an off-road adventure
One of our flagship youth opportunities, our Youth Blast programs focus on building community with each other here at Gretna Glen before taking on an adventure off site. Youth Blast campers spend their week eating meals together in the Dining Hall, learning new skills at program activities, and playing night games, and feeling the good vibes of Christian camp community as one body.
Youth Blast: Bike & Hike campers will spend their week making new friends on the challenge course, adventuring through high ropes elements, and doing special activities no other campers get to do—like hanging out in the new Youth Blast Lounge! They will also learn how to safely ride mountain bikes on roads, trails, and singletrack paths by practicing on the trails across our Gretna Glen property. Also, we will hike to a BRAND-NEW spot at Gretna Glen and learn some proper hiking and navigation skills along the way.
Then, we will use those skills to follow a 3.5 mile route to beautiful Mt. Gretna Lake, where campers will spend the day swimming, boating, eating ice cream, and enjoying the good vibes. Campers may choose to bike OR hike, depending on their comfort level (or they can bike there and hike back!). Gretna Glen will provide mountain bikes and helmets. Trained Gretna Glen leadership staff and counselors will be alongside campers throughout this entire off-site experience to follow safety policies and make sure it is a safe and fun day for everyone. And to cap off our week, we will have meaningful worship experiences and a service project here at Gretna Glen.
Our Goals for every camper
Our goal for all overnight campers is to create an environment where they can THRIVE:
Try new experiences
Camp is great exposure to new people, news skills, and new challenges.
Hear Good News
We are here to share in the joy of knowing and following Jesus Christ!
Reset and Renew
We work hard to create a place where campers can be themselves, unplug from devices, and rest.
Inspire One Another
Community experiences and culture creation are intentional, key aspects of every week.
Value Themselves
Campers learn they can do more than they thought possible by learning and growing all week long.
Explore Possibilites
Campers are encouraged to ask questions about their faith, their future, and their world.
Built for the Teen Who Wants Adventure
Youth Blast is a flagship Gretna Glen program because teens who attend tell us what they needed was a week that treated them as capable. Not a program that ran on the same rhythm as the 8 year olds. Something with real stakes, real water, and real responsibility for each other.
The Boat Adventure version leans into the water and leadership side of that. Campers learn how to take care of each other in and around the lake. They earn the Raystown day by building the community that gets the most out of it. And the service project at the end reminds everyone that Youth Blast is about what the week points toward, not just what happens during it.
WHERE YOU'LL STAY
Campers stay in cabins on Gretna Glen's main campus. Cabins feature bunk beds, a changing area, and a modern shower house built in 2018. Youth Blast is a mainsite program. Meals are in the Dining Hall, and the cabin crew becomes the boat crew for Raystown.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
Drop-off is Sunday, 3-4 PM. Pick-up is Friday, 5-6 PM. The Raystown day is fully supervised by trained Gretna Glen staff and certified watercraft operators.
Gretna Glen is ACA-accredited, meeting over 300 health, safety, and quality standards. Hike and ropes leaders are trained in wilderness first aid, and staff are certified in Ministry Safe and UMC Risk Management. No prior boating experience required.
Off-Site Transportation
Gretna Glen staff transport campers to and from Raystown Lake. All transportation is included in the program cost.
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR
- Teens 13 to 17 who want a real off-site adventure as part of their week
- Returning Gretna Glen campers ready to graduate into the Youth Blast experience
- Teens who light up on the water and love group outdoor challenges
- Youth group members looking for a week that builds real community