About
Calleva offers outdoor adventure and education programs where participants can paddle, climb, bike, camp, and take part in activities such as kayaking, rock climbing, rafting, horseback riding lessons, and farming. The program includes canoe and kayak rentals, kayak trips and training programs, downriver freestyle kayaking, pool rolling, whitewater beginner and intermediate kayaking lessons, and specialized clinics such as creeking, steep creek training, and yough training. Additional offerings include equestrian programs like horse days, tiny tots and Pony Picnics, nature immersion experiences for elementary age children, forest free play groups, challenge course and aerial course experiences, farm-to-table experiences including weekly Pizza Nights, Pony Picnics, Farm and Forest Cubs, Markoff’s Haunted Forest, and opportunities to paddle or float down the South Branch of the Potomac River.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
Calleva was dreamed up in 1997 and was originally founded as a small summer camp, and for nearly three decades it has built a reputation for excellence while the last 30 years have taken the team to a wide world of adventure. The organization’s mission is to get all people outdoors, providing safe, educational, and challenging experiences that promote personal growth, group cooperation, and leadership skills. Olympic kayakers, top tier wilderness professionals, seasoned educators, high energy camp leaders, committed conservationists, and creative trades people and artists have contributed to the organization’s success, and closed-toe shoes are required at Calleva camp to protect feet, provide grip, and stay secure during hikes, water sports, and high-energy adventures. Calleva is nationally known as an innovative force in outdoor adventure and education, operates a full service kayaking school with dynamic and mobile programming that introduces participants to parks, trails, rivers, and rocks in the region, emphasizes device-free summer adventure, views kindness as the most important leadership quality, and turns nature into a hands-on classroom for real-world learning. The program states that EVERYONE is welcome at Calleva.
Calleva is involved in community partnerships and projects, including support for the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s conservation efforts through volunteers and resources for annual cleanups in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. It has supported outdoor adventure activities, campout experiences, and Eagle Scout projects with the Boy Scouts of America and provides outdoor adventure experiences such as rock climbing for City Kids Wilderness Project. Calleva has partnered with Diversify Whitewater to facilitate weekend paddlesports events and worked with the Fairfax County NAACP on a joint project called Connecting the Community with Nature, a grant-funded program that taught Leave No Trace principles to students. The organization works with Girl Scout leaders to create experiences aligned with scouting values, collaborates each summer with Horizons of MoCo to create day camp experiences, and has partnered with Soul Trak Outdoors to expand access to kayaking. Calleva has supported Team River Runner by providing equipment, instruction, and other support for local programs, offers kayaking experiences in support of Wilderness Kids Alexandria, and has provided a challenge course experience as a kick-off to the Wilderness Leadership & Learning WILL-Lead program. The founders of Calleva are Nick Markoff, Alex Markoff, and Matt Markoff.
Last updated January 21, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
Calleva was dreamed up in 1997 and was originally founded as a small summer camp, and for nearly three decades it has built a reputation for excellence while the last 30 years have taken the team to a wide world of adventure. The organization’s mission is to get all people outdoors, providing safe, educational, and challenging experiences that promote personal growth, group cooperation, and leadership skills. Olympic kayakers, top tier wilderness professionals, seasoned educators, high energy camp leaders, committed conservationists, and creative trades people and artists have contributed to the organization’s success, and closed-toe shoes are required at Calleva camp to protect feet, provide grip, and stay secure during hikes, water sports, and high-energy adventures. Calleva is nationally known as an innovative force in outdoor adventure and education, operates a full service kayaking school with dynamic and mobile programming that introduces participants to parks, trails, rivers, and rocks in the region, emphasizes device-free summer adventure, views kindness as the most important leadership quality, and turns nature into a hands-on classroom for real-world learning. The program states that EVERYONE is welcome at Calleva.
Calleva is involved in community partnerships and projects, including support for the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s conservation efforts through volunteers and resources for annual cleanups in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. It has supported outdoor adventure activities, campout experiences, and Eagle Scout projects with the Boy Scouts of America and provides outdoor adventure experiences such as rock climbing for City Kids Wilderness Project. Calleva has partnered with Diversify Whitewater to facilitate weekend paddlesports events and worked with the Fairfax County NAACP on a joint project called Connecting the Community with Nature, a grant-funded program that taught Leave No Trace principles to students. The organization works with Girl Scout leaders to create experiences aligned with scouting values, collaborates each summer with Horizons of MoCo to create day camp experiences, and has partnered with Soul Trak Outdoors to expand access to kayaking. Calleva has supported Team River Runner by providing equipment, instruction, and other support for local programs, offers kayaking experiences in support of Wilderness Kids Alexandria, and has provided a challenge course experience as a kick-off to the Wilderness Leadership & Learning WILL-Lead program. The founders of Calleva are Nick Markoff, Alex Markoff, and Matt Markoff.
Last updated January 21, 2026.
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