General Information
for the 2025 Season
Tuition
Camp tuition is $1500 for Junior Term and $6,500.00 for First or Second Term. This amount covers room and board, as well as all activity costs, trips out of Camp, daily store snacks, and up to $50 worth of camper charges. (These charges may include sundry items purchased from the Camp store such as replacement stamps, batteries, toothbrush etc. as well as quarters withdrawn to give to the church offering.) You do not need to put any money in a “spending account” for these charges – they are included in your tuition cost.
Tuition does not cover the cost of Camp t-shirts, transportation to and from Camp, shipping fees for trunks and duffle bags, or incidental charges for medical expenses (such as new prescription medications ordered by the Camp doctor).
Discounts
A 10% sibling discount will be applied to the second (and subsequent) tuition charged to each family. Discounts are also available for children of educators and clergy, at the discretion of the directors.
Payment Schedule & Refund Policy
A registration fee of $500 for Junior Term or $1,000.00 for First or Second Term is required to process each camper’s application. This amount is refundable (less a $100 fee for holding a spot) through February 1, 2025. A second payment of $1000.00 is due February 1, 2025. This amount is refundable through May 1, 2025. The tuition balance of is due by May 1, 2025. There is no refund for cancellations after May 1, 2025, and there will be no refund for late arrivals or early dismissals.
Admission
Camp DeSoto accepts girls between the ages of 8 and 16 years old. Campers must have completed the 1st grade to be eligible for Junior Term. Campers must have completed the 2nd grade or turn eight years old during the summer to be eligible for First or Second Term. New campers are asked to submit two references. No camper will be admitted who will be absent from Camp for more than three days (72 hours). An absence beyond that length is detrimental to the camp experience for both the camper and her cabin mates.
Should the directors determine that a girl’s influence is undesirable, she will be dismissed without refund. The use or possession of alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco products, e-cigarettes, cannabis products, firearms, or any other weapon is not permitted by Camp DeSoto. Camp DeSoto also prohibits the use or possession of a cell-phone by a camper. These are inflexible rules, and any campers who violates them will be sent home without refund.
Forms
You will need to complete several important forms before your daughter comes to Camp, including a Physician’s Examination form and liability waivers. These forms will be accessible through your online account in the spring. We’ll send you an email to let you know when they need to be completed.
Cabin Assignments
Each camper may request up to three cabin mates in her same grade. We seek to honor non-conflicting requests, but the final decision rests with the directors, and no cabin requestes are guaranteed. To the degree it is possible, we allow only two campers from the same hometown to be in a cabin together so that no group of hometown friends overwhelms a cabin. We want to encourage new camp friendships. All cabin requests must be made in writing by May 1st.
Opening & Closing Days
Camp’s gates will open at 8:00 a.m. (CDT) on Opening Day of each session. Parents are encouraged to tour Camp and meet the directors on the lawn of the Gym. Parents will be asked to leave by 10:15 a.m.
On Closing Day, we ask that you pick your camper up between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. If someone other than a parent is picking up or dropping off your camper, or if your daughter will be arriving late, leaving early, or missing any part of the term, the camp directors must have this information in writing prior to the beginning of the term.
Travel Arrangements
Campers may travel to Camp by plane or automobile. Parents should make all airline reservations for their camper(s). Arrivals should be scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Opening Days. Departures should be scheduled between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Closing days. Please call the Camp office before booking flights to confirm that we will be able to provide an airport pickup - we usually can, provided the timing works out.
Packing for Camp
Campers should pack in a trunk, a duffel bag, and one additional under-bed storage container, no taller than 10”. Space is limited in cabins, so girls should not bring oversized trunks to Camp. The best size is 32 L x 18 W x 13.5 H. Campers will not be allowed to have extra shelving or stacking crates for their belongings. Trunks may be shipped via UPS to our shipping address – c/o Madeline Williams, 264 Highway Above the Clouds, Mentone, Alabama 35984.
Campers are not allowed to bring personal pets or vehicles to camp, and Camp DeSoto is not responsible for any personal belongings a camper may bring, including but not limited to sports equipment, musical instruments, clothing, and other camp gear. Please help your camper manage her belongings at Camp by packing only what she truly needs.
