Adventure Camp
Terp Quest Adventure Camp is a summer camp designed to give 10-12 year old campers the chance to engage in adventure experiences that promote personal growth, transformative learning, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. Whether climbing to new heights, learning outdoor skills, or engaging with nature artistically, Terp Quest Adventure gives campers the opportunity to explore uncharted territory and challenge themselves in a fun and safe environment – all on campus in UMD facilities.
Terp Quest Adventure Camp will operate alongside Terp Quest Day Camp in summer 2026 for the first three weeks of camp. Terp Quest Adventure Camp is open to 30 campers each week.
Your child may be a great fit for Terp Quest Adventure Camp if they enjoy being outside, engaging with nature, learning new skills, and experiencing a taste of adventure!
Registration opens at 8:00 AM on January 21, 2026!
Drop off*: 8:30am- 9:00am
Daily activities will include:
- Team Building Time - Connect with counselors and fellow campers through games & challenges.
- Aquatic Adventures - Learn to canoe in the pool, enjoy free swim, and even design & test a cardboard canoe!
- Aerial Adventures - Get out of your comfort zone at our outdoor climbing wall, alpine tower, and high ropes course!
- Nature-Based Education - Practice outdoor skills and engage with nature through activities like scavenger hunts, fire building, and nature hikes.
- Arts & Crafts - Find expression through rope crafts, rock painting, flower printing and more!
Pick up*: 4:00pm - 4:30pm
*Terp Quest Adventure Camp Drop off and Pick Up will occur at the same location as Day Camp. Please refer to this page for more information
Terp Quest Adventure Camp will coincide with Terp Quest Day Camp for weeks 1-3, allowing the opportunity to seamlessly transition between experiences from week to week. During weeks 4-6, only Terp Quest Day Camp will be offered.
| Week | Dates | Adventure Camp Tuition | Before Care | After Care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | June 22 - June 26 | $350 | $35 | $35 |
| Week 2 | June 29 - July 2 | $280 | $28 | $28 |
| Week 3 | July 6 - July 10 | $350 | $35 | $35 |
What sets Terp Quest Adventure apart from other camps?
Terp Quest Adventure Camp staff are seasoned trip leaders and challenge course facilitators who lead outdoor programming during the rest of the year. The activities are designed to provide a greater taste of adventure, trading traditional camp activities such as games in the gym for swinging between towers and outdoor scavenger hunts. While fun and recreational, activities additionally aim to challenge campers to help them grow and take away new skills and knowledge.
What is similar between Terp Quest Day Camp and Terp Quest Adventure Camp?
Campers and parents will find that Terp Quest Adventure shares a lot of the groundwork with Terp Quest, simply taken into a different direction. Drop off and pickup locations and times remain the same, and are done together. AWESOME Rules still apply! Campers in Terp Quest Adventure Camp will still see friends from Terp Quest Day Camp each morning before splitting up for the day. Terp Quest Adventure still aims to be fun and recreational, focuses on building bonds and community within each group, and provides a deep level of care to each individual camper.
Will my child be able to participate in before care and after care?
Yes, campers in Terp Quest Adventure Camp will have the opportunity to participate in before care and after care with campers from Terp Quest Day Camp.
What if my child is afraid of heights?
It is true that activities at height will be included on each day of camp, whether that is climbing at UMD’s outdoor climbing wall and alpine tower or playing on the high ropes course. Terp Quest Adventure Camp follows a “Choose Your Challenge” philosophy, encouraging each camper to participate in these activities in a way that they feel able while celebrating and supporting others for doing the same. In the end, you know your child best and can determine whether you believe an experience like this would challenge your child to grow and build confidence, or if it simply isn’t their thing and that’s okay!
Will my child have time in the pool every day?
Yes! As a change from Terp Quest Adventure Camp 2025, this year, all campers will have pool time every day of camp. On some days, that will be in watercraft like canoes, while on other days there will be time for free swim.
Will my child leave UMD campus?
No, all activities for Terp Quest Adventure remain on UMD campus.
What changes have been made from Terp Quest Adventure Camp 2025?
This year, Terp Quest Adventure Camp coincides with the first three weeks of Terp Quest Day Camp, allowing campers to see familiar faces during the week, as well as providing the opportunity for before care and after care. Additionally, campers will participate in pool activities each day to cool off. Each day, campers will have a mix of exciting, adventurous activities like hiking and climbing and calmer, reflective activities like arts & crafts. Generally, most activities will be shorter in duration, but campers will have the opportunity to engage in more diverse activities each day. Lastly, campers will have the opportunity to put their creativity and outdoor skills to the test by designing and racing a cardboard canoe as a part of a collaborative project throughout the week.
Many of these activities involve being outside. What if there is poor weather?
That is a great question! Some of our activities have the opportunity to shift inside in case of inclement weather, such as arts & crafts, scavenger hunts, and team building activities. Additionally, there is opportunity to experience our new Bouldering Zone facilities as a replacement for climbing or other high ropes activities. Activities for which an indoor equivalent cannot reasonably be offered will be replaced with adventure and nature-inspired activities such as a bike lab to learn about bicycle repairs, a tower building design project using aspects of the natural world, and activities designed to allow youth to engage with Leave No Trace and other principles of outdoor ethics.