Join Mountain SOL for a summer of unforgettable outdoor adventures! Check out the details below, and then enroll for them here!
Notes about our summer programs:
- Our classes are held at three different locations depending on the week: Morgantown Learning Academy, Cooper’s Rock, or Chestnut Ridge Park and Campground.
- This year we have organized into two age groups: Rising 2nd-5th grade and Rising 6th-12th grade. As usual, these ages are not a hard cutoff, so if you have a student who is on the edge of the recommended age group for a class they want to take, send us an email at [email protected].
- We have a range of classes, organized into two categories: Summer Camps which are 9am-4pm Monday through Thursday, and Extras which are all our other summer classes. There are lots of classes this year, both new and old, so be sure to check out everything!
- Our mother school, Morgantown Learning Academy, offers a super fun summer day camp with many different options, check them out here!
- We also have a Mountain Medic Superpack discount for our most intensive students who want to get their Mountain Medic classes done in one summer of epicness! Check out the bottom of this description page for details.
- We are delighted to be able to offer all of our campers one FREE TSHIRT!! These are our new good soft t-shirts, which have a $20 value.
Mountain SOL Summer Camps (9am-4pm Monday-Thursday)
Woodscraft and Wildry
Instructors: Paula Taylor and Will Miller
Price: $115
Date: June 13th-16th, 9am-12pm
Location: Mountain SOL Campus at Morgantown Learning Academy
Age: Rising 2nd-5th grade
Calling all young explorers and nature-lovers! This workshop will acclimate our youngest scouts to being in the woods and observing the natural world more closely. Students will be led on guided hikes and exploration missions and will learn basic trail etiquette, plant identification skills, and the foundation of early outdoor leadership and self-responsibility will be highlighted, with plenty of safe, fun nature-time to enjoy.
Forts, Forts, Forts!
Instructors: Paula Taylor and Will Miller
Price: $115
Date: June 13th-16th, 1pm-4pm
Location: Mountain SOL Campus at Morgantown Learning Academy
Age: Rising 2nd-12th grade
Description:
This multi-age workshop is all about having fun in the woods! One of our favorite things to do here at Mountain SOL is build forts and debris huts. In this workshop we’ll use our imagination and create forts big and small, learn how to use different natural materials to make structures, and experiment with the different resources available in the area.
Navigation and Medic 1
Instructors: Bella Zucker and Benjamin Tower
Price: $195
Date: June 13th-16th, 9am-4pm
Location: Cooper’s Rock
Age: Rising 6th-12th grade
Description:
In this workshop, held at Coopers Rock State Forest, campers will be separated into different groups according to their current level of navigation and map-reading skills. Students will hike through the forest exploring the land and improving their knowledge on map and compass navigation. Advanced students have plenty more to learn about topographic maps and orienteering! This class also teaches situational awareness, basic wilderness first-aid, and water skills, including collecting from streams, following drainages, and most importantly, staying hydrated.
This class is part of our Mountain Medic Superpack! 🤩💥💪
Fishing – CLASS IS FULL, no more sign ups but check out our other classes below!
Instructor: Will Miller and Owen Sorensen
Price: $115
Date: June 20th-23rd, 9am-12pm
Location: Chestnut Ridge Campground
Age: Rising 2nd-12th grade
Description:
When you see a pond, are you the one who brings a net, or catches salamanders, or startles frogs? This summer Mountain SOL is offering an intro Fishing class for these students! We will provide all you need to have an amazing time fishing. Students will learn how to use fishing poles, bait and bobbers to set a trap for a fish–and hopefully catch it! This class will be an opportunity for pond loving students to enjoy Chestnut Ridge’s beautiful land in a fun and engaging way.
Our older and more advanced students will learn extra fishing tricks!
Forts, Forts, Forts! – CLASS IS FULL, no more sign ups but check out our other classes below!
Instructor: Will Miller and Owen Sorensen
Price: $115
Date: June 20th-23rd, 1pm-4pm
Location: Chestnut Ridge Campground
Age: Rising 2nd-12th grade
Description:
This multi-age workshop is all about having fun in the woods! One of our favorite things to do here at Mountain SOL is build forts and debris huts. In this workshop we’ll use our imagination and create forts big and small, learn how to use different natural materials to make structures, and experiment with the different resources available in the area.
