Beginnings
Deerfoot Lodge owes its founding in 1930 to Dad Kunz. He and others who shared his vision carved the camp out of Adirondack wilderness. They did so from a desire to help boys successfully bridge the gap from boyhood to manhood. He wrote...
Deerfoot's twofold purpose is to bring boys to the reality of a personal, intimate knowledge of God through Jesus Christ and then help develop true Christian character.
Dad Kunz learned that the property on Whitaker Lake was already occupied, but what seemed impossible turned into reality because God moved.
Who We Are
Foundational to the success of Deerfoot's ministry is calling boys to live out the teachings of Scripture.
Deerfoot creates conditions under which they are moved toward emotional, spiritual, and relational growth. This comes from leveraging the unique combination of community and the beauty of God's creation as catalysts.
Living with others in a technologically disconnected and unspoiled wilderness area develops strong community. This creates a setting for boys to realize the transformational power of a lifelong commitment to Jesus Christ.
Community
God has been working through Deerfoot Lodge for over 80 years in powerful ways. Generations of men point to their Deerfoot experience as formative to their spiritual lives.
Deerfoot is a place of community and relationships among boys and counselors, a place where boys find mentors, and where young men can measure their passage to manhood against milestones.
Deerfoot's biblical culture is marked by relevance and grace, engendering a supportive environment that helps reach into the lives of boys and the challenges they face.
At Camp and Beyond
At Deerfoot Lodge, we have a deep longing to meet boys where they are and help them become godly men. When a boy goes to camp year after year, and maybe becomes a staff member, we’ve seen our approach create a distinctive kind of man.
Deerfoot men are often plugged into their families, their local churches, their neighborhoods, and our world.
Deerfoot’s influence extends far beyond camp families and the Deerfoot community.
Deerfoot Snapshots
We Have an Opportunity
For over ten years, Deerfoot Lodge in the Adirondacks has had wait lists of boys longing to be part of the camp experience. This means something is working. But turning away teens who long to spend two weeks at Deerfoot unplugged from "regular" life opened the eyes of the board of directors that God is leading toward more.
After more than five years of strategic thinking, praying, and planning, the board united around the concept of replicating Deerfoot's program in a new geographic location so that more boys, twice as many, can experience the life changing impact of Deerfoot's ministry.
In March 2015, the Deerfoot board authorized the search for a new camp location in the southern Appalachian Mountains, with the intent of replicating Deerfoot. At its July 2015 meeting, the members approved negotiations for a 340-acre parcel identified in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. This led to the signing of a contract for the property's purchase in August 2015.
During the months that followed, lead donors and Deerfoot board members provided gifts and pledges sufficient for purchasing the Blue Ridge parcel. Deerfoot acquired the Trout Lake property on March 31, 2016, without incurring any long-term debt. Praise the Lord!
The 340-acre property offers unique advantages for carrying out our mission:
- Very quiet, isolated wilderness setting.
- Private lake surrounded by the property on all sides.
- High altitude for cooler summer days (3,500 feet elevation at lakeshore).
- Sufficient flat areas for a recreation field, common facilities, housing, and activity areas.
- Mixed hardwood and pine forests, and mountain scenery with long range views.
- Outstanding hiking opportunities between 30 minutes and 2 hours away.
- Easy drive for the 30% of current Deerfoot campers who live in Maryland and south.
- Opens the Deerfoot experience to areas such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbia, Greenville, and Knoxville.
Replicating the Deerfoot Model
Deerfoot’s aim in establishing a southeastern location is to continue its mission by replicating the model through which the Lord has worked powerfully over the years. This includes the organization’s culture and approach carried out in a pristine wilderness setting, and two-week sessions with three age groups (sections) of 50 campers each.
The size of the sections, the ratio of counselors to campers, the embrace of challenging activities, and the interaction among boys of different ages, are important ingredients for the building of relationships and community.
Blue Ridge Snapshots
Beyond Summer
There is a growing conviction by the board of directors that Deerfoot's mission should reach beyond the summer season into the year, and to men of all ages. Those dreams can be answered at the Blue Ridge location with its year-around accessibility and mild climate. Proximity to major metropolitan areas and good flight service make it attractive as a mission-focused activity hub during the off season.
Some Off-Site Destinations
Will You Join Us?
This vision is God-sized, and we depend on His provision through His people to develop and establish the new camp. We are as reliant upon the Lord for this new location to become a reality as Dad Kunz was when he first cast eyes on Whitaker Lake nearly 90 years ago.
Click on the following link to learn about the progress being made in developing Deerfoot Blue Ridge:
To learn more about Deerfoot Lodge or become involved with Deerfoot Blue Ridge, please contact us or view the resources below:
Chief Ron Mackey, Executive Director of Deerfoot Lodge
phone (855) 447-2267 X700 | chiefron@deerfoot.org