EMAILS & PHOTOS

Our History: Our goal is to create a future based on the best of the past, including honoring those who have loved it and given it their best. At Camp Merrie-Woode, we are incredibly proud of our history. For 108 summers, we have welcomed girls and young women to the mountains of Western North Carolina to explore the wilderness, challenge themselves through outdoor adventure, strengthen their character, and make lifelong friendships. Over the course of these summers, many willing and capable leaders have stepped forward to guide the campers in their development and inspire them to become the best version of themselves. Others have devoted countless hours to establish the Merrie-Woode Foundation, ensuring that Camp will remain the beautiful sanctuary it has always been. Each in their own way has fulfilled Dammie’s Day’s vision, as she expressed it in the Merrie-Woode Plaque: It is because there is a kindred spirit in you that you have recognized what Merrie-Woode stands for. God has given us a place of rarest beauty and since I first beheld it, I have tried to match His gift as best I could with permeating love and honesty. It is a composite thing made of all those who through the years, have loved it and given it their best.

We are already having a blast this session! The campers are settling in so nicely and really getting into the groove of Camp life. After a chilly first few days, the sun has come out, and we are soaking up every second of it under Old Bald!

Merrie-Woode's 108th summer has begun! Opening Day can feel like a whirlwind, and our June session campers embraced every moment with joy and excitement! It was an amazing start to our summer, full of smiling faces, eager anticipation, and the sparks of unforgettable experiences. Campers had a jam-packed schedule, including activity sign-ups and swim evaluations, and they dove right in (literally and figuratively!). We wrapped up our first day together by gathering for our Opening Campfire, a special time filled with songs, laughter, and reflections on the spirit of Merrie-Woode. 

Friendship: We believe in the lifelong friendships formed at Camp, built through shared adventures and traditions that stay with campers for years to come. We wanted to begin our values blog with one of the most cherished things we gain at Camp: friendship. Above all the adventures, traditions, and activities that campers experience at Merrie-Woode, it is the deep connections formed here that keep them coming back year after year. From campers to staff, these meaningful connections grow stronger each summer, creating a sense of belonging that feels like home. Our Summer 2026 staff has started arriving for Pre-Orientation this past week! Seeing new and returning staff connect and fo ster an atmosphere of warmth and excitement is a meaningful reminder of what makes Camp so special. On Opening Day, we frequently see campers shouting with joy as they hug their friends again after a year apart—and we see that same excitement when counselors arrive for Orientati on and reunite with one another. From the moment a girl arrives at Merrie-Woode, so much of what we do centers on connecting with others and forming friendships. Each morning at the end of Castle, as the campers are heading to their activities, we sing: Make new friends, but keep the old, One is silver, and the other’s gold. A circle is round, it never ends, That’s how long I want to be your friend.