Christian camping is what we do.

The programming and activities of our youth camps are designed to encourage the growth and development of the whole person, including spiritual, physical, mental, and social well-being. First and foremost, Durley Youth Camps are a place for worship, prayer, Bible study, and reflection on our relationship with God.

Youth camp days are also filled with fun outdoor activities, games, and team-building experiences led by supportive and caring adults. Campers try new things, learn new skills, make new friends, discover new talents, and experience tired and sore muscles they didn't know they had.

Our Mission

Our Mission

To build the body of Christ through camping ministries, conferences and events in a beautiful outdoor setting where children, youth and adults experience the transforming love of Jesus.

Our culture desperately needs places like

Durley Camp.

In a world that's busy and constantly distracted, often by things that don't ultimately matter, Durley is a place where the noise and business of life fade. It's a place to unplug from the world and plug into relationships, particularly with God.

When I think over significant moments in my life, Durley Camp easily comes to mind. Each year growing up, I would spend roughly two weeks at Durley between Family Camp and Youth Camp. They were always the best two weeks of the year! This place allowed me to hear about Jesus in an awesome environment from counselors and camp staff who were young themselves. That was really cool to me. And being with tons of other kids who were growing in faith and learning right along with me made it feel safe to ask questions and be vulnerable.

God changes lives at Durley Camp. It is here that God grabbed hold of me in my younger years, and I continue to be impacted each time I set foot on these grounds. I'm so grateful that now my kids are experiencing the life-giving ministry of Durley as we create our own moments and spiritual milestones as a family.

Kyle Krober
Kingsway Christian Church

  • Our mission is to see lives transformed for Christ. At our youth camps, we track first-time spiritual commitments, baptisms and those who report feeling a call to ministry.

  • Our rich history of Christian camping dates back to 1875, when holiness camps drew crowds of thousands, arriving by train or horse and buggy. They brought their own food, cooked their meals outdoors, and slept in tents.

  • This beautiful, wooded, rural setting was made even more special in 1968 when the 775-acre Governor Bond Lake was built, turning Durley into prime lakefront property and an ideal destination for youth camps and adult retreats.

  • Youth camps are intentionally unplugged from social media so campers can focus on interacting with new friends and building healthy relationships, face-to-face.

  • Durley Camp has been affiliated with the Free Methodist denomination since 1893. We welcome outside groups, provided their activities on the grounds are respectful of our beliefs and policies.

Plan Your Next Visit!

Lodging Rentals

Event Space

Ready to see us soon? Schedule your visit today!

