SUMMER 2026 · AGES 8–17
Spend the summer with your head in the stars.
Summit Camp is a two-week space and astronomy adventure where kids build rockets, track real constellations, and run their own mission control — under some of the darkest skies in the country.
Four ways to reach orbit
Rocketry
Design, build, and launch a model rocket — then recover it and read its flight data.
Stargazing
Find planets, nebulae, and the rings of Saturn through our 11-inch telescopes.
Astrobiology
Hunt for the ingredients of life and design a mission to find it elsewhere.
Mission Control
Run a simulated launch from the console: comms, telemetry, and the countdown.
Pick your launch window
Cadets
8–10First telescopes, first rockets, lots of wonder.
Navigators
11–13Real data, teamwork, and the night sky up close.
Pilots
14–17Mission simulations and a capstone launch project.
From families who came back
“She came home able to find Jupiter on her own. That confidence was worth every mile of the drive.”
“I built a rocket that actually flew, and I got the flight data back afterward. Best two weeks ever.”
“The counselors knew every constellation and never made me feel behind. I can't wait for next summer.”
Questions, before liftoff
What ages is Summit Camp for?
Campers are grouped into Cadets (8–10), Navigators (11–13), and Pilots (14–17). Each group has age-matched activities and counselors.
Where is the camp and how do drop-offs work?
We're at Cedar Ridge, a certified dark-sky site two hours north of the city. Drop-off is Sunday 2–4 PM; pickup is the second Friday by noon. Detailed directions ship with your enrollment packet.
What if my child has never used a telescope?
Perfect — most haven't. Every track starts from zero, and our 1:6 ratio means no one gets left behind.