Retreats at Camp DeSoto are designed to provide grown-up girls with a taste of the same experiences we give campers -
living and playing outside, enjoying creation, paying attention to God’s love in their lives, growing spiritually, spending time with friends, and meeting new people. All retreats are offered to women between the ages of 18 and 80, and no previous experience with Camp DeSoto is necessary!
To add your e-mail address to our mailing list and receive more information about the next retreat when registration begins, please e-mail campdesoto@campdesoto.com. We hope you’ll join us!
A DeSoto Weekend for “Campers at Heart”
We love inviting women between the ages of 18-80 to come and enjoy the rhythms of Camp DeSoto for a weekend! Grown-up DeSoto girls (even if you are brand new to Camp!) get the opportunity to be campers for two days.
You’ll get to sleep in a camp cabin, do outdoor activities alongside old and new friends, eat healthy, family-style meals in the Dining Hall, share Morning Watches and Night Devotions, and live by the ringing of the camp bell. It is a fun time to slow down, retreat from your everyday responsibilities, and enjoy the childhood fun of summer camp as well as the deep joy of friendships with other women.
God gives good gifts to women on this mountain -
opportunities for reflection and spiritual renewal, chances to be adventurous and active, plenty of time for good conversations, and an invitation to live by those simple Camp rhythms that are so good for the soul.
We look forward to sharing a weekend at Camp with you!
A few specifics:
Women’s Weekends at Camp DeSoto usually begin between 4-6 pm on Friday evening and end between around lunch on Sunday. We share delicious meals together, and many menu-items are fresh from The Farm at Windy Hill.
You can choose to have a full, active weekend, or you may want a slower-pace - the schedule leaves room for a little bit of both.
You will be sharing a camp cabin with other women, and we typically assign 2-6 women to each cabin. You can request cabinmates if you come with friends, or we will assign you to a cabin with women we think will be a good fit. Some cabins include a bathroom and/or shower, while others require a short walk to the bathhouse. (You can let us know if you would prefer a bathroom in your cabin and we will see what we can do.) You will need to bring your own towels and bed sheets, however if you need to pack lightly because you’ll be taking a flight, just let us know - we do have some camp linen available.
A packing list and more information about the weekend will be provided, but these are a few frequently asked questions we thought you might be wondering about.
Mostly, we want you to feel welcomed and free to just be, however you are.
Can I come to the women’s weekend even if I was never a Camp DeSoto camper?
Absolutely! We welcome anyone who wants to experience simple living, a slower pace, time to reflect, and conversation and fellowship with other women. No previous DeSoto experience is required!
In fact, we hope that women from all walks of life can come together here and find commonality and connection. Please don’t hesitate to sign up, even if you are new to Camp and don’t know anyone else - we promise you will be among friends.
Camp DeSoto is so much more than a summer camp. For many it has been and continues to be a respite - a still point in a spinning world. Join us as we soak up the peace of this mountain together.
We hope you’ll think about joining us for our next Camp DeSoto Women’s Weekend! Maybe you want to come with a group of Camp friends, college friends, or life-friends. Maybe you want to come with your mom and sisters or you want to give this weekend as a gift to your daughters-in-law. Or maybe you just want to get away by yourself. No matter when you were last at Camp DeSoto (if ever!) or who you come with, we would love to welcome you to Camp and give you a weekend of simplicity, rest, playfulness, prayer, fellowship and being cared for.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Camp Office.