Durley Campground has never looked better! We still have several open weekends for rentals this late summer, so bring your family, friends, team, or church and come on over to enjoy God's beautiful creation. Durley Campground has never looked better!
Durley Campground has never looked better! We still have several open weekends for rentals this late summer, so bring your family, friends, team, or church and come on over to enjoy God's beautiful creation. Durley Campground has never looked better! We still have several open weekends for rentals this late summer, so bring your family, friends, team, or church and come on over for a retreat, enjoying God's beautiful creation..
With summer 2025 officially behind us, we are so excited to announce next year's summer camp schedule! Save the dates, and we look forward to seeing you all next June at Durley Camp!
With summer 2025 officially behind us, we are so excited to announce next year's summer camp schedule! Save the dates, and we look forward to seeing you all next June at Durley Camp!
We were so excited to welcome back our friends from MAPS Free Methodist Church in Metro St. Louis for their Rooted in Christ Men's Retreat this past August. The weekend featured several speakers over a weekend full of teaching, prayer, communion, an
We were so excited to welcome back our friends from MAPS Free Methodist Church in Metro St. Louis for their Rooted in Christ Men's Retreat this past August. The weekend featured several speakers over a weekend full of teaching, prayer, communion, and worship, a reminder that man’s true strength lies in staying rooted in Christ, taking deep roots in His love, to live a firm and fruitful life. Interested in bringing your group to Durley Camp? Check out our website to see our available weekends!
With our 2025 summer camp season officially behind us, your friends at Durley Camp would like to wish you all a warm thank you for joining us this summer as we celebrated our campground’s rich history. We had so much fun spending time in God&
With our 2025 summer camp season officially behind us, your friends at Durley Camp would like to wish you all a warm thank you for joining us this summer as we celebrated our campground’s rich history. We had so much fun spending time in God’s beautiful creation, worshipping and enjoying fellowship with all of you. A huge thank you to all of our awesome camp pastors, staff and volunteers for their incredible commitment to serving the Lord at our campground this summer. We had so much fun spending time in God’s beautiful creation, worshipping and enjoying fellowship with all of you. A huge thank you to all of our awesome camp pastors, staff, and volunteers for their incredible commitment to serving the Lord at our campground this summer.
We had so much fun the past few days with our annual SENIOR TEEN WEEKEND!! High school students enjoyed a quick break from school to spend time with one another in God's creation here at Durley Camp. We had so much fun and can't wait to see you again
We had so much fun the past few days with our annual SENIOR TEEN WEEKEND!! High school students enjoyed a quick break from school to spend time with one another in God's creation here at Durley Camp. We had so much fun and can't wait to see you again next summer!
We are just SEVEN days away from Senior Teen Weekend, and we want to see YOU there!! Bring your friends out to Durley Camp for a weekend of fun, fellowship, and time in God's creation. Register today on our website!
We are just SEVEN days away from Senior Teen Weekend, and we want to see YOU there!! Bring your friends out to Durley Camp for a weekend of fun, fellowship, and time in God's creation. Register today on our website!
Come enjoy food, fun, friends, great worship with GU's Pursuit Team, an old-fashioned diner on Saturday, plus we are getting out of the campground and going someplace where your inner kid and your competitive side meet - where there are enough games
Come enjoy food, fun, friends, great worship with GU's Pursuit Team, an old-fashioned diner on Saturday, plus we are getting out of the campground and going someplace where your inner kid and your competitive side meet - where there are enough games to lose track of time! The weekend will begin on Friday night, August 29, with registration from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, and conclude at 1:00 pm on Sunday, August 31. Come enjoy food, fun, friends, great worship with GU's Pursuit Team, an old-fashioned dinner on Saturday, plus we are getting out of the campground and going someplace where your inner kid and your competitive side meet - where there are enough games to lose track of time! Invite your friends and register at durleycamp.org today! We are so excited to see you soon!
Take a look at our recent renovations to the Ministry Cabin! This cabin is one of the many lodging and rental options we offer at our beautiful campground. Durley Camp is an ideal host for church groups, work retreats, family reunions, and more. We s
Take a look at our recent renovations to the Ministry Cabin! This cabin is one of the many lodging and rental options we offer at our beautiful campground. Durley Camp is an ideal host for church groups, work retreats, family reunions, and more. We still have several weekends available for rentals this fall, so visit our website to learn more!
At Family Camp 2025 we celebrated the 150th anniversary of Christian camping on the grounds now known as Durley Camp, dating back to 1875. This is also the final year of our 3-year campaign to raise money for the new 64-bed youth lodge. Our goal is
At Family Camp 2025 we celebrated the 150th anniversary of Christian camping on the grounds now known as Durley Camp, dating back to 1875. This is also the final year of our 3-year campaign to raise money for the new 64-bed youth lodge. Our goal is $2.5 million. So far we’ve received about $1.5 million in gifts and pledges. Gifts have ranged from a few dollars from young children to some people who have given well over $100,000. The Durley board wanted to find a way to recognize all donors to the campaign, regardless of the size of the gift. Our solution is the giving tree. If you attended Family Camp, you saw it hanging in the hallway of Young Commons. That’s where it will stay until the new lodge is built. Then we’ll move it to the new building. There are 3 different colors of metal leaves on the tree representing 3 giving levels: gold for gifts of $10,000 or more; silver for $1,000 – 9,999; and copper for $1 – 999. So far, only the gold leaves have been engraved. That’s because we want to give everyone time to complete their pledge or add to their giving before we engrave the silver and copper leaves at the end of the campaign after Dec. 31. If you have not yet given or want to move up a level before the rest of the leaves are engraved, you have until the end of 2025. Pledge reminders will be sent out this fall to those who have a balance remaining on their pledge. Our solution is the Giving Tree. If you attended Family Camp, you saw it hanging in the hallway of Young Commons. That’s where it will stay until the new lodge is built. Then we’ll move it to the new building: the new 64-bed youth lodge. This is our way of saying THANK YOU to all who have given to help build the youth lodge, and to encourage those who have not yet given to the campaign to get on board with a gift, get their name on a leaf, and be a part of Durley Camp history.
