About Us
Read about what makes us unique!
Thomas Road Baptist Church has been involved in camping programs for over fifty years. Our first facility, Treasure Island, was donated to us in the late 1960’s. Located on the James River, this facility housed over 400 young people each week.
During its tenure, Treasure Island hosted tens of thousands of young people from Virginia and saw thousands come to Christ. In 1985, a major flood destroyed Treasure Island, as well as the bridge that carried traffic to the island. It was never rebuilt, thus Treasure Island is still vacant today. In the late 1990’s, TRBC purchased another camp facility that was much smaller, called Camp Hydaway. This camp hosts 96 campers each week and still continues today.
In addition, multiple daily breakout sessions cover a wide range of relevant topics, from apologetics and missions to relationships and Bible doctrine. Each day concludes with small group sessions, allowing our staff to engage students in personal relationships and encouraging youth groups to grow as a community.
Each summer, we receive thousands of requests from throughout the region to attend our camp but are unable to house them due to the limited space and acreage at our current camp facility. It is heartbreaking to turn so many away.
There’s More!
In March 2014, TRBC was given a 500-acre parcel of land in the midst of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Peaks of Otter region. Watt Foster, of Foster Fuels-in honor of his Dad-donated this land to TRBC to be repurposed as a youth camp with the emphasis of reaching at-risk youth from Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland and the DC area. We’ve named this camp Thomas Road Outpost.
Now, with Thomas Road Outpost, we are reaching thousands of children each year through a Christ-centered camping experience in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. We have spent the last number of years transforming this property into a state-of-the-art youth camp, aimed towards Middle School and High School students, and even adults, with the ability to offer the many churches, schools, and organizations in the area a retreat space unlike any other in Central Virginia.
We are excited about this property and the impact that can be made on future generations. TRO is all about pointing students to the Gospel. Offering nearly two dozen recreation options, we are committed to high-impact recreation. More than that, we are commited to Gospel-centered discipleship. Our summer camps host daily worship services, engaging students through song, expositional preaching, drama, and video.
We are excited for the future at TRO, and look forward to the many years of impact this property will have on the youth and adults alike who attend!