Each year we host a special event to see the most prolific meteor shower of the year — the Perseids! 

We just love Valley View Ranch! – and we’re so happy to again be able to watch the shooting stars from the top of Lookout Mountain! 

This year we’ll have a chef!

Valley View Ranch is an historic horse riding camp, located near Summerville, GA  – a perfect place for night-time star gazing away from city lights.  

There is much to do during the day as well, including hikes on several forested trails, swimming in a spring-fed lake, birdwatching, horseback-riding, brushing up on your tree ID skills :-), or just spending some peaceful downtime on a quiet, 600-acre mountaintop away from it all. 

This year all meals are included and are prepared fresh from scratch by Chef Lesley Varnadore — who prepared all the meals for our Ossabaw Island trip this spring! 

Options include 1 or 2 overnight stays, either Friday or Saturday night – or both – in camp cabins or tent camping:

• Cabins are simple, rustic, with electricity, bathrooms and mostly bunk style beds. Rooms are large and can accommodate 2-3 guests. (Guests bring their own pillows and sheets for twin size beds.)

• Tent campers can pitch tents in a large field with mountain views, with access to a newly built bathhouse with full facilities. 

All meals will be prepared fresh by Chef Lesley Varnadore. (Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available, please let us know in advance if you have these or other dietary restrictions.)

Schedule:

• Arrive between 4-6 pm 

• Late afternoon drinks and starters (bring your own beer, wine or other beverages)

• Dinner served in the Dining Hall – when the dinner bell rings – for real, when the rope is pulled you can hear the old-time bronze bell ring throughout the camp!

• Star-gazing, meteors can be seen throughout the night, including “earth grazers” which are often seen at the horizon; the highest number of meteors per hour are seen in the late night/early morning hours. Moonrise is late, so we should have an excellently dark sky till about 2 AM. We’ll set up a spotting scope to see planets, possibly a nebula, and amazing details of the moon after it’s above the horizon, and you are welcome to bring your own telescope. 

  

• Morning guided naturalist walk with Kathryn or other outdoor activities: hiking, swimming, frisbee, etc

• Lunch or brunch served at the dinning hall

• Afternoon guided naturalist walk with Kathryn to historic site, or other activities, swimming, horseback riding, etc.

• Horseback riding is available for those who have ridden on a horse at least once – $75 per person for 1-2 hours of trail riding – please let us know in advance if you wish to ride horses.

• Hearty breakfast, lunch (Sat) or brunch Sun, leave camp by 1 pm

Allow for about a 2-hour drive from downtown Atlanta.

Costs:

First Night Lodging + Meals: $215 per person (either cabin or tent camping), includes access to all facilities and activities except horseback riding).

Second Night Lodging + Meals: $175 per person (includes the same features as First Night Lodging)

To hold your space, we request a non-refundable deposit of $125 by August 4.

To register click HERE — a $20 donation helps support our programs.

Questions? call 404-862-0118

Covid 19: All camp facilities will be thoroughly sanitized before our arrival, and we’ll follow current Covid-19 precautions recommended by the CDC.