Falling Creek Camp

UPDATES: Hiring for Summer 2024!

Hiring:

Being a summer camp counselor is one of the most rewarding, challenging and enjoyable jobs you will ever have. If you want to make a difference in the lives of children while building life skills, there’s no better place to spend your summer than Falling Creek Camp. As a counselor, you will be responsible for facilitating the residential experience for a cabin of (typically) eight boys. Our camp staff members serve as both cabin counselors and activity staff. They are responsible for teaching and coaching in various activities like target and team sports, arts like woodworking and blacksmithing, and individual pursuits like farming and outdoor skills. We provide ample pay bonuses for certifications, completion of orientation and the entirety of the contract, and education. 

At Falling Creek, we recruit as wide a variety of personalities as possible. With as many campers as we have, our boys resonate uniquely with counselors, whatever identity they bring to the mountain. That being said, there are certain qualities that are more conducive to success over the course of the entire season. Chief amongst these are perhaps flexibility and work ethic. It is hard to predict the exact course of a day, but our staff should be engaged and creative enough to roll with whatever challenge might come their way. We also like people who are team players. Unselfishness is what we call “the spirit of Falling Creek”, and one must be able to prioritize the needs of our community over themselves.

As a camp counselor, you'll be a role model, a big brother/sister, teacher, coach, mentor, listener, memory maker, problem solver, and superhero. Your job is to help boys have a great experience at camp, whether you're joining them at meals, teaching in activities, leading an outdoor trip, encouraging a homesick camper, or helping them get ready for bed after a day of adventure. The day may be long, but you can't beat the type of day you'll have!

Explore the range of jobs: Outdoor Adventure Jobs • Classic Camp Jobs • Sports Jobs • Art Jobs • Media Jobs

Benefits

We offer a competitive and progressive pay schedule that is determined based on your experience, age, education, certifications, and other factors. Staff working the full summer (Orientation plus 4 sessions) will have a base pay of $4000, not including additional pay, experience, and bonuses.

Visit our “What You Get” page to see the full pay scale, read more about the value of an internship at camp, learn how to translate your camp experience to your resume, and find more resources.

In addition to housing, food, and pay, each day at camp brings adventure, physical recreation, and endless opportunities for personal and professional growth. You are welcome to use the camp facilities and participate in activities during your free time, so long as it does not take away from a class or camper.

Housing

Male camp counselors live in a cabin with one other counselor and about eight campers. In addition to their activity instruction, male counselors will have an assortment of responsibilities related to the management of their cabin. Female camp counselors also serve as activity staff, but don’t live in cabins with the campers, and are responsible instead for organizational tasks during the times that male staff are busy with their cabins. Trip Leaders are responsible for the planning and logistics of outdoor adventure trips, and do not live in a cabin with campers

Skills Needed

Completed At Least One Year of College and/or At Least 19 Years Old.

Our mission states that we exist to shepherd the journey of personal growth through love and adventure. Staff must be dedicated to live by the Falling Creek Code.

Patient. Flexible. Team Player. Genuinely Enthusiastic. Friendly. Eager to Grow. Open to Offer and Receive Feedback. Able to Think on Your Feet. Good Decision Maker. Hard Working. Get-It-Done Attitude.

See more on our staff FAQs page.

We hire a co-ed staff for our summer and listed pay is the base rate. We provide additional bonuses for education, certifications, and completion of the training and the entirety of the contract.

At Falling Creek, we recruit as wide a variety of personalities as possible. With as many campers as we have, our boys resonate uniquely with counselors, whatever identity they bring to the mountain. That being said, there are certain qualities that are more conducive to success over the course of the entire season. Chief amongst these are perhaps flexibility and work ethic. It is hard to predict the exact course of a day, but our staff should be engaged and creative enough to roll with whatever challenge might come their way. We also like people who are team players. Unselfishness is what we call “the spirit of Falling Creek”, and one must be able to prioritize the needs of our community over themselves.

Backpacking instructors at Falling Creek are able to spend time enjoying the rugged beauty of Western North Carolina firsthand, admiring waterfalls, open vistas, rhododendron tunnels, and hardwood stands dating back hundreds of years. Throughout the summer you’ll lead a variety of trips, ranging from short half-day adventures to epic five-day expeditions.

Each member of our Backpacking and Hiking staff become Wilderness First Responder certified, and will learn valuable knowledge of the local area. We hike in beautiful and famous locations near Falling Creek, like Pisgah and Nantahala National Forest, the Appalachian Trail, the Art Loeb Trail, and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.

While you are welcome to bring any of your own gear, we provide all the supplies and gear you’ll need for backpacking.

Required – Passion for hiking and being in the outdoors

Added Bonus –  Wilderness First Responder or higher (we can train you if needed), LNT master educator, Van Driver Certification, lifeguard (we can train you if needed)

Hit the trails and join us for a summer of adventure as a camp counselor and mountain bike instructor at Falling Creek. Zipping through the trees, splashing through creeks, and flowing down bermy singletrack trails - it’s hard not to smile while riding a mountain bike. Get paid to play this summer at camp!

Mountain biking instructors at Falling Creek are able to spend time enjoying the fast, flowy, and famous trails of Western North Carolina firsthand. We ride in places like Dupont State Forest, Pisgah National Forest, Tsali Recreational Area, Paris Mountain, and more. But, with over 900 acres and 25 miles of private trails at Falling Creek, you don’t even have to leave camp property to get in plenty of great riding! Throughout the summer you’ll teach bike handling skills, basic bike maintenance, and lead a variety of trips, ranging from short half-day adventures to epic five-day expeditions.

