Our Setting & Location

Dedicated as West Lodge (in the memory of camp’s founder, Nannie West) in the summer of 1936, this large hall is the center of camp’s social and recreational life. Camp plays, initiations, recreational activities, award ceremonies, and a variety of other group gatherings take place here. This traditional one-story board and batten building includes a large chimney made of local river stone, and features a wide, wrap-around covered porch. Inside, a raised stage offers ideal conditions for camp performances.

Wee Women and Pony Express, the first two board and batten cabins on Junior Row, were built in 1927. Each features a small, raised front porch with railings made from small hand-hewn oak trees. The third and last of the Junior Row cabins, Sleepy Hollow, was constructed sometime later, probably in the 1930s.

One of camp’s oldest buildings, this is traditional camp dining hall, filled with wooden tables and enclosed by screens. One of its most distinctive characteristics is its main entrance — reached from Camp’s front lawn via an elevated walkway. Delicious and healthy meals are an important part of camp.

If there is one spot at camp where all the traditions and values of CMS come together, it’s Vesper Hill – anchored by campfire circle on a bluff overlooking the Calfpasture River.

Constructed in 2014, the Beehive is just as busy as it sounds. Arts and crafts classes are always a favorite part of the camp experience. This two-story board-and-batten building has a rustic look, similar to older camp buildings. The bottom floor is the center of craft activity, and the top floor is a residential space.

Camp Mont Shenandoah takes archery seriously. The archery range is situated in a protected glen, not far from a small creek that empties into the Calfpasture River. As for the activity itself, all girls are welcome – from the new camper who has never held a bow and arrow to the more experienced camper who is attempting to qualify as an American Archer.

If horses are your passion, you’ll be able to enjoy a comprehensive horseback riding program at Cabell Stable, our equestrian facility built in 2001. Girls are taught to respect each horse and how to properly handle them on the ground and in the saddle.

Excellent healthcare services are available 24 hours a day in The Pill Box, our well-equipped healthcare facility. This centrally located building was purpose built in 2015, and is climate-controlled. Designed in a compatible board and batten style, it includes offices, examination and treatment areas, as well as three bedrooms for recuperating campers.

Camp Mont Shenandoah and the Cowpasture River are forever intertwined. This pristine waterway (part of the headwaters of the James River) is a centerpiece of the camp experience. Swimming & Canoeing and other activities take place here. The water temperature is brisk and refreshing!

Even in camp’s earliest days, there was a tennis court. Tennis has been a longtime camp activity, and many traditions have been built around it. Just ask anyone who has participated in the “Wimbledon Wipeouts.” Today, there are two clay courts and an adjacent basketball court in this area.

Fairness, teamwork, and sportsmanship are the values espoused by our campers. LHS field anchors our land sports program, which includes lacrosse, hockey, soccer, and more. Instruction is geared to both younger girls and also for more advanced athletes who wish to try out for a school team.

Senior Hill is an attractive grouping of cabins — affectionately called “the ups” and “the downs” — built in the 1920s and 1930s. As the name indicates, girls 11 years and older call this area home.