Above and Beyond is PARI’s signature camping experience designed to immerse high school students in the world of space science and research while building confidence and critical thinking skills. Originally developed in partnership with Duke University and refined for nearly two decades, this space camp explores the universe through astronomy, physics, and astrobiology, while also providing time for adventure and fun. The process followed by scientists and researchers who’ve made space science their career is modeled to show how new discoveries are made about the universe. Campers are provided the tools and guided through the process by professionals who have made space their life’s work. From determining the expansion speed of a super-nova remnant, to characterizing an exo-planet or finding evidence of dark matter; your data will reveal and your conclusions will add to humanity’s knowledge of the universe! Grades 9th –... Read More
Mission Control: Martian Frontier -Do you have what it takes to plan a mission to another planet? Gain confidence, learn space science, and strive to make it to a new world in this combination role-play—academic camp. The wide variety of topics makes this camp a good fit for a range of interests. You’ll tackle challenges in space craft and habitat design, astronaut health and well-being, and capturing public interest while swaying others to support your plan. Unleash your curiousity of the unknown when you retreat to a dark sky oasis where the stars are innumerable and beckon overhead. Let the magnificence of space overwhelm you as you discover the mysteries that still confound scientists, it just might drive you to become tomorrow’s astronauts, physicists, and engineers. Ages: Grades 7th –... Read More
The Cradle of Forestry in America invites the public to explore a re-created campsite of the early 1900’s during its “Camping in the Old Style” event. A classic camping interpretive team known as the Acorn Patrol demonstrates the low-tech/high-skill approach as practiced in the outdoors during what some historians consider the Golden Age of Camping. During this time in history, the Pisgah National Forest was in its infancy. City folk were discovering the joys of outdoor recreation. It was a time when camping meant sleeping under canvas and cooking over an open fire. Here in the wood smoke, surrounded by the outdoor gear of a by-gone day, the traditional skills of camping will be practiced in the Cradle of Forestry’s scenic setting in the corral along the Biltmore Campus Trail. Visitors can see fires ignited by flint, steel and friction, old-style campfire cookery, four different styles of period shelters, and traditional camp tools in use. Each camper has expertise in various aspects of woodcraft, history, nature study, and welcomes interacting with visitors and questions. “Camping in the Old Style” is inspired by Horace Kephart, author of Camping and Woodcraft, originally published in 1906. Kephart’s approach to enjoying the outdoors holds lessons for today’s modern... Read More
Evening at PARI Join us on September 22nd, 2023 and experience the wonders of the night sky. 🪐 As the Earth makes its journey around the Sun, our views of the sky change. Each season brings its own set of wonders to discover. From planets and moons to galaxies and nebulae, something unique and breathtaking is always ready to rise above the horizon. Enjoy our dark skies and mountain peaks for breathtaking views of the night sky. Our astronomers will guide your experience and point out the best of what each season has on display through big telescopes. There are three ways to attend this event: 1. Cabin Package – Overnight stay with Dinner and Breakfast included 2. Camping Package – Overnight stay with Dinner and Breakfast included 3. Evening Only Ticket – Viewing only PARI IS OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!! You must register to attend this... Read More
This year’s Space Day open house at PARI is free and open to the public. Come join us Saturday, May 6th from 10am to 4pm for a day of fun and STEM learning. Here are some things you can do: 📖Attend the signing of the newly released book all about PARI and talk to the author – “Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute: An Untold History of Spacemen & Spies” by Craig Gralley, at 11am and 2pm 🚀Hop on board our shuttle for outdoor site tours (*not a real space shuttle, just a ground one🚐) 💎Take in our museum galleries with NASA and space artifacts, minerals and gems, meteorites, and more, open with scientists to answer your questions☄️ 🔭Peek through a solar telescope to safely observe the Sun and look for sunspots☀️ 🪐Journey through our solar system on the Galaxy Walk, our scale model of our home in the universe 🖍️Visit the activity tables with fun stuff for kids 🎶Hear music played by DJ RaZor with 4 Dreamz Entertainment 🌌Immerse yourself in outer space with a planetarium show (requires a separate $5 ticket) 😋Enjoy a meal from local food vendor “Local Harvester” (food must be purchased)🥪 😃Visit booths and displays from some of PARI’s friends and partners. There will be books and robots and telescopes and more! ⛰️Hike to our observation deck for beautiful views 🎉Play games... Read More
