Where: Nantahala Gorge, near Bryson City, North Carolina

When: Sunday, July 13 through Thursday, July 17, 2025

What: An overnight outdoor adventure camp for kids who are blind or have a significant visual impairment, and who are ready to stretch their legs and hit the trail. We plan to hike, raft, climb, swim, and zip in and around the Nantahala Gorge in Western North Carolina. We'll stay in the Group Lodge at Wildwater Nantahala, and spend some time at the Nantahala Outdoor Center too. There are 12 spaces available for the 2025 camp.

Who: Campers are rising 9-12 graders with blindness or low vision. Instructors include certified Teachers for the Visually Impaired and Orientation & Mobility Specialists, along with a few other adventurous souls, both blind and sighted.

Financial Assistance Available

Tuition is charged on a scale from $0-$1400, depending on ability to pay. Scholarship funds are available and no camper will be turned away for lack of funds. We also work with the Division of Services for the Blind in multiple states to sponsor campers.

Food will be provided by our outfitters, with cafeteria-style service and an on-site dining room. Special dietary needs met upon request.

What is it? Bravo Adventure Camp is a four-night, five-day outdoor adventure camp for blind youth. We will work with two outfitters near Bryson City, North Carolina: the Nantahala Outdoor Center and Wildwater Nantahala. The NOC and Wildwater have been industry leaders since 1971, providing guided outdoor adventures to visitors from around the globe.

What will we do? We plan to hike the local trails, scale a climbing tower, complete a zipline canopy tour, take a dip in Lake Fontana, and of course raft the famous Nantahala River. All trips will be guided by NOC and Wildwater professionals, with assistance from Certified Teachers for the Visually Impaired.

Where will we stay? We'll have bunkhouse lodging at Wildwater Nantahala, with separate rooms for boys and girls. Camp counselors will sleep in the bunkhouses to provide 24-hour supervision.

What will we eat? Food will be provided by our outfitters, with cafeteria-style service and an on-site dining room.

How do I get there? Asheville is the hub for travel in and out of Western North Carolina. The Nantahala Gorge is about an hour from Asheville, outside of Bryson City, NC. We ask families to meet us at camp if possible; if not, give me a ring and we’ll see what we can work out.

What is the camper/staff ratio? Bravo Adventure Camp will have twelve campers, six highly-trained counselors, and a camp nurse. Camp staff will include both blind and sighted adults, and we will be assisted by NOC and Wildwater staff on our adventures.

What does it cost? Tuition for Bravo Adventure Camp ranges from $0-$1400, depending on ability to pay. No camper will be turned away due to lack of funds. We can also work with your state Division of Services for the Blind to cover part of all of the cost of camp.

Eligibility Guidelines

Who can come? Bravo Adventure Camp is open to rising 9-12th graders who are blind or visually impaired. Preference is given to campers who have severe visual impairments, including total blindness, but there will be spots available for low vision campers as well. A screening interview with our staff will help us determine whether you are the right fit for camp.

What else are you looking for in campers? The number one requirement is the right attitude: prospective campers should be active, engaged, and open to new experiences. You do not need to have back-country experience, but you should be ready to get some. Here are some other guidelines for eligibility:

Campers should be mostly independent. We can help with orientation, medication, or gnarly knots in your bootlaces, but campers should be able to handle most aspects of self-care independently.

Campers should be able to travel independently, with minimal mobility limitations. This is an active camp, and we will be on our feet and off the pavement quite a bit.

Campers should possess verbal communication skills appropriate to their age.

Campers should not have behaviors that impede the learning of others. We are not able to accommodate campers who are aggressive, defiant, violent, or present a flight risk.

While we will provide 24-hour supervision and emergency care as needed, we are not able to provide 24-hour nursing care to campers with significant medical needs. Please feel free to contact Jay Hardwig through the contact form or at 828-335-1136 with any questions about eligibility.

Registration Procedure

How Do I Apply? The first step is to indicate your interest: contact Jay Hardwig through the contact form or at 828-335-1136.

Then What? The next step is the eligibility screening. This will consist of short phone interviews with the camper, a parent or guardian, and an educator who knows the camper well (ideally a TVI or O&M instructor). The purpose of these screening interviews is for everyone to get to know each other and ask questions, to ensure that we make a good match and that everyone knows what to expect. Eligible campers will then be invited to officially register for camp online.

Registration opens on or near February 1, 2025 and closes on May 1, 2025, or sooner if the camp slots fill up.