New Adventure Center Retreat Opens in Bedford County | Local Business News

The Peaks Retreat and Adventure Center is located at 1336 Simmons Mill Road in Tuxton. After WoodmenLife Insurance Company closed the Woods Adventure and Conference Retreat at this location five years before him, the 66-acre lot was vacant until new tenant CustomEd purchased the land in September 2021. .

CustomEd, which owns The Peaks, is a non-profit organization that designs and implements educational and outreach programs for a variety of purposes and organizations.

Hunter Gilbert, program director at The Peaks, said the company wants a place to host corporate retreats and host summer camps and events.

He said it opened up to do a variety of other things, especially in the surrounding community.

Peaks Retreat & Adventure Center officially opened about two months ago and hosted two camps this summer: Anxious for Nothing and Bias Chana.

The center hosts youth camps primarily during the summer months, but plans to open the rest of the year for corporate events, field trips, community days, and festival-type activities.

Missy Morris, Center Director of The Peaks, said she is thrilled to have new outdoor education and adventure facilities in the area.

“Specializing in camping and retreats, The Peaks is also the perfect venue for corporate team building, festivals, weddings and other private events,” she said in an email. “In the shadow of beautiful Otter Peak, this property offers not only scenic beauty, but also the thrill of adventure.”

She said The Peaks has unique challenges, including a climbing wall, 400-foot gravity zipline, two-mile hiking trail, swimming pool, basketball and sand volleyball courts, archery, disc golf and a one-acre pond. I have. canoe.

Gilbert says the Gravity Zip Line is a little different than a traditional zip line.

There is also a device set up to be brought back to the ground by a facilitator just above the platform for staff to train how to use and learn how to descend onto the platform.

“All of our facilitators are properly trained, safety is our number one concern and we make sure everyone is prepared to have a fun and safe ride,” he said. Told.

There is also a high ropes course and a low ropes course on site. The Low Rope Course has 11 elements, while the High Rope Course has a high climbing wall, a short climbing wall, and a zip line.

Kickball and Olympic relay events are possible on the property’s 3-acre activity field.

This fall, the center will offer a primitive campground and six stationary year-rounds built on deck platforms with 16-foot x 24-foot canvas tents, queen beds, bunk beds, living room space, and timber. We offer glamping sites. Burning fire stove.

Glamping is a type of camping with more luxurious accommodations and facilities than traditional camping.

At the five-acre campground, Gilbert plans to host events and use the space as a parking lot for wine and music festivals.

To the front of the property, the 3,000-square-foot Main Events Hall is set up for family reunions, weddings, or other ceremonies.

There are 2 buildings that can accommodate up to 72 people overnight.

The center also has an outdoor pavilion and gardens, with four solo stoves and 24 seating areas where you can sit around the fire at night.

The Peaks has events scheduled through 2023.

Anxious for Nothing, a Bedford nonprofit made up of skateboarding and school lunch ministries, took 54 middle and high school students to The Peaks this summer.

The children enjoyed ziplining, canoeing, trails and pools during the three-day retreat, according to nonprofit founder Karla Powell.

“Missy, Hunter, and the staff were so kind because they knew we were offering this camp for free and worked hard to meet our needs,” she said. “What we liked most is that everything is so close to the facility and it feels like a family retreat. We plan to return next year.”

Gilbert said he wants to bring different children to the center so they can learn in different environments.

“Outdoor materials are very good, but we want to focus on teamwork and communication skills. I would like to,” he said.

We also want our outdoor facilities to be accessible to adults, and we want our centers to be open to anyone who wants to use them.

“We are very open to customizing these programs to ensure they meet consumer needs,” he said.

Vice Chana, a nonprofit organization that runs a Jewish education program for girls and women, also used the camp earlier this month.

Vice Chana’s Hinda Lia Schaafstein said in an email, “We’re looking for a property with the right mix of outdoor fun and space for creative arts. The Peaks couldn’t be more perfect. It was not.

Bais Chana camper Leah Zavelevich said The Peaks felt like a second home and the staff felt like family.

“They were always on top of everything, friendly and flexible, accommodating to anything we needed or wanted to do, and the sunsets were spectacular!” she said in an email. .