Hamping
Instructor: Bella Zucker and Jen-Osha Buysse
Price: $195
Date: June 20th-23rd, 9am-4pm
Location: Chestnut Ridge Campground
Age: Rising 6th-12th grade
Description:
Discover the latest craze in outdoor adventure – “Hamping” – or camping with hammocks! Campers will learn where best to set up hammocks, how to tie sturdy knots and how to hang tarps to sleep comfortably, warmly and safely outdoors all night. Both beginning and advanced students will learn more hamping skills in this workshop.
Note: You must sign up for Hamping WITH the Hamping Campout in order to participate in our end-of-class hamping overnight! (Or you can sign up for ONLY the Hamping Campout from the Mountain SOL Extras section below the Summer Camps section!)
This class is part of our Mountain Medic Superpack! 🤩💥💪
Fire
Instructor: Benjamin Tower and Bella Zucker
Price: $115
Date: June 27th-30th, 9am-12pm
Location: Mountain SOL Campus at Morgantown Learning Academy
Age: Rising 6th-12th grade
Description:
This workshop introduces campers to the basics of fire-building: site preparation, fire components (fuel, heat, oxygen), fuel gathering and tinder/kindling construction, fire maintenance, and fire safety and responsibility. Campers will take home their own basic fire starting kit!
Advanced Fire: Mature ages 12 and up OR currently in Mtn Zorros
Campers’ focus will be on making fires under wet conditions, making scout fires for safety and warmth, and continual development of campers’ fire-making kits. Campers also will learn more about native plants to use for fires. This class does not teach bow drill or hand drill fire-making but rather teaches to use skills under more demanding situations. While we take kids as young as 12, the subject matter is appropriate for high school students.
This class is part of our Mountain Medic Superpack! 🤩💥💪
Intro to Coding and the Mountain Bats
Instructor: Katie Zucker
Price: $115
Date: June 27th-30th, 1pm-4pm
Location: Mountain SOL Campus at Morgantown Learning Academy
Age: Rising 6th-12th grade
Description:
In this new class, students will be introduced to several aspects of computer science! Who says we don’t need technology in the wilderness? (#youcanbringitwithyou) Join Katie, past graduate of the Mountain SOL Lobos and Scout paths and current software developer, as we explore the world of computers through a lens of hands-on engagement and fun. In this class we will play computer games, explore computer patterns and algorithms, learn to code in a blocks language, and go outside every day, and by the end of the week, we will code as a mob programming team to build our own web app.
Navigation and Medic 2
Instructors: Jen-Osha Buysse, Bella Zucker, and Benjamin Tower
Price: $195
Date: July 5th-8th, 9am-4pm (NO CLASS Monday July 4th)
Location: Cooper’s Rock
Age: Rising 6th-12th grade
Description:
In this workshop, held at Coopers Rock State Forest, campers will be separated into different groups according to their current level of navigation and map-reading skills. Students will hike through the forest exploring the land and improving their knowledge on map and compass navigation. Advanced students have plenty more to learn about topographic maps and orienteering! This class also teaches basic water skills, including collecting from streams, following drainages, and most importantly, staying hydrated. And finally, this second Navigation summer camp will give students medical training that builds on the wilderness first-aid training from the first Navigation summer camp, and students who attend both will have the opportunity to prove their first-aid skills in scenarios! No prior experience is necessary for this class, though, and first-time students can still participate.
This class is part of our Mountain Medic Superpack! 🤩💥💪
Jam Band
Instructor: Paula Taylor
Price: $115
Date: July 11th-14th, 9am-12pm
Location: Mountain SOL Campus at Morgantown Learning Academy
Age: All ages
Description:
Bring your instruments and come jam with us this week! We will play a variety of Appalachian tunes and instruments for any skill level. Singing is also highly encouraged, if you don’t have an instrument! During this fun week of music, Miss T will lead the group in song as we enjoy playing music together.
Woodland Stories
Instructor: Paula Taylor
Price: $115
Date: July 11th-14th, 1pm-4pm
Location: Mountain SOL Campus at Morgantown Learning Academy
Age: Rising 2nd-5th grade
Description:
Join Miss T and learn about the woods through the wonderful art of story. We will use picture book stories, arts and crafts activities, and outdoor adventures to explore and engage with the world around us. Each day we will read story books and do activities based around the stories.
Mountain SOL Extras (Herbalism, Knife Safeties, Cheat Mountain)
Internal Herbalism
Instructor: Lauren Martin
Price: $145
Date: Fridays 4pm-7pm June 10th, June 17th, and July 1st (NO CLASS 6/24 bc Solstice party)
Location: Chestnut Ridge Campground
Age: Rising 6th-12th grade and Adult
Description: In this class we will learn to safely and effectively use herbs internally for a variety of health and wellness reasons. Students will work with a list of herbs we have found most useful taken internally to make teas, tinctures & glycerites, infused oil and honey, and to use plants intentionally in cooking. No prior herbal experience is needed to take this class, and people at all stages of their journey into herbalism will be given all the tools needed to succeed. Students will gain familiarity with the safe use of all herbs in this class, with expertise in the use of at least one. The material is best suited for 12 through adult, but please contact us if you have a very serious and interested younger.
