Mount Hermon Association

What Mount Hermon Association does

Mount Hermon Association, Inc. is a private nonprofit Christian camp and retreat ministry founded in 1906, operating as the first Christian Camp west of the Mississippi River. The organization runs two primary campuses: the Santa Cruz Mountains site in Felton, California, comprising Redwood Camp (elementary overnight), Ponderosa Lodge (grades 7-12), and the Conference Center; and Kidder Creek near the California/Oregon border, focused on adventure programming. It serves youth campers, families, adults and couples, school groups, churches, parachurch ministries, and military families through faith-based experiential programming combined with outdoor recreation including whitewater rafting, horseback riding, ziplines, ropes courses, and mountain biking.

The product portfolio includes family camps, kids and teen camps, adult retreats (women's, men's, marriage, All Comers Conference), Mount Hermon Adventures (Redwood Canopy Tour and Sequoia Aerial Adventure), Outdoor Science School, and Guest Group custom retreat hosting. Technology infrastructure is limited to standard commercial tooling: a web-based self-service registration platform (register.mounthermon.org), Stripe and Authorize.Net payment processing, SmugMug photo galleries, a podcast and audio distribution channel, and an online book shop. There is no proprietary software, no API, and no AI capability.

Revenue is generated through five streams: camp and retreat registration fees ranging from $179 for day camps to over $1,400 for multi-week wilderness programs; guest group venue rental for church and organization retreats; donations and charitable giving including an Associates program for $1,000+ donors and Redwood Society planned giving; retail sales through an on-site Christian book shop; and Outdoor Science School programs for school groups. The organization provides over $300,000 in annual camperships to nearly 1,000 people and is an ECFA charter member in good standing with publicly available financial statements upon written request.

Name

Mount Hermon Association

Legal name

Mount Hermon Association, Inc.

Website

https://mounthermon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Mount Hermon Association is a 120-year-old nonprofit Christian camp and retreat ministry operating four facilities across California, serving youth, families, adults, churches, and schools with faith-based summer camps, adventure programs, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Summer Camping and Retreat Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI), Mountain & Alpine Lodges (THAGAIAE), Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

Keywords

• Christian summer camps
• Family retreat centers
• Youth adventure programs
• Conference and retreat venues
• Outdoor science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Felton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Camp and Retreat Registration Fees: Primary revenue from week-long summer camps, weekend retreats, and specialty adventure programs. Pricing varies by program type, duration, accommodation level, and season. Registration fees range from $179 (day camp) to over $1,400 (two-week wilderness programs).
2. Guest Group Venue Rental: Hosting third-party church groups, organizations, and businesses for custom retreats and conferences at conference facilities in Santa Cruz Mountains and Kidder Creek.
3. Donations and Charitable Giving: Annual campership fund providing over $300,000 to nearly 1,000 people. Associates program for donors giving $1,000+ annually. Redwood Society for estate planned giving. Stock gifts, IRA charitable distributions, donor advised fund grants, and gifts of real estate.
4. Retail Sales: Mount Hermon Book Shop offering Christian books, gifts, clothing, and Mount Hermon branded merchandise. Retail bookstore serving Santa Cruz County.
5. Outdoor Science School Programs: Educational programs for youth teaching about God's creation through hands-on outdoor science curriculum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mount Hermon Association operates multi-location Christian summer camps, family camps, and adult retreats at two campuses in California (Santa Cruz Mountains and Kidder Creek). Its core offerings include week-long youth overnight camps at Redwood Camp and Ponderosa Lodge, adventure camps at Kidder Creek featuring whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and mountain biking, family camp programs, weekend adult retreats, and Outdoor Science School educational programs. The organization also hosts custom retreats and conferences for churches and groups and operates a Christian book shop on-site.

Product overview

Mount Hermon Association operates a multi-location Christian camp and retreat ministry with three main camp facilities in the Santa Cruz Mountains (Redwood Camp, Ponderosa Lodge, and Conference Center) and one location near the CA/OR border (Kidder Creek). The organization offers youth summer camps, family camps, adult retreats, adventure programs (Mount Hermon Adventures featuring zip lines and aerial courses), Outdoor Science School, and custom group retreat services. Additional offerings include a conference center for large-scale events and an on-site Christian book shop. The product portfolio centers on faith-based outdoor experiences combining recreation with Christian teaching and spiritual formation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kidder Creek: Northern California's premier adventure camp near the CA/OR border offering whitewater rafting, rock climbing, horseback riding, aerial adventures and back-country experiences.
• Redwood Camp
• Ponderosa Lodge
• Mount Hermon Adventures
• Outdoor Science School
• MH Adventures

