Women in the Big Woods

REGISTRATION CLOSED FOR 2025. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

Welcome to Women in the Big Woods!

French Creek State Park Group Camp 1 (not the same Group Camp where we were last year) will be the setting for a small group weekend of learning and adventure for women. Join us for events ranging from archery and backpacking to kayaking and yoga. Rain or shine! Enjoy stories around the campfire and the supportive fun that comes from a group camping experience.

Things to know:

• Women of all abilities are welcome. We offer a safe space for learning and camaraderie.
• Activities are geared to entry level introductory skills but more experienced adventurers are also welcome – your enthusiasm and energy may just make a difference to someone on their first outdoor excursion!
• All necessary equipment for classes will be provided. A packing list will be provided so you know what to bring for your own personal needs.
• The $150 registration fee includes two nights camping in a camp cottage, all meals (breakfast Saturday and Sunday, lunch Saturday and Sunday, supper Saturday night), snacks, and a T-shirt (a relaxed women’s cut).
• It is a cabin colony of rustic cabins. There is no electricity in the cabins. If you MUST have electricity because of a medical condition, please contact Pam Metzger and we will do our best to accommodate you; however, availability is quite limited.
• The cabins range in size from two beds to four and it is possible you may be sharing a cabin with someone new to you. If you are registering as a “group,” there is a place on your class selection form to include the name(s) of your roommate(s).
• While the cabins do not offer bathrooms, modern facilities are located within each cabin colony unit.
• See our Google Drive for representative photos of the cabins. Note that there will be mattresses on the beds.
• Tenting space is available in the cabin colony although it might be a slightly longer walk to the bath houses/restrooms. You may also feel free to make arrangements for other camping in the park through the DCNR reservations system. However, that will not change the cost of registration which includes lodging, meals, and activities for the weekend.
• We are encouraging GREEN living – and ask that you bring your own place setting for meals and a refillable drink container. Dishwashing stations are available!
• Two work/study scholarships for first-time participants are available if the cost is prohibitive – please contact PPFF President Marci Mowery if you would like additional information on this opportunity.

Download the CLASS DESCRIPTIONS and use them to help you select the classes you would like to attend.  Mark your class selections on the “Class Selection Form” (emailed to you upon registration). 

If you register for a class, it is expected that you will attend the class and not switch to another as there are caps on most of the sessions.

Whenever you see “Free Time” on the class selection form, it is your invitation to do you! Hang a hammock, read a book, take a nap, catch up with new and existing friends, take a solo hike…your options are limited only by your imagination. This is your invitation to rest and restore or kick it up a notch with something vigorous. 

A class schedule/selection form will be included in your confirmation email so please complete it and return it as soon as possible so you get the classes you want.

If you do not receive a confirmation email immediately, please (a) check your spam folder in case it got misdirected; and then (b) contact Pam Metzger at the PA Parks & Forests Foundation and she’ll send one to you directly.