Hamping Campout!
Instructor: Bella Zucker and Jen-Osha Buysse
Price: $60, $20 for lobos and other approved self-sufficient students
Date: Friday June 24th-25th, 4pm-11am
Location: Chestnut Ridge Campground
Age: Rising grades 6th-12th, Mapaches and Zorros welcome!
Note: Younger kids can camp at one of the other Chestnut Ridge campsites with their parents and can hang out with us during the campout. No need to sign up for this campout, since they will be the responsibility of their parents and not our Mountain SOL staff, but please reserve your own campsite at Chestnut Ridge Campground.
Description:
This hamping campout is open to all students Mapaches and older from any of our past classes! This is our epic summer camping celebration. We hope to see many familiar faces from past years in addition to all of our Hamping summer camp class!
This class is part of our Mountain Medic Superpack! 🤩💥💪
Practical Herbalism
Price: $145
Date: Fridays 4pm-7pm July 15th. July 22nd, and July 29th
Location: Chestnut Ridge Campground
Age: Rising 6th-12th grade and Adult
Description:
In this class we learn to make the essential medicines that our students have found to be the most useful in the woods! In this class we will: safely and consistently identify 5 – 10 medicinal plants, make and safely use a plaster or poultice, infuse a tea for sleep, create a wound wash, and craft a basic materia medica with expertise in one plant. Anyone interested in plants is welcome to join us- no prior herbalism experience required! We will take our time to help students learn what they need to know about each plant to create a strong root structure for field use and further study. If you are part of our Mountain Medic certification, this class does count as the herbalism component. The material is best suited for 12 through adult, but please contact us if you have a very serious and interested younger.
This class is part of our Mountain Medic Superpack! 🤩💥💪
Cheat Mountain
This is our most advanced class, where students on our Scout Path will travel to our Cheat Mountain campus in Elkins, WV, to live in their own primitive camps and learn wilderness sur-thrival skills throughout the week. During Cheat Mountain Skills, campers will learn how to build fires in difficult conditions, navigate with a compass and topographical map, forage for wild edible food, find and purify water, build debris huts, and set up hamping tarp structures. After students have mastered the skills, they will be invited to attend our Cheat Mountain Scouts program, where they will further develop their team skills and expand their expertise in backpacking, orienteering, and camp making.
Cheat Mountain Scouts will be from July 11th-15th, and Cheat Mountain Skills will be July 18th-22nd.
If your student has attended Cheat Mountain in the past, you are on a list and will get an email with details on how to sign up for Cheat Mountain. If you are interested in this program and have not attended in the past, please send us an email at [email protected] and we can help assess if they are ready to join us for Cheat Mountain Skills. We typically accept students at our Mountain Zorros level or higher, but we also assess on an individual basis.
Mountain Medic Superpack!
Discounted price $850 – use coupon code “mtnmedic” at checkout!
June and July 2022, adventuring around all 3 of our Morgantown campuses!
Learn specialized skills from many of our best instructors, including Lauren Martin, head of the Herbalist Path, Bella Zucker and Benjamin Tower, graduates and leads of our Medic Path, and Jen-Osha Buysse, teacher of our teachers and director of our school. Taking this selection of classes gives you the technical skill set to navigate through the woods, set up a hammock campsite, build a fire, find and purify water, cook food on a fire, collect and use herbs for herbal medicine, and handle basic medical emergencies, and it also gives you insight to Mountain SOL’s greater purpose of Appalachian justice and dedication to self-improvement. In short, you will learn not only to survive, but to sur-thrive in the wilderness.
This superpack is also an opportunity to get your Mountain Medic certification in one intensive summer of epicness! In addition to taking these classes (and succeeding in learning and applying each of the skills in the classes), you must complete a Leadership Project and cover your cost for your ECSI certification card for your official Mountain Medic Certification. If you are taking these in order to get your certification, please send us an email at [email protected] letting us know, and we will help you figure out details to get you your card.
This superpack offers the following classes at a discounted rate:
Navigation and Medic 1
Hamping
Hamping Campout
Navigation and Medic 2
Fire
Practical Herbalism