Shiloh
Quaker Camp
Ages 9-14
Stanardsville, VA
17100 Quaker Lane
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
301-774-7663
brian@bymcamps.org
Shiloh
Shiloh Quaker Camp combines the communal excitement of a residential camp with the small group adventure of offsite trips, offering campers a summer full of inspiration and enrichment. The days spent at Shiloh are filled to the brim with games, creative arts, and lots and lots of singing. While these days are long on fun and laughter, they’re also fulfilling and meaningful. And our counselors are always striving to create an environment where campers can both serve as good community members and be their authentic selves.
Once each week, our campers take the spirit of camp with them as they embark on a two-night trip away from Shiloh. Whether they’re hiking, rock climbing, or canoeing, the campers carry everything they need with them, giving them a sense of independence and confidence. Though the activities these trips are centered around might differ, they all create a setting for building close-knit friendships, engendering a sense of community, and finding opportunities for personal growth in the challenges of the wild. Campers in their final year bookend their Shiloh experience with the Long Trip, a week-plus-long trip for our most experienced campers.
2025 Session Information
As with the other residential camps, Shiloh operates in three different two-week sessions:
Saturday, June 28 – Saturday, July 12
Sunday, July 13 – Saturday, July 26
Sunday, July 27 – Sunday, August 10
Drop Off: 2-4pm of the first day of each session
Pick Up: 10am-12pm of the last day of each session.
You may come at the start of pick up to join campers at the Fire Circle for singing and Meeting.
Please take note of whether you have a Saturday or Sunday drop off/pick up as each session is different.
Life at Camp
Shiloh is located on a 400 acre stretch of land in Madison County, VA, near Shenandoah National Park. Nestled in a valley that gets hot in the summer months, the camp is full of big open fields, cool mountain forests, a large swimming pond, and a pristine mountain stream. Our camp community easily fills those spaces with lively exuberance. While days spent away from camp differ, here is what a typical in-camp day looks like…
Morning:
The wake-up bell rings at 7:45am, summoning the community to gather for breakfast. After enjoying a meal together, everyone migrates to the Fire Circle to start the day with some quiet group reflection. From there, campers congregate in same-age groups for Unit Activity. And after that everyone is given a half hour of General Swim before being called for lunch.
Afternoon:
After lunch, campers are encouraged to clean up their cabins and spend some time unwinding before the afternoon ramps up. Next is Afternoon Activity, where campers can choose from a menu of artsy, outdoorsy, and athletic options run by our staff. range from the artistic to the athletic. After these sessions wrap up, campers have the option of more General Swim or Chocolate Cake, the camp nickname for a second round of Afternoon Activities.
Night:
After a full afternoon, the full camp reconvenes for dinner. When dinner cleanup is done, all age groups come together for Evening Activity. After the games, laughter, and moments of togetherness have ended, everyone retires to their cabins before their 9:30pm bedtime.
Shiloh Staples
Activities
Each in-camp day is packed with games, crafting sessions, and experiences to engage every type of camper. Whether your camper prefers tie-dying shirts or playing soccer, they’ll find something exciting during every activity period.
Water Activities
Campers have the option of one or two General Swim periods a day, where they can jump off the dock into the pond or splash around with friends in the creek that runs through the property.
Hiking
The Appalachian Trail is the perfect backdrop for both appreciating the region’s natural beauty and for challenging yourself in a new environment. Campers on these two-night hiking trips cover anywhere from two to twelve miles a day.
Canoeing
Guided by a certified canoe instructor, Shiloh’s canoe trips take campers down the Rappahannock, Rapidan, James, and Shenandoah rivers. There, campers get a chance to enjoy summer days on the water, bond with their canoe partner, and splash around in the water.
Rock Climbing
On climbing trips, campers can learn technical climbing skills at various sites within Shenandoah National Park. Climbing offers a great opportunity for campers to challenge themselves and overcome fears with the help of a certified climbing instructor.
Hope Swank, Director, Shiloh (she/her)
Hope Swank, Director of Shiloh, was born and raised outside of Washington DC and grew up attending Shiloh and Teen Adventure as a camper. She later worked at Shiloh as a Counselor, and then Teen Adventure as a Trip Leader and Trip Manager. Hope studied Spanish Literature and Anthropology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She moved to California in 2006 for an internship in teaching for San Mateo County Outdoor Education. Since then she has worked for a number of local outdoor education and nature awareness programs including Vide Verde Nature Education, Pigeon Point Environmental Education Program, and Riekes Center Nature Awareness. She has taught about redwood ecology, goat milking and cheesemaking, and the life and times of the Northern Elephant Seal. Hope is happy to be spending her summers in Virginia, and thrilled to be returning to Shiloh as a Director! She is happiest when outside.
Lexi Klein, Deputy Director, Shiloh (she/her)
Lexi Klein has been involved with BYM Camps since 2003 as a camper at Shiloh and Teen Adventure and then on staff. This will be her 10th year working at Shiloh. She was a counselor for 8 of those years; then a rock climbing instructor, bus driver, and Assistant Director. Along with being a Deputy Director at Shiloh, she is the Youth Programs Manager for BYM and a high school rock climbing coach. She’s a big fan of the outdoors and will always take time to go adventuring to find a new waterfall or a new path to skateboard with her dog Abe. Lexi is absolutely stoked to be supporting campers, families, and staff alike in this role this summer.
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