This event is full on Tuesday – contact us if interested in Wednesday. 

It’s an Eco-A tradition!

Each year we host a special event for the Perseid meteor shower, one of the year’s most prolific meteor showers, created from the residue of the Swift-Tuttle comet.

We are lucky to be able to watch this year’s Perseids from the 600-acre Valley View Ranch, on the top of Lookout Mountain, northwest of Rome, GA.  This respected horse riding camp for girls is closed for its regular high-attendance summer camps but is still open to small groups such as ours. It will be easy to maintain social distancing on this very large, open property.

Large open areas away from city lights make for great star-gazing, but there are also many miles of forest trails and a swimming lake for those who might like to hike or cool off in the late afternoon before star-gazing. There’s even a fishing lake for fishing-minded folks.

Since we’ll want to see the stars at night, this will be an overnight trip. Accommodations are tent camping (bring your own gear), with plenty of room to spread out for social distancing.

Keep in mind the temperatures up on the mountain can run about 10 degrees (or more) cooler than in the Atlanta “heat island.” Nights are running about 68-72 degrees even when daytime temperatures are warmer. 

All camp facilities will be thoroughly sanitized before our arrival, and we’ll practice safety precautions while there — or you may wish to bring your own camp facilities. (We’re happy to discuss those details if needed.)

Due to the large property, it will be easy to keep completely socially distanced for the entire trip, especially if you are tent camping and bringing your own food, etc.

Basic itinerary:

• Arrive between 2-5 pm the afternoon 

• Get settled, setting up tents

• Outdoor activities, hiking, swimming, frisbee, etc (horseback riding is available to those who have ridden on a horse at least once previously, separate fees apply)

• Late afternoon outdoor drinks and snacks (bring your own)

• Dinner, bring your own or eat prepared meals

• Star-gazing, most meteors will be seen in the early morning hours

• Breakfast, bring your own or eat prepared meals

• Morning outdoor activities if desired

• Leave camp midday-ish

Allow for a 2-hour drive from downtown Atlanta. Feel free to come early or late, just for the stars, or to enjoy a little more time away. 

Note: We have changed the date to Aug 11/12 to coincide with the peak night of the meteor shower this year. If the weather looks poor that evening, our hosts at Valley View Ranch are graciously allowing us to be flexible on the date. If the weather looks better on Wed or Thurs evening, we can also arrive on those dates. And they’ve given anyone in our group permission to stay more than one night, with the same costs applying for each night of stay. Our hosts are easy-going and flexible, which will assure us a good night of meteor viewing.  Please let us know if you wish to stay more than one night.

Costs: 

Lodging: $65 per person (includes overnight stay camping, and all activities except horseback riding). 

Prepared meal options: an additional $20 includes supper, $35 includes supper and breakfast, $50 includes supper, breakfast, and lunch. Please let us know ASAP if you want prepared meals. The camp will not cook for less than than 8 people. 

To register click HERE — a $15 donation helps support our programs.

Questions? call 404-862-0118