Did you know?
Eagle’s Nest Camp was established in 1927 by educators. Today more than a third of our counselors study or work as educators.
Did you know?
Many of our Outdoor Academy students return home after their semester ahead of their peers academically.
Did you know?
Hante has traveled to many places: Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Iceland, Canada, and Ghana.
Did you know?
Our campers enjoy sitting with table families, making bread, and eating veggies fresh from the garden.
Did you know?
Outdoor Academy students spend ¼ of their semester paddling, climbing, and backpacking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Did you know?
Eagle's Nest is home to several rare plants. We are working with the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy to provide protected space for them.

“Experiential education for young people, promoting the natural world and the betterment of human character.”

L ocated in Western North Carolina our summer camp and academic semester school provide transformative wilderness and cultural adventures. For over 85 years the Foundation has focused on fostering profound individual development, connection to the natural world and responsible action to our local and global communities. Eagle’s Nest Foundation is a non-profit educational organization whose programs are designed for young people ages 6-18.

Eagle's Nest Camp

since 1927
An hour from Asheville, our residential summer camp for young people ages 6-18 encourages growth and wonder, teaching them what it means to belong... to rocks and rivers, forests and friends.
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The Outdoor Academy

a semester school
Rooted in nature, OA is a semester school focusing on intellect, environment, community, and craft. Our students engage in rigorous academics while cultivating a deep sense of place through environmentalism and outdoor adventure.
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Hante Adventurers

a hero's journey
Through climbing, canoeing, and backpacking on wilderness and cultural expeditions, Hante Adventures challenge teens to grow as leaders and reach a deeper understanding of themselves within a supportive group. Explore the world with us!
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EAGLE'S NEST PROGRAM BLOGS

FEB. 22, 2019

Learning Doesn’t Have to End in June

In a 2016 study by the North Carolina Youth Camp Association of parents who send their kids to camp in North Carolina,  91% of respondents (3,540 parents) answered “yes” to the question, “Does attending overnight camp help your child succeed in a school environment?” Why does camp help kids do better in school? They stay […]

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JAN. 28, 2019

OA Woods Day

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”   -Henry David Thoreau This sentence, first published in Walden; Or Life […]

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FEB. 15, 2019

The Hero’s Journey

Over 45 years ago, in 1973, Helen Waite led the first Eagle’s Nest Hante Adventure when she took a group of scrappy teenagers on a 10-day trek on the Appalachian Trail. Participants on that trip hiked 100 miles across ridgelines and valleys from Rock Gap to Clingman’s Dome, North Carolina. They lived simply, carrying everything […]

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