About
Camp El Ranchito offers activities such as hiking, swimming in natural swimming holes and creeks, and outdoor adventures. Campers take field trips to Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center and Milton Reimer’s Ranch Park, join games and team-building challenges, and spend time singing and storytelling around the campfire. The program also includes stargazing with visiting astronomers, nature-themed art projects, high-adventure activities like climbing and canoeing, and a camping trip to a state park.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Schedule: Nature Discovery Camp sessions run June 14–19, June 21–25, July 5–10, and July 12–16, and Conservation Corps sessions run June 14–26 and July 5–17.
• Price: 13-day campers receive a $400 stipend for their work; families in Dell Children’s Health Plan CHIP or STAR Medicaid during camp receive free tuition; scholarship families pay tuition starting at $50; non-scholarship families pay tuition starting at $800 for Nature Discovery Camp and $1,200 for Conservation Corps; tuition is nonrefundable and nontransferable except if an application is denied or cancellation is at least two weeks before the session, and no fee is returned after a camper is admitted.
Camp El Ranchito was established in 2007. Its mission is to connect children with the natural world by providing an extraordinarily fun and inspiring nature-immersion experience. Camp tuition includes lodging, meals, transportation, supervision, programs, a t-shirt, a pack, a water bottle, and all other camp supplies and activities. Camp El Ranchito is licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Campers are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, with scholarship and returning campers having priority, and a waitlist is offered for all programs with waitlisted applicants admitted on a first-come, first-served basis and priority given to scholarship and returning campers.
El Ranchito was created to serve children and youth from families who may not otherwise have access to a residential nature immersion camp. Ninety percent of camper families attend on full, bridge, or partial scholarships by qualifying for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program at school or for other financial needs. A small percentage of campers who are not eligible for scholarship tuition rates also attend. The Shield Ranch Foundation operates El Ranchito nature-immersion summer camp for youth, and the Campsite at Shield Ranch also hosts community groups for nature-based education for area students, youth leadership programs, spiritual and contemplative retreats, land stewardship seminars, wellness programs, and community events.
Last updated July 17, 2026.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Schedule: Nature Discovery Camp sessions run June 14–19, June 21–25, July 5–10, and July 12–16, and Conservation Corps sessions run June 14–26 and July 5–17.
• Price: 13-day campers receive a $400 stipend for their work; families in Dell Children’s Health Plan CHIP or STAR Medicaid during camp receive free tuition; scholarship families pay tuition starting at $50; non-scholarship families pay tuition starting at $800 for Nature Discovery Camp and $1,200 for Conservation Corps; tuition is nonrefundable and nontransferable except if an application is denied or cancellation is at least two weeks before the session, and no fee is returned after a camper is admitted.
Camp El Ranchito was established in 2007. Its mission is to connect children with the natural world by providing an extraordinarily fun and inspiring nature-immersion experience. Camp tuition includes lodging, meals, transportation, supervision, programs, a t-shirt, a pack, a water bottle, and all other camp supplies and activities. Camp El Ranchito is licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Campers are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, with scholarship and returning campers having priority, and a waitlist is offered for all programs with waitlisted applicants admitted on a first-come, first-served basis and priority given to scholarship and returning campers.
El Ranchito was created to serve children and youth from families who may not otherwise have access to a residential nature immersion camp. Ninety percent of camper families attend on full, bridge, or partial scholarships by qualifying for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program at school or for other financial needs. A small percentage of campers who are not eligible for scholarship tuition rates also attend. The Shield Ranch Foundation operates El Ranchito nature-immersion summer camp for youth, and the Campsite at Shield Ranch also hosts community groups for nature-based education for area students, youth leadership programs, spiritual and contemplative retreats, land stewardship seminars, wellness programs, and community events.
Last updated July 17, 2026.
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