We are looking for assistant trip leaders for the Mountain Biking program. While you are welcome to bring any of your own gear, we provide all the bikes, supplies, and gear you’ll need for mountain biking.

If you have the following, lets’ talk:

Required – Passion for mountain biking & basic bike mechanic knowledge. 

Added Bonus – Wilderness First Responder or higher (we can train you if needed), PMBIA certification, Van Driver Certification, Lifeguard (we can train you if needed)

The climbing program at Falling Creek climbs on a wide range of rock faces in Western North Carolina and throughout the Southeast. During the summer you’ll guide and teach skills associated with single-pitch and multi-pitch climbing, including knot tying, movement skills, bouldering, risk management, and problem solving, to a wide range of ages and skill levels. You’ll be leading a variety of trips, ranging from short half-day adventures to epic five-day expeditions. 

We start with the basics on Gilbert’s Rock, which is our 160-foot-tall private granite dome. From Gilbert’s we travel to Looking Glass, Cedar Rock, Linville Gorge, The Obed, The Red and many other awesome crags in the southeast. While you are welcome to bring any of your own gear, we provide all the supplies and gear you’ll need for rock climbing.

If you have the following, let’s talk: 

Required – Passion for Trad Climbing 

Added Bonus - Wilderness First Responder or higher (we can train you if needed), van driver certification, higher level climbing certifications, LNT master educator, lifeguard (we can train you if needed)

Falling Creek offers an outstanding progression-based paddling program oriented toward single and multi-day trips on exciting whitewater rivers in Western North Carolina and throughout the Southeast. As campers progress, they advance to more challenging rapids, moving through rivers like the Lower & Upper Green, Tuckaseegee sections I, III & V, French Broad sections VI & IX, Chattooga sections II & III, Pigeon, Ocoee, Nolichucky, and New River Gorge. Once a camper has completed his progressions in a tandem canoe, he may continue his whitewater training in a solo canoe, C-1, or kayak. 

Throughout the summer you’ll teach canoeing and kayaking techniques to a wide range of ages and skill levels, and lead a variety of trips ranging from short half-day adventures to epic five-day expeditions. Each summer builds on the progression made previously, and as paddling staff, you’ll be equipped to continue teaching and offering new challenges, no matter the paddling level of the boy. We are looking for Assistant Trip Leaders for our whitewater program. While you are welcome to bring any of your own gear, we provide all the boats, supplies, and gear you’ll need for paddling.

Required – Passion for whitewater 

Added Bonus – Kayak instructor, Wilderness First Responder or higher (we can train you if needed), LNT Master Educator, Van Driver Certification, lifeguard (we can train you if needed)

Falling Creek offers an outstanding progression-based paddling program oriented toward single and multi-day trips, not just on exciting whitewater, but also on peaceful and scenic mountain lakes in Western North Carolina and throughout the Southeast. 

We take canoe trips to places like Jocassee, Fontana, and Tugalo Lakes. Throughout the summer you’ll teach canoeing and kayaking techniques to a wide range of ages and skill levels, and lead a variety of trips ranging from short half-day adventures to epic five-day expeditions. These trips focus on offering a wilderness experience while traveling by canoe, exploring the numerous mountain lakes and river trails in this area. While you are welcome to bring any of your own gear, we provide all the boats, supplies, and gear you’ll need for paddling.

If you have the following, let’s talk:

Required – Passion for canoeing/flatwater touring

Added Bonus –  Wilderness First Responder or higher (we can train you if needed), LNT master educator, Van Driver Certification, lifeguard (we can train you if needed)

Although we ride English style at Falling Creek, we also teach many Western skills from the riding ring to the trails. We have our own horses and barn and almost 30 miles of trail. This role is perfect for someone looking to combine their love of horses with living in a close-knit community nestled neatly in the mountains of western North Carolina. This is a great opportunity for those who may be seeking a summer experience that allows them to begin building their resume with instruction and leadership experience. The minimum requirement for this role is that applicants must be at least 18 years old, have completed at least one year of college or similar life experience. CHA certification is not required for these roles, but pay will increase with additional certification

Additional Information About Falling Creek Camp

Falling Creek is an overnight summer camp for boys, founded on Christian values. We exist to shepherd the journey of personal growth through love and adventure. We believe that the boys we serve (grades 1-12) are best able to maximize their potential through intentional community, fun activities, and connection with the natural world, which we provide through our world-class staff, stunning 900+ acre campus, and a heavy emphasis on outdoor recreation. Falling Creek is situated on a mountaintop in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, where boys are unplugged from technology and allowed to be themselves for ten idyllic weeks every summer.

Falling Creek was founded in 1969 as an independent Christian camp for boys. Longstanding traditions and a commitment to character development are hallmarks of the Falling Creek program. Boys and staff have the unique opportunity for physical, spiritual, and social growth at camp. The Falling Creek Code is a set of enduring traditional values that provides the framework for this growth. The camp experience balances high energy all-camp-games and outdoor adventure with time for reflection in cabin discussions and group gatherings. In addition to the classic camp activities, campers can choose to participate daily in a variety of outdoor adventure trips off-property.

Read more about Falling Creek Camp at https://fallingcreek.com/about-us.

2024 New Staff Interest Form