Products and services

• Family Camps All-inclusive family camp programs featuring summer camps, family adventure camps, parent/child camps, Family Camp in lodge rooms or cabins, Family Adventure Camp, Moms & Daughters Ranch Camp, Dads & Sons Adventure Camp, concerts, and hymn sings set among Santa Cruz redwoods. Designed for multi-generational families to spend intentional time together.
• Kids & Teen Camps Summer camps for children and teenagers held at Ponderosa Lodge, Redwood Camp, and Kidder Creek locations, led by Christian staff with life-transforming experiences. Includes grade-specific and program-specific offerings such as Redwood Camp (grades 2-6), Ponderosa Lodge (grades 7-12), and Kidder Creek adventure camps.
• Adult Retreats & Events Weekend retreats for adults including women's retreats, men's retreats, marriage retreats, and All-Comers Conference (45+ conference) designed for rest and spiritual renewal.
• Redwood Camp An overnight camp for 2nd-6th graders located in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 6496 East Zayante Road, Felton, CA, featuring activities like boating, archery, zip line, pool, and community worship. $799 per camper.
• Ponderosa Lodge A one-week Christian camp experience for 7th-12th grade students at 4600 Graham Hill Rd, Felton, CA in the Santa Cruz mountains featuring laser tag, swimming, one-wheels, and team competitions. $990 per camper.
• Kidder Creek Northern California's premier adventure camp near the CA/OR border at 2700 S Kidder Creek Rd, Etna, CA, offering whitewater rafting, rock climbing, horseback riding, aerial adventures, and back-country experiences. Includes High Adventure Camp ($789), Advanced Mountain Bike Camp ($849), Advanced Rider Camp ($915), High Country Ranch Camp ($1,079), Kidder Creek Classic Adventure Camp ($679), River Camp ($709), and Day Camp ($179).
• Mount Hermon Adventures Adventure programs including Redwood Canopy Tour and Sequoia Aerial Adventure offering zip lining and high ropes courses among the redwoods. Operated as a separate program with its own website (mounthermonadventures.com).
• Wilderness Programs (Wilderness Ascent and Wilderness Summit) Multi-day backcountry backpacking and whitewater rafting wilderness adventure programs. Wilderness Ascent ($749 per camper, 6-day) and Wilderness Summit ($1,425 per camper, 2-week backcountry and whitewater river program).
• Outdoor Science School Educational programs teaching youth about God's creation through hands-on outdoor science curriculum while living in intentional community. Operated as a separate program with its own hiring and website (outdoorscience.com).
• Conference Center / Guest Groups Custom Events Conference and retreat venue hosting surrounded by redwoods with meeting rooms, housing options, and recreation for large-scale retreats and programs. Custom retreat and event hosting services for churches, parachurch ministries, and organizations, with staff handling details for weekend retreats and mid-week conferences via guestgroups.mounthermon.org.
• Mount Hermon Book Shop Santa Cruz County's local Christian book store located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, offering books, clothing, gifts, and Mount Hermon branded merchandise.

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mission Springs Camps and Conference Center: Faith-based camp and conference center in the Santa Cruz Mountains area, directly comparable to Mount Hermon's Santa Cruz operations. Bryan Hayes served as Executive Director there for 18 years before rejoining Mount Hermon, underscoring the deep operational overlap.
• Forest Home: California-based Christian camp and retreat ministry operating multiple sites with youth camps, family camps, and conference hosting - directly overlapping Mount Hermon's product portfolio and West Coast geography.
• Hume Lake Christian Camps: California-based Christian camp operator offering youth camps, family camps, and retreats in the Sequoia/ Hume Lake area, comparable to Mount Hermon's wilderness/adventure programming and Cal-centric ministry model.
• Pine Cove: Major Christian camp operator running multiple resident camps across Texas with similar youth, family, and adventure programming, comparable in scope and multi-location operating model to Mount Hermon.
• Kanakuk Kamps: One of the largest Christian youth camp operators in the US, offering multi-week residential camps with adventure activities - a direct comparable to Mount Hermon's youth camp offerings and pricing tier.
• Word of Life: Global Christian camp and conference ministry referenced in Mount Hermon's leadership bios (Andy Warken grew up at Word of Life in Schroon Lake, NY), offering year-round youth camps, family camps, and retreat hosting comparable to Mount Hermon's portfolio.
• Sugar Pine Christian Camps: California-based Christian camp where Mount Hermon's VP of Guest Care (Bill Fernald) began his camp career, offering similar youth and family programming with adventure activities comparable to Mount Hermon's offerings.
• Camp Cedar: Christian summer camp focused on youth residential programs with structured programming and adventure activities, comparable to Mount Hermon's youth camp model and pricing structure.

Broad incumbents

• Young Life: Large Christian youth ministry that operates camps (e.g., Crooked Creek, Timber Wolf Lake) as part of a broader club and outreach program. Overlaps with Mount Hermon's youth development and church partnership mission but operates at a much larger scope.

Emerging players

• Royal Family KIDS: Faith-based network operating camps for foster children and vulnerable youth, aligned with Mount Hermon's mission and youth-camp delivery model but focused on a narrower beneficiary segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mount_hermon
• Xx.com/mounthermon

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mount Hermon Association