Heartwood Homeschool Program

• The default drop-off/pick-up location for our Shope Creek Wilderness location is  directly at the camp location.
• Alternatively, shuttle vans provide roundtrip transportation from our in-town location of Haw Creek Commons each day.
• Shuttle van seats for each weekday are listed as it’s own “camp” on the Camp Availability page.
• Shuttle van seats are offered free of charge for your convenience.
• To save a seat in the shuttle van you MUST register for the Shuttle Van “camp” for each weekday of programs your child is attending at the same time you are registering for their actual program.
• The Shuttle Van “camp” for each weekday will be clearly listed with the programs for that weekday and will show if there are any seats still available.
• The Shuttle Van  “camp” will have a waitlist available, but once the van is full we can’t guarantee more spots will open up and parents on the waitlist should be prepared to drop-off/pick-up at Shope Creek.
• If your child’s participation in a program is dependent on a seat in the van and the Shuttle Van is listed as full for a given weekday, we encourage parents to sign-up for a different weekday.

Shope Creek Wilderness
Direct Drop-off & Pick-up Location

472 Shope Creek Road, Asheville, NC  28805

Pick-up and drop-off here at the program location, unless you have reserved a shuttle seat during program registration.

• Drop-off: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• Pick-up: 3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Haw Creek Commons
Shuttle Van Base

315 Old Haw Creek Rd., Asheville, NC  28805

Pick-up and drop-off here only if you have reserved a shuttle seat.

• Drop-off: 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
• Pick-up: 4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

If you are running late and miss the shuttle van departure, please proceed directly to Shope Creek Wilderness to drop-off prior to programs starting at 10:00 a.m.

What to Pack

Please send your child with the following items, packed in a small, well-fitting backpack. No rolling bags or one-shoulder satchels, please! ):

• Rain gear or a poncho (even in summer)
• A full 1-liter water bottle (24 oz. for younger campers is fine)
• A sack lunch
• At least one snack
• Personal sunscreen (if needed)
• Bug repellent (we encourage herbal-based, rather than DEET)
• An extra pair of dry socks in a ziploc bag

What NOT to Pack

Please make your children aware of these limitations and check with them before you sign them in each morning.

Having extra items is a distraction and often causes discomfort for kids carrying extra weight as we cover a lot of ground each day.

• Electronics
• A change of clothes (extra layers or rain gear are fine, but please keep a change of clothes in the car instead of in their backpack)
• Extra items like toys
• Sandals or open-toed shoes
• A knife

What Your Child Should Wear

Sturdy, close-toed, waterproof shoes. If they are wearing crocks they must have the heel strap.

Comfortable clothes that are appropriate for the weather. For cold weather dressing details, visit our Weather page.

Dirty Clothes Alert!

Here at Forest Floor, we encourage children to really engage with nature—sometimes that means getting dirty! Expect muddy faces, berry stains, and other nature-inspired designs on their clothes by the end of the day. We suggest keeping a plastic trash bag in the car for your child to sit on, especially if they get really muddy. Please don’t send a back up set of clothes in their backpacks, this makes their backpacks too heavy and then they don’t want to carry their backpacks.

Special Safety & Clothing Considerations for Blacksmithing & Knife-making

These activities carry inherent risks. We have strict safety procedures in place to ensure your child’s safety, but small burns can happen from time to time. These are usually minor, and we see them as learning opportunities about staying focused and present in the moment.

For safety, please dress your child in natural materials only—no synthetic fabrics like nylon, polyester, or spandex. These materials can melt when exposed to hot metal. It’s also important that sleeves and pants aren’t rolled up to prevent embers from getting caught in the cuffs.

They should be wearing closed toed shoes, no Crocs or similar.

Also, be prepared for your child to get dirty—blacksmithing can be a very sooty activity! Keep an extra plastic bag in the car for easy clean-up afterward.

We help children have fun, be healthy, and achieve their fullest potential with nature connection mentoring.

• Health benefits of nature connection
• Learn wilderness skills & traditional crafts
• Meet new friends and reunite with old ones
• Unforgettable adventures every day
• Skilled and caring mentors
• Exciting wilderness experiences
• Convenient in-town drop-off & pickup
• Boost long term cognitive & social development