The CCC has big plans to build a Recreational Hall at Camp Cherokee.

Due to the recent and unfortunate fire to our Health Center at YMCA Camp Cherokee, we worked with Vinyet Architecture to revamp the Recreation Hall plans to include a new health center and staff housing. Though these changes alter the scope of the project, they will provide a space that meets the needs of Camp Cherokee now and in future years. Below you will find the most recent plans:

The front of the Recreation Hall is largely the same. Note the all access ramp, large front porch space and multitude of windows for natural light.

Level One provides a large indoor space for camp programs as well as special events such as weddings and conferences. There are large multi stall restrooms, plenty of storage and a fireplace for campers and guests to enjoy.

Level One also includes offices for camp staff. This will allow full time camp staff to be located in one building and make it easier to collaborate on programing, fundraising and other projects.

As you move to the corner of the Recreation Hall, you will notice there are now two levels.

By utilizing the space below the original Recreation Hall, we will be able to add a health center as well as staff housing.

Level Two will provide a health center on one side and a staff apartment on the other. The health center will include a large open room, perfect for medicine distribution and a cool place for campers to sit if over heated. It will also include four individual camper sleeping areas, two nurse areas, a kitchen, multiple restrooms, a laundry room and plenty of storage.

The staff apartment will feature a full kitchen, living room, bedroom and restroom.

One of the primary capital improvements identified by the CCC and leadership of YMCA Camp Cherokee was the PV Shower House.

Following a grant obtained by the YMCA Camp Cherokee leadership and some matching funds, the shower house will be completely re-done and ready for the 2019 summer resident campers.

The overhaul of the PV Shower House will benefit both the summer resident program and off-season programming at Camp Cherokee. The Upper Palmetto YMCA Corporate Board played  a major role in seeing this project was funded while allowing much of the CCC funding to remain in place for the eventual Recreation Hall.

You can see from the pictures below that this enhancement is a major improvement.

Thank you to the members of the CCC, the leadership of YMCA Camp Cherokee, and the Upper Palmetto YMCA.

The Office Renovation at Camp Cherokee was completed in July 2016.

The office renovation was a major accomplishment for us, and transformed the underutilized "office" into a beautiful home.

In this process, the office was not only brought up to code and made livable, but walls were moved, a kitchen and bath were installed, an addition was placed on the front, and a deck was built onto the back. The previously vacant building now serves as adequate housing for our year-round staff at Camp Cherokee. 

**don't worry, all evidence of your teenage camp crushes have been preserved within the new walls**

The progression of work is shown in these photos.

Thanks to funds raised by the CCC and a YMCA of the USA matching great, the Erosion Control Project at Camp Cherokee was completed in April 2016.

Trails across Camp were updated in a manner that will keep them intact for years to come. Old trails were cleared, mulched, and repaved. Necessary drainage was also installed to resist erosion in the future.

In addition, a brand new waterfront trail was created, and numerous trees were planted along the trails.

The progression of work is shown in these photos.

Thanks to funds raised by the CCC, a deck and benches were installed on the Camp Cherokee Health Center in February 2016. This give campers, students, staff, and guests a shaded place to sit, connect with others, and enjoy the feeling that is Camp Cherokee!

The progression of work is shown in these photos.