Hartstone Bible Camp History | Northern California Christian Camp

HISTORY OF HARTSTONE BIBLE CAMP

Serving Church Families for Over 50 Years in the Northern California Mountains

The group of Independent Fundamental Churches of America (IFCA) that came together to establish Hartstone Bible Camp in 1967 had a shared vision: To develop a place where they could fellowship while proclaiming the truth of the sufficient, inerrant Word of God. Hartstone Bible Camp is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a Board of Directors, dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Board of Directors operate the camp under a written Constitution and By-Laws.

The 95-acre camp is named after Harry H. Hartstone and Josephine Hartstone, the original owners of the land, who operated Hartstone’s Log Cabin Inn on the Eel River above Potter Valley, California for many years. Following Harry Hartstone’s death in 1932, the property changed hands several times before finding a home with the founding churches who turned it into a retreat camp for families and ministries throughout Northern California and beyond.

Over the years, the Hartstone site has been developed to include a total of 15 buildings in the camp’s main area. The original purchase included Alder Springs, a natural underground water source that has been developed by Hartstone to provide water for the camp as well as its neighbors. In 1997, Hartstone Bible Camp purchased 14 adjacent acres of property, which included private beachfront access along the Eel River, a two-story log cabin lodge, and seven additional one-room log cabins.

RENOVATION & REVITALIZATION

The camp was very active from the late 1960s through the early 1990s. As the participant church congregations began to age, the demographics changed and the camp became less vibrant. In 2004, participants made a commitment to repair and revitalize the camp in order to better serve a new generation of believers. The first step in this process was to clean up and repair the facility. A new board of directors was established with a fresh focus and vision. In October of 2004, Stan and Valeri Walker joined the team with a commitment to serve the camp as volunteer directors. Under their guidance, Hartstone Bible Camp experienced a slow and steady growth in attendance, focusing on hosting family camps and providing churches and church groups with an experience away from the distractions of the day-to-day routine as a premier Northern California Christian campground and conference retreat center.

HARTSTONE TODAY & TOMORROW

In 2014, Dave Dick became the new camp director. Along with his wife Julie and their four children, Dave seeks to serve the camp by remaining true to its mission: To share Christ’s love by serving churches through a camp experience. Christian churches bring their own speakers, provide their own worship, and coordinate their schedule with the staff. Hartstone Bible Camp provides the facility and home-cooked meals. Our goal as a staff is simply to “wash the feet” of the churches who stay with us at Hartstone, facilitating their unique programs and time spent with one another as a body in this beautiful place. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive our yearly newsletter, which provides updates on our latest projects and developments as we continue to steward this camp into the future.

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