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

OCT. 24, 2019

The Magical Wonderland of Camp

Several years ago, I purchased a graphic adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by illustrator Camille Rose Garcia.  Using what she describes as her “layered, broken narrative paintings of wasteland fairy tales,” Garcia’s artwork infuses Carroll’s classic work with a modern, punk feel.  I purchased the book mainly because I was drawn to […]

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NOV. 12, 2019

Learning to Knit

Recently I’ve begun learning how to knit. It came first as an urge of envy, as most of my cabin residents were knitting hats for each other, and heads all across campus were boasting colorful balls of woven yarn. It then became a desire so strong that it was eventually a need—I needed to knit. […]

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OCT. 31, 2019

The Very First Bike Trek

The year was 1984 and my husband Greg and I, newly married, decided it was time that Hante took to the road.  He had recently completed a cross country bike trek and we had just done a Winston-Salem to Charleston tour over a spring break.  At the time the Birch Tree program was also running […]

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