What’s Working At Camp Like?
Camp is a warm, supportive, and friendly environment where you have the chance to make a positive and lasting impact in the lives of young men. You also have opportunities to develop leadership and teaching skills, make life-long friends, and spend the summer in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
Benefits
Each day at camp brings adventure, physical recreation, and endless opportunities for personal and professional growth through 21st century skills.
Competitive Salary
We offer a competitive and progressive pay schedule that is determined based on your experience, age, education, certifications, and other factors.
See the 2025 Estimated Pay Sheet here for a breakdown on how much you’ll make each week.
3 Squares and a Roof
Room and board is included. As a counselor, you’ll eat family-style for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with your campers. We provide mattresses, sheets, and blankets. Other staff perks are weekly laundry service, a dedicated counselor “Lair” with wireless internet access, movie nights, and the occasional hair cut.
Time Off
Each week you’ll receive a scheduled time-off period of approximately 34 hours, typically in one block of time. While the 2025 time-off schedule specifics are up for discussion during this off-season, in 2024 a time-off period started at 1 pm on a certain day and ended at 11 pm the next day. For example, someone with a Monday time-off period would be off from 1 pm Monday to 11 pm Tuesday. Staff are also able to take an hour of “self-care time” each day at camp, where you are free to read, workout, nap, or do anything you need to “recharge your batteries” daily. Everyone gets the same amount of time off; the schedule is based on your position and role at camp. Being well-rested and refreshed is a must! (During session changeover weeks, this schedule is altered slightly.)
Professional Development
During Staff Orientation, we teach you everything you need to know about working at camp. After that, we provide materials, workshops, guest speakers, and other opportunities and resources to increase your knowledge and skills. We also make our online staff resource site available 24/7.
Through working at Falling Creek, I’ve become a much improved leader, made amazing friends, and it’s helped me realize I want to make a difference in whatever profession I end up in.
Jack G, Counselor (‘22-’23)
Scroll down to read more about the value of an internship at camp, your pay, time off, and how to translate your camp experience to your resume.
Want to hear from staff members themselves?
Read about the benefits of camp from the staff perspective in Riley’s story, Reid’s story, or browse our alumni stories.
Certification Courses
Different roles at camp require certifications. If we require you to have a certain course, we’ll coordinate with you to get it. This may include CPR, Lifeguarding, Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Advanced First Aid, Swift Water Rescue, etc.
Staff Resources
We are fortunate to have professionals from the outdoor industry working at Falling Creek. Some of our senior staff are professional kayakers, climbers, mountain bikers, etc. They are the best of the best, and you have the opportunity to learn from them.
Networking
Being a Falling Creek alumni connects you to a network of former staff and parents who are business owners and employers. We are frequently asked to refer our most talented staff members.
The community at FCC always feels like home, no matter how long you may be away from the mountain. Everyone treats you like family and makes you feel loved, heard, and valued. Every single person I’ve gotten to work with is now a close friend of mine and I know I could reach out to them for anything and be met with nothing but patience, love, and understanding.
KC / Brevard, North Carolina
Pro-Deals
During the summer you’ll have access to a network of discounts and deals available to industry professionals. These include clothing, gear, musical instruments, and more.
Time
We offer 11 weeks of employment that fits perfectly with your summer break. Time off is scheduled each week so you can recharge your batteries and explore wonderful Western North Carolina.
Skill Improvement
By teaching activities, your own skills will improve. Perfecting the basics with the campers on a day-to-day basis gives you a solid foundation for your own adventures.
Unrivaled Responsibility
We don’t start you at the bottom and give you busywork; you are directly involved in running camp and helping campers succeed. You are responsible for eight campers in your cabin, as well as the campers you instruct in various activities.
Marketing Experience
You will need to market your activity! Since there are 28 activities at camp, each one competes for the attention of our campers. And some days you’ll have the chance to offer programs or activities out of the “norm.” This will be your chance to shine and let the campers see what you’re excited about.
Money
- We offer a competitive and progressive pay structure.
- You’ll receive your pay at the end of the summer, but you can withdraw weekly advances to pay bills or to use on your time off.
- Room and board is included during your time of employment.
- Possibility of earning internship credits.
Health
- You’ll never be short on exercise at camp. We walk or hike everywhere, and most evenings we play an active large-group game that involves everyone.
- We require you to come with personal health insurance coverage, but we provide Workman’s Compensation Coverage.
- Our Health Center is staffed with nurses 24/7. We also have a doctor living on-site each week. They help campers and staff with routine health needs.
- You may take advantage of staff-organized exercise sessions and bible study fellowship groups.
Connections
- Camp is a place where lifelong friendships are forged. You’ll meet campers and staff members that will stick with you forever.
- Networking: Camp opens up a remarkable network of alumni and parents who are employers and business owners. They understand the broad set of skills you possess, and they realize what it takes to be a good camp counselor - who knows what these relationships can lead to?
Personal & Professional Development
We offer staff opportunities to increase our team members’ skills and knowledge from the day they are hired and throughout the summer.
We send resources via mail and e-mail, and share extensive online resources while you are away from camp.
In May we host an almost two-week Staff Development and Camp Orientation. Some staff members must arrive two to three weeks prior to this to attend certification clinics for their areas of expertise at camp.
During the summer, we offer learning opportunities for our staff from guest speakers to in-service training.
Honestly, there are so many ‘best’ parts of my job at Falling Creek. Having to just pick one I would say it’s the disguised personal and professional development. I come out of the summer more reliable and honest because of what we do on the mountain. To put it simply, the best part of the job is that when you’re actually doing the job it’s hard to see the improvements you’ve made within yourself, but, as soon as you step off the mountain back into your normal life you get to see the changes that have been happening for the last 10 weeks.
Josh C. / Sanford, NC