Outdoor Education

Our Outdoor Education program is also known as the Institute of Wilderness Studies (IWS). Our curricula are for grades 4-6 and designed around the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. We have worked with districts from around the state to create hands-on activities that reinforce what teachers teach in the classroom and that make a lasting impression.

We are committed to helping every camper know God and to see His design in the world that surrounds them. We seek to instill an appreciation of the outdoors and a sense of responsibility to be good stewards of His creation. Our desire is for kids to see that this world has been designed and, through the study of nature, to be led to the Designer.

Our program is Christian-based and founded on Biblical and scientific principles. We have programs designed for both public and private schools. Each year over 50 schools attend Pine Cove IWS and over half of those are public schools from districts such as: Frisco, Waco, Denton, Garland, Coppell and more.

Pine Cove sits on 700 acres of fields and forests with a variety of plants, animals, and terrain located on Lake Palestine – an 18-mile long reservoir that is one of the major water stops for migratory birds in the Eastern portion of the state.

The Outdoor Education program is held at Pine Cove Timbers, which is located deep in the pine forest on beautiful Lake Palestine. The Timbers has thirty-two 10-person cabins. All cabins are air-conditioned and heated, and they have built-in bunks. Bathroom facilities with private showers are located inside the cabins. Meals take place in our new dining facility. There are free time activities such as sand volleyball, pickleball, Frisbee golf, tetherball, and an enclosed gymnasium. The Timbers also provides a Camp Store complete with snacks, soft drinks, T-shirts, and souvenirs.