Check-in and Pick-up

Check in begins at 8:00 am; pick up at 4:00 pm. Extended hours are available (see below). If you need to pick up in the middle of the day, please give the Coordinator a heads up that morning and call the office when you are 10 minutes from camp. We’ll try to have your camper at Day Camp Central, but it can take a few minutes to trek across Camp!

Early Arrival and Late Departure

Special arrangements can be made for campers to arrive at Miracle

Ranch beginning at 7:00 am and/or to be picked up no later than 5:00 pm. The cost is $30 for Early Arrival and $30 for Late Departure per week. Please register in advance. Breakfast is not provided for early arrival, but your camper may bring a peanut-free snack.

At Registration, you will check all the medicine with the Camp Nurse. Please bring medication/supplements in the original container with the current pharmacy label. No additional form is needed; we will use the information you provided online. If you need to add/change a medication from that list, you can do so by phone or at Registration.

Miracle Ranch
15999 Sidney Road SW
Port Orchard, WA 98367

From Bremerton and points north

• Follow Highway 3 south to Gorst.

• Continue around the inlet on Highway 16 South/East.

• Highway 16 becomes a divided highway.

• Take the second exit: Sedgwick Road.

• Turn right (west) at the exit ramp stoplight.

• Turn left onto Sidney Road (second stoplight).

• Proceed seven miles.

• As the road passes Horseshoe Lake County Park, it makes a sharp right turn; you make a left turn into the Miracle Ranch gate.

From Tacoma and I-5

• Take I-5 to Highway 16/Bremerton exit.

• Follow Highway 16 west, across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, to the Purdy exit.

• Proceed into Purdy, turn left at Hwy. 302 and cross the bridge.

• Continue a little over two miles to 94th Ave NW.

• Turn right. Proceed to the Miracle Ranch gate. (Miracle Ranch is located on Horseshoe Lake).

Small refillable water bottle (highly recommended

Bible (optional; we have some to borrow)

Sunscreen (labeled w/ name)

Beach towel and flip-flops

Warm jacket/sweatshirt

Active footwear (closed-toed shoes)

Long pants and close-toed shoes (pony ride)

Swimwear: boys, no speedos

Swimwear: girls, modest one-piece or tankini

Rain clothes

Trading Post money (see below)

Medications - must be checked in with the Nurse

Please do not bring peanut products, cell phones, iPods/MP3 players, radios, tapes, DVD or CD players, laptops, fishing gear, knives, fireworks, personal sports equipment, animals/pets, tobacco, or any other expensive items. Alcohol, drugs, or weapons of any kind are prohibited.

Lunch and an afternoon snack are provided daily. (Breakfast is not provided for early arrival add-on). The Wednesday overnight option includes Wednesday dinner and Thursday breakfast.

With at least one week of advance notice, the Kitchen offers vegetarian, gluten-free (non-Celiac), and dairy-free options. The Kitchen does not use peanut or peanut oil products, and the Camp is not strictly peanut-free. Please call the office to talk to the Kitchen Supervisory if you have additional questions.

7:00 a.m.

Early Arrival (if added)

1:00 p.m.

Activity Rotation

8:00 a.m.

Check-in and Games

2:00 p.m.

Activity Rotation

8:30 a.m.

Horsemanship/Animal Science

3:00 p.m.

Group Game / Small Group

9:30 a.m.

Fireside Talk, Bible Teaching

4:00 p.m.

Pick Up

11:00 a.m.

Lunch

5:00 p.m.

Late Check Out (an add-on option)

12:00 p.m.

Waterfront/Store Time

Closed Camp

• Once at camp, no camper can leave without written consent from his or her parent or guardian. Campers will only be released to those people whom the parent has authorized to pick them up.

• Teen campers who drive to camp must report to the camp leadership team and turn in their car keys.

• All visitors must check in at camp, wear a badge once checked in, and be accompanied by a host.

Activity Safety & Certifications

• CRISTA Camp's lifeguards are Red Cross-certified for swimming in lakes, and Kitsap County tests our lake water weekly.

• Camp staff and interns are First Aid trained

• Ropes course facilitators and each ropes activity are certified by an ACCT (Association for Challenge Course Technology) trainer.

• Miracle Ranch is site certified by the CHA (Certified Horsemanship Association) for all horse activities.

• We adhere to best practices for our trail bike, paintball, archery, and all other activities.

Camper Safety

• When a camper is in the nurse's station, he or she is never privately examined. Two trained adult staff members are always present.

• CRISTA Camps include parents in any decisions made about a child's need for medical treatment. When a need is determined, we take advantage of the numerous local clinics nearby. A nurse oversees treatment at the camp.

• Miracle Ranch is equipped to execute general safety plans and crisis management plans when necessary.

• Resident campers must submit health and waiver forms signed by their parents or guardians upon arrival at camp.

• The presence of 50+ trained and caring adults on camp during any given week ensures that kids' activities are closely monitored. There are always full-time, adult, year-round employees at Miracle Ranch. We've hired a professional staff with years of experience and training in safety issues monthly.

• All CRISTA staff undergo a careful screening process consisting of an application, interview(s), and character references.

• All adults at camp have completed a trak-1, WATCH, and DSHS background check in which staff and volunteer leaders must disclose any misconduct, as permitted by state law.

• The CRISTA Ministries Human Resources department trains all full-time and summer staff on maintaining appropriate boundaries in relationships with kids.

Bullying Prevention

At CRISTA Camps, bullying is inexcusable, and we have a firm policy against all types of bullying. Our Camp philosophy is based on our mission statement, which ensures that every camper can experience a safe environment at camp, gain new friends, and go home with great memories.

Unfortunately, persons who are bullied may not have the same potential to get the most out of their camp experience. Our leadership addresses all incidents of bullying seriously and trains staff to promote communication with their staff and their campers so both staff and campers will be comfortable alerting us to any problems during their camp experience. Every person has the right to expect to have the best possible experience at camp, and by working together as a team to identify and manage bullying, we can help ensure that all campers and staff have a great summer with CRISTA Camps.

Sickness at Camp

CRISTA Camps asks our staff, parents/guardians of campers, and high school and summer staff attending our camp to take precautions to avoid sending campers or leaders if they have had any flu-like symptoms in the 24 hours before departure. Such symptoms can include fever, sore throat, cough, headache, tiredness, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, chills, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Food Allergies & Food Safety

We can address most food allergies with reasonable substitutions and by campers avoiding particular food items. Please discuss any special situations with our registrar at least one week before camp starts so there is ample time to discuss any concerns with the food service department. We have peanut-free kitchens but sell packaged snacks in our concession spaces that may contain peanuts or peanut oil. All kitchen workers have Food Handler Cards, and Kitsap County routinely inspects our kitchen.

Cabin Inspections & Cleaning

Cabins and beds are cleaned, disinfected, and inspected between different use groups. All high-touch surfaces are disinfected daily.

CRISTA Ministries

CRISTA Camps at Miracle Ranch is part of the CRISTA Family of Ministries. A robust and healthy organization supports the camp, and policies are set with the bigger mission of CRISTA in mind. All camp employees adhere to CRISTA's doctrinal statement and conduct policies.