Check out our recent renovations to the Whitlock Cabin! The cabin is one of our many lodging and rental options available on the scenic campground. Durley Camp is the perfect host for church groups, work retreats, family reunions and more. We still h
Check out our recent renovations to the Whitlock Cabin! The cabin is one of our many lodging and rental options available on the scenic campground. Durley Camp is the perfect host for church groups, work retreats, family reunions and more. We still have several weekends available this fall for rentals, so head over to our website to learn more!
Senior Teen Camp is just around the corner and we want YOU to be there! High school students are welcome to join us for a Christ-centered weekend in God's creation, enjoying all that the campground has to offer. Sign up today online at www.durleycam
Senior Teen Camp is just around the corner and we want YOU to be there! High school students are welcome to join us for a Christ-centered weekend in God's creation, enjoying all that the campground has to offer. Sign up today online at www.durleycamp.org
We still have a few commemorative 150 year puzzles and color-changing t-shirts available for purchase! Message us or visit our website to claim yours! Thank you all for celebrating 150 years of Durley Camp with us this summer.
We still have a few commemorative 150 year puzzles and color-changing t-shirts available for purchase! Message us or visit our website to claim yours! Thank you all for celebrating 150 years of Durley Camp with us this summer.
Here are all of the all camp photos from this summer! Hope to see you again next year!
Here are all of the all camp photos from this summer! Hope to see you again next year!
Here is our Youth Camp staff photo! Thank you so much to our staff and their willingness to serve this summer
Here is our Youth Camp staff photo! Thank you so much to our staff and their willingness to serve this summer
When you come to Durley, you stick around!! Here are some of our current staff members as campers!
Here are some highlight photos from Trailblazer 2025! The rest are posted on our Facebook!!
Here are some highlight photos from Trailblazer 2025! The rest are posted on our Facebook!!
While Durley’s summer youth camps have came to a close, our 2025 camp schedule still has one more to go! High school students can sign up now for Senior Teen Weekend, held this Aug. 29-31. Register now online at our website. We are so excited t
While Durley’s summer youth camps have came to a close, our 2025 camp schedule still has one more to go! High school students can sign up now for Senior Teen Weekend, held this Aug. 29-31. Register now online at our website. We are so excited to see you all!
Here's the Trailblazer 2025 recap video!!
Trailblazer Cabin Photos pt 2.
Trailblazer Cabin Photos pt 2.
Trailblazer Cabin Photos pt. 1!!
Trailblazer Cabin Photos pt. 1!!
Durley Campground has never looked better! We still have several open weekends for rentals this late summer, so bring your family, friends, team, or church and come on over to enjoy God's beautiful creation. Durley Campground has never looked better! With summer 2025 officially behind us, we are so excited to announce next year's summer camp schedule! Save the dates, and we look forward to seeing you all next June at Durley Camp! We were so excited to welcome back our friends from MAPS Free Methodist Church in Metro St. Louis for their Rooted in Christ Men's Retreat this past August. The weekend featured several speakers over a weekend full of teaching, prayer, communion, an With our 2025 summer camp season officially behind us, your friends at Durley Camp would like to wish you all a warm thank you for joining us this summer as we celebrated our campground’s rich history. We had so much fun spending time in God& We had so much fun the past few days with our annual SENIOR TEEN WEEKEND!! High school students enjoyed a quick break from school to spend time with one another in God's creation here at Durley Camp. We had so much fun and can't wait to see you again We are just SEVEN days away from Senior Teen Weekend, and we want to see YOU there!! Bring your friends out to Durley Camp for a weekend of fun, fellowship, and time in God's creation. Register today on our website! Come enjoy food, fun, friends, great worship with GU's Pursuit Team, an old-fashioned diner on Saturday, plus we are getting out of the campground and going someplace where your inner kid and your competitive side meet - where there are enough games Take a look at our recent renovations to the Ministry Cabin! This cabin is one of the many lodging and rental options we offer at our beautiful campground. Durley Camp is an ideal host for church groups, work retreats, family reunions, and more. We s At Family Camp 2025 we celebrated the 150th anniversary of Christian camping on the grounds now known as Durley Camp, dating back to 1875. This is also the final year of our 3-year campaign to raise money for the new 64-bed youth lodge. Our goal is Check out our recent renovations to the Whitlock Cabin! The cabin is one of our many lodging and rental options available on the scenic campground. Durley Camp is the perfect host for church groups, work retreats, family reunions and more. We still h Senior Teen Camp is just around the corner and we want YOU to be there! High school students are welcome to join us for a Christ-centered weekend in God's creation, enjoying all that the campground has to offer. Sign up today online at www.durleycam We still have a few commemorative 150 year puzzles and color-changing t-shirts available for purchase! Message us or visit our website to claim yours! Thank you all for celebrating 150 years of Durley Camp with us this summer. Here are all of the all camp photos from this summer! Hope to see you again next year! Here is our Youth Camp staff photo! Thank you so much to our staff and their willingness to serve this summer
When you come to Durley, you stick around!! Here are some of our current staff members as campers!
Here are some highlight photos from Trailblazer 2025! The rest are posted on our Facebook!! While Durley’s summer youth camps have came to a close, our 2025 camp schedule still has one more to go! High school students can sign up now for Senior Teen Weekend, held this Aug. 29-31. Register now online at our website. We are so excited t
Here's the Trailblazer 2025 recap video!!
Trailblazer Cabin Photos pt 2. Trailblazer Cabin Photos pt. 1!!