Visitation Policy
One of the great benefits that a girl receives from a residential camping experience is the natural growth in self-confidence and independence that camp fosters. Thus, we discourage visitation during the Camp Term. Many times these visits are unsettling and can work against what you, and we, hope your daughter will receive from her camping experience. If you do decide to visit, you must schedule this with the Camp hostess during the Camp term. We allow only one visit by immediate family or grandparents. We will not accommodate visits by family friends, school friends, or boyfriends.
Health & Wellness
The Camp Health Center is staffed by two nurses and a camp doctor. They are responsible for dispensing medications, as well as caring for minor aches, pains, and accidents. We will notify parents when a camper stays in our Health Center overnight or in the event of a medical emergency. If a camper’s medical needs are beyond what our Health Center can accommodate, we will take her to a medical center in Fort Payne, Alabama, or Chattanooga, Tennessee. Camp DeSoto requires a Health History form to be completed by a parent or legal guardian, as well as a Physicians Examination form to be completed by your camper’s doctor within 6 months of the start of her camping term. These forms provide ample space for you to inform us about your daughter’s health condition and medical needs.
Phones
Campers are not allowed to have cellphones at Camp, and any camper found using or possessing a cell phone will be sent home. Campers may not make or receive telephone calls in the Camp office, either. Experience has taught us that this can be very disruptive to a camper’s experience. If you are concerned about your child, or simply need reassurance, please feel free to contact the Camp Directors.
Food at Camp
The Camp DeSoto Dining Hall serves three meals a day. There is enough variety to satisfy most palates. We can accommodate some dietary restrictions, but any dietary concerns should be discussed with the directors prior to Camp. Mid-morning fruit is served daily to the entire Camp, and at 3:00 each afternoon our Camp Store is open for snacks (this cost is included in tuition). Campers are not allowed to bring their own food or candy into Camp, and we take this policy very seriously.
Technology & Camp
We ask girls not to bring cell phones, tablets, e-readers, mp3 players, CDs, radios, laptops, or any other technological devices. We also do not allow cameras or wearable fitness devices (e.g. garmin watches or Fitbits) at camp. Thank you for helping your camper understand that taking a break from technology is a valuable part of her camp experience.
Reading Material
There are girls of all ages at Camp, and every household of origin may have different rules. Because of this, we ask you to be thoughtful about the reading material you send to Camp. No magazines or yearbooks are allowed, and counselors will go through each camper’s books with her to make sure the material is wholesome and suitable for Camp. Anything taken up will be returned at the end of the month. We also provide a library of books appropriate for girls of all ages.
Letters
Mail is a wonderful thing during Camp! Letter-size (4.25 x 9.5) envelopes containing letters only will be delivered Monday through Saturday through our Camp Post Office. Any lumpy or oversized envelopes will be considered a package and will not be delivered.
Packages
Camp DeSoto has a no-package policy: care packages, musical cards, oversized envelopes, padded envelopes, boxes, and lumpy letters will not be delivered to the camper, returned to the sender, or given back at the end of Camp. Please notify family and friends of our policy. The obvious exceptions to this are birthday gifts and forgotten, necessary items. Forgotten, necessary items must be received during the first week of your daughter’s camp term. Be sure to send these items, as well as birthday gifts, care of Sarah Hurt to 264 Highway Above the Clouds, Mentone, Alabama 35984.
You may send e-mails to your camper through your Camp account. Campers may not send e-mails. However, international campers or those whose parent are travelling outside the U.S. may have handwritten letters to their parents scanned and e-mailed. Parents may correspond with the directors at campdesoto@campdesoto.com. This e-mail account is checked at least once daily, Monday through Saturday.
Photos
The Camp Photographer will take daily photos of Camp, which you can view and purchase at images.campdesoto.com. The password for viewing these photos is iwannagoback.
Birthdays
We enjoy celebrating birthdays at Camp! Each birthday girl will be given her own birthday cake and sung to in the Dining Hall. Her counselor will make the day special by creating a banner or crown - maybe even both! You are welcome to send her a birthday gift, or drop one off in the office on Opening Day. She will get to open gifts at Store on the day of her birthday. Even on birthdays, though, we ask that you abide by our no-food and no-phone-call policies.