PRESENTED BY PARI AND CLEMSON UNIVERSITY CRYPTOGRAPHY & SECRET MESSAGES SET IN A FORMER SPY BASE Campers will explore the origins of codes and ciphers and how they have evolved from written messages to complex digital encryption methods in use today. They will learn how to recreate these techniques themselves and crack the messages sent by their fellow cryptographers, all while reinforcing skills in math, language, and pattern recognition. What better setting than PARI, which once operated as a spy station for the Department of Defense during the Cold War, where messages were being intercepted and deciphered? Another element in the sending of secrets is how you transport them from place to place. We’ll take a look at the technologies, both past and present, that allow information to zip out to distant satellites and back down to Earth. How do we make sure our sensitive transmissions don’t end up in the wrong hands? From messages based on playing with words and numbers, to hiding information in plain sight in images and everyday objects, you’d never suspect all the ways cryptography is used all around us. Campers will leave with an understanding of the principles that drive the world and keep our data... Read More
PRESENTED BY PARI AND CLEMSON UNIVERSITY MISSION: GALACTIC CARTOGRAPHY – MAP THE MILKY WAY AND PLOT A PATH Milky Way Trailblazers is a two week research experience for high school aged campers. Campers will learn to use a radio telescope to find the composition of a region of the Milky Way and measure the speed it is rotating and moving. They will combine the observations and conclusions made by their team with other teams to form a larger understanding of the galaxy we call home. Using a radio telescope to measure regions of space doesn’t create pictures like we see with an optical telescope. The methods to turn the data collected into a map that can guide our way require creativity and hard work. Will the results look the same, or different, than what we see through an optical telescope? Radio isn’t just used for observing space either. Communicating with satellites is a big role that large dishes like the ones at PARI play in human space exploration. Campers will investigate and report on the methods, both historical and contemporary, that are used to accomplish this, and the people who figured out how to do... Read More
Above and Beyond is PARI’s signature camping experience designed to immerse high school students in the world of space science and research while building confidence and critical thinking skills. Originally developed in partnership with Duke University and refined for nearly two decades, this space camp explores the universe through astronomy, physics, and astrobiology, while also providing time for adventure and fun. The process followed by scientists and researchers who’ve made space science their career is modeled to show how new discoveries are made about the universe. Campers are provided the tools and guided through the process by professionals who have made space their life’s work. From determining the expansion speed of a super-nova remnant, to characterizing an exo-planet or finding evidence of dark matter; your data will reveal and your conclusions will add to humanity’s knowledge of the... Read More
Cabin Fever Five Fun Facts about Brevard’s Summer Camps Each summer, Transylvania County hosts thousands of young people from all over the nation and world at the many summer camps in and around Brevard. Ranging from days with backpacks and bug juice to internationally renowned music programs, Brevard’s summer camps are a treasured part of our history and a large contribution to what has made our community so beloved for generations. As we round out the end of care-package season, here are five things you might not know about Brevard’s summer camps: 1 1 SUMMER CAMPS HAVE A RICH HISTORY. Hundreds of children of all ages come to Brevard every summer. The relationship between summer campers and the larger community can be felt all over town, from the camp-specific flavors of ice cream at Dolly’s near the entrance to Pisgah National Forest to the shops downtown that offer camp care packages. The sounds of happy voices filling the forests and waterways with laughter, joy, and imagination echo the seemingly limitless possibilities of summertime when you’re young at heart. 2 2 Brevard’s first summer camp opened in 1913. Camp French Broad opened its doors in 1913, and Camp Sapphire arrived a year later in 1914. Keystone Camp, the area’s first camp for girls, which is still producing new generations of happy campers, started two years later in 1916. 3 3 The Brevard Music Center was originally called Transylvania Music Camp. James Christian Pfohl moved his summertime Davidson Music School from... Read More
Discover and learn in the mountains of WNC this summer with Mountain Roots’ fun and educational day camps! Our camps are focused on the outdoors and connecting campers to each other, their community, and the natural environment. Preschool camp (ages 4 and 5): 9am – 12:00pm. Rising 1st-4th grade: 9am-4:00pm. Operating over the course of 7 weeks, the first 5 weeks will take place at Brevard Academy and the final 2 weeks will be at Fern Leaf Community Charter School. [PLEASE NOTE: Camp is in TWO locations]. See why so many families return to Mountain Roots Day Camp year after... Read More
Rock Climbing Guides Brevard! Experience Rock Climbing with Pura Vida. This course is designed to provide you with competence and confidence on ropes basic rock climbing skills. It covers all skills beginning climbers should learn including proper gear and how it should be rigged, belaying and rappelling techniques, knots, prussic knots, and climbing techniques. The second day goes into natural and artificial anchor building for top rope set up. This program also allows for a sufficient amount of climbing time to gain additional climbing experience. Accommodations not... Read More
Discover and learn in the mountains of Western North Carolina this summer! Mountain Roots offers fun and educational day camp adventures for preschool and elementary-aged campers. Both of our camps are focused on the outdoors and connecting campers to each other, their community, and the natural... Read More
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