletries, and other items. Return to Top What if my camper has other obligation during camp week? It is our goal to make your child's stay at 4-H Camp the highlight of the summer. We strive to create a community in which all campers are actively involved 100% of the time, which is difficult when campers leave for other engagements. Please try to make arrangements within your schedule so your child can remain at camp for the entire week. Return to Top What should my camper bring to camp? While there is no list of requirements for campers to bring to camp, the following is a list of suggestions — pack your camper with whatever they will need for a week away from home! Please be prepared with extra footwear, and pay attention to Weather reports before coming to camp! Each camper must have a reusable water bottle!
CELL PHONES ARE NOT PERMITTED AT CAMP! PLEASE, do not send hand-held video games, iPods, cell phones, or other electronic devices with your camper. Such devices tend to distract from the total camp experience, and can tend to be lost or broken while at camp. The Camp Director reserves the right to remove such devices from a camper's possession and return them to the parents on Friday. Hidden Valley 4-H Camp is not responsible for damage to or loss of any personal property. Return to Top What if my camper leaves something behind? Any lost-and-found items will be collected in a box that will be available to search during pick-up on Fridays. It is your responsibility to see that all camper items, including any medications, are taken home with you when you pick up your camper. Camp staff will not locate misplaced items nor can we mail them to you after you leave camp. All left-behind items will be donated to local charities on August 31, 2011 Return to Top How can I correspond with my camper during camp? Mail from camp is taken to the post office daily. If your child would like to write home, please include some stamps, and envelopes or post cards. Please feel free to mail letters or packages to your child while at camp. Address camper mail to:
<Camper Name>,
Phone Calls: A large benefit of attending camp is gaining independence and confidence. Homesickness is an occasional camp problem, one that we deal with successfully. It can be made more difficult when campers call home or when parents call to camp. Please call only in an emergency.Hidden Valley 4-H Camp, P.O. Box 830 Montour Falls, NY 14865. MAIL SENT TO 323 Owego Street in Montour Falls WILL NOT BE DELIVERED TO CAMPERS. E-Mail: Email can be sent to campers by addressing it to: hv4hcamperemail@cornell.edu . . . please put the camper's name in the subject line of your email. Emails without the camper name in the subject line will NOT be delivered. Emails will be printed out and delivered to campers with regular mail at mail call. There is no return service email available. Return to Top I want to rent Hidden Valley for a wedding or other event. Please contact Watkins Glen State Park at 607-535-4511. Return to Top |
Copyright © 2010-2011 Hidden Valley 4-H Camp 
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Website layout by Sean Gnau.
Pictures courtesy of Chelsea Alventosa, Kirstie Mosher, Khairul Anwar, Sean Gnau, Connie French, Justin Pierce, and Juliana Chauncey