Upper Highland Bathhouse and Pavilion Project
The Upper Highland Campground has served an important need for decades! We have been working hard to keep this campground special for the many families, friends, and churches that gather here. Recent improvements have included upgrades in many of the campsites and completely new electric wiring in the whole campground. Now we are turning our focus to some additional upgrades!
These upgrades will be completed in 3 stages:
More information about each stage follows on this page (or click one of the links above to skip down to a specific part). If you're already familiar with what we're doing and want to skip straight to getting involved, click here to jump down to that part of the page.
Fundraising goals for interested groups
We know that many of the groups that camp regularly in the Upper Campground are eager to see these improvements happen! In fact, as soon as one group heard what we were planning, our first $5,000 gift came in! We want to enable other groups who value Highland and this particular campground to set their own fundraising goals and work together to contribute to this major project. If that sounds like something you want to do, here's the process:
- Decide as a group what your fundraising goal will be. Only you know what is reasonable for your group!
- Let us know about your group goal using the form at the bottom of this page. We just need to know the name of your group and your total goal. You also get to decide how your group's name will appear on your progress-tracking bar!
- Make sure everyone in your group knows how to donate or make a pledge (details here). As long as your group name is included with each donation, we can update your group's tracking bar so you can see your progress as we go along.
STAGE 1- Renovate Upper Highland Bathhouse
Cost Estimate: $75,000
Scope of stage 1: Gut, rebuild and enlarge the existing bathhouse. The design offers three private bathrooms, one accessible family bathroom with shower, and one private shower. See plan images that follow; click on either to see a larger version.
- Repurpose existing ladies’ room (west) as an ADA accessible family bathroom.
- Repurpose existing men’s room (east) as two single-occupant bathrooms.
- Create a 10’x13’ addition (west) with a private bathroom, private shower, and porch.
- Add wall with windows (seen in the side view drawing below) between the ramp and the pavilion (west side) to increase kitchen counter space.
- Create sidewalk (east) to service bathrooms and sink area.
- Rebuild ramp (west side) to be consistent with new design.
- Re-side and paint entire bathhouse.
- Extend roofline to cover the dishwashing station.
We began work on the bathhouse in November 2024, so that new concrete foundations could be poured prior to the coldest part of the winter. Funding is still needed to complete the project, which we hope to do before the 2025 camping season begins!
STAGE 2- Expand the Upper Highland Pavilion.
Cost Estimate: $28,000, START at $18,000 raised (AFTER stage 1 is funded)
Scope of stage 2: Double the covered pavilion space with a 24’x24’ addition to the Upper Highland Pavilion. Improve lighting and replace the roof. See plan image below.
STAGE 3: Build several 'dry' cabins in the Upper Campground area
Cost Estimate: $32,000/cabin (AFTER stage 1 and stage 2 are complete)
‘Camping’ has many different meanings for people. Too often, people are left out of camping experiences because they do not own the right equipment and are not ready to sleep in a tent. We see offering a range of camping options as especially important for our churches and families who are seeking to build community by having camping experiences together. Thus, our desire to build several small-but-comfortable climate controlled cabins to expand the options available in the Upper Campground.
Cabins will include a comfortable queen bed, bunked twin beds, a spacious outdoor porch, and other amenities: love seat, counter/desk, microwave, refrigerator. They will be 'dry' cabins, in that there will be no plumbing in them. See cabin plan below.
We will not begin work on any cabins until AFTER stage 1 and stage 2 are complete. How many cabins we construct will depend a great deal on how much interest is expressed in the form of funds raised for this project.
Want to get involved in the Upper Campground project?
There are several ways to help!
- Set a specific fundraising goal for your friends, family, or church group. Any group that values the Upper Campground and wants to fundraise together can sign up using the form below. We'll add a group-specific fundraising tracker bar to this page so you can track your own progress and encourage other groups to join in! (If you missed those group goals above, click here to hop back up to that section.)
- Donate now! You can donate online or mail a check to Highland Retreat (14783 Upper Highland Drive, Bergton, VA 22811). Or, if you have an account with them, you can use the Park View Federal Credit Union's donations feature to give to Highland with zero fees. No matter the method, make sure to mention that your donation is for the Upper Highland Campground; if you are contributing to a group goal, mention that group name as well.
- Make a pledge. If you can't give right away, please use the form below to let us know your gift is coming. You can pledge a one-time gift or break your gift into multiple parts; your gift (or the first part of your gift) should be sent to Highland no later than March 31, 2024.
- Offer volunteer labor. You can let us know your skills and availability in the form below; this is not a commitment, just an offer of your time IF your skills and availability happen to align with the project's pacing. Someone will be in contact to arrange specifics in the event that it looks like your skills and availability will come together at the right time for the project.
Multi-purpose form for Upper Campground involvement
Please use the form below to create a group goal, make an individual donation pledge, and/or offer your services as a volunteer. Items with a red asterisk are required fields.