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Camp Aranzazu is a unique place built just for you.

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"Z" Marks the Spot

We’re a camp built for belonging, but we believe that’s just the beginning — what we’re doing here should be done everywhere. Spaces that are inclusive of everyone shouldn’t be novel, but normal. We’re proving it’s possible, one camper at a time. Our mission, vision and values aren’t just an operational framework — they’re going to help us build the future we want. Together.

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Our Mission

Camp Aranzazu cultivates belonging for campers of all ages and abilities by creating accessible, empowering, and intentional camp experiences in a coastal environment.

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Our Vision

A World

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Built For


Belonging

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Our Values

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Today with Boldness

We value resilience and meeting each new day with courage, advocating for our independence and celebrating our ability to choose and grow.

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Experiences with Impact

We look for the moments we can infuse with lasting wonder, creating unforgettable experiences that empower and inspire as we play with significance.

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Connection with Intention

We value purposeful relationships with each other, the community and nature.

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Our Story

From 1959 to 1996, the grounds of Camp Aranzazu were part of the Bishop Elliott Conference Center, an Episcopal Church retreat facility. Camp founders Tom and Holly Forney purchased the first 20 acres of coastal land in 1997 to enjoy with their family. A few years later, they felt called to share the enjoyment of the property with others, founding Camp Aranzazu, a fully accredited camp and 501(c)(3), in 2006. 

Aranzazu (ah-RAN-zah-zoo) is a Basque term meaning “a spiritual place requiring a difficult path to reach.” At Camp Aranzazu, our paths are barrier-free so that everyone can access all activities, but we know that our campers are navigating their own difficult paths. Here, we invite campers to leave behind the stresses of their physical, medical, or emotional challenges to spend time in nature and with each other forging their own paths. 

Learn more about Camp Aranzazu’s path to the present.

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2002

Founders, Holly & Tom Forney’s, vision came to life when Camp Aranzazu began hosting trial camping groups for the first time. 

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2006

Our Camp began accredited operation in 2006 and has since welcomed more than 30,500 campers and their support staff. We celebrated our first full summer of camping this year. 

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2007

The Challenge Course and Archery Range were added to the property which quickly became favorites for campers and staff.

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2011

Camp Aranzazu becomes a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

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2016

As the number of campers we served annually continued to increase, new buildings were added to help us grow with them. In 2016, we added our new Dining Hall, Administration Building, and our Party Pool. 

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2017

Camp Aranzazu was directly in the path of Hurricane Harvey. Nearly every building at camp required some sort of repair with some buildings needing to be replaced completely and we lost nearly 25% of our live oaks on the grounds. Our neighbors and generous camp community rallied around our team to help us clean up, rebuild, and prepare to host campers in early 2018. 

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2018

With the completion of our Unlimited Horizons Capital Campaign, campers could now enjoy our fully developed bayfront property and programs which includes sailing on the bay. Our 28 acres on Copano Bay are accessible via a 600-foot bridge and feature a fishing pier, floating dock, nature education building, bird blind, boardwalks and firepit. 

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2020

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cancelled all in-person camping sessions. Our team turned their sadness and resilience into creativity and determination to stay connected by producing May The Good Times Never End, virtual camping activities throughout the summer and hosting virtual sessions with a few of our long-time partners. You can still see our favorites including storytimes, music sessions, arts and crafts, etc. on our Youtube channel. 

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2023

Thanks to the support of Forney Construction and the Forney family, campers were able to rest as they were driven in Holly’s Trolley to the t-head for bayfront activities. Holly’s Trolley not only gave campers a chance to relax with cabinmates as they traveled to their bayfront activities, but it was also very important during an especially hot summer. 

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2024

We hosted our first national camp, The Amputee Coalition’s Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp, which welcomed campers from across the country. 

Fields Alexander

Partner
Beck Redden, L.L.P.
Houston, TX

Mary Margaret Ara, M.D.

Entrepreneur and Managing Partner of Sahara Investments
Corpus Christi, TX

Traci McLester Arellano, Chair

Executive Director | Government Banking
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Houston, TX

Sara A. Baldwin, Ph.D., RN, APHN-BC

Emeritus Professor, Retired
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Rockport, TX

Matt Brewington

Vice President of Operations
Southwest Medical Associates
Rockport, TX

Ruth Brown

Owner - Office Manager
Relive Health
Corpus Christi, TX

Emily Campbell

Territory Business Manager
Mead Johnson Nutrition
Corpus Christi, TX

Casey T. Cullen

Attorney
Cullen Holm Law Firm
Victoria, TX

John C. Elkins, Secretary

Vice President, Estate Administration
Houston Trust Company
Houston, TX

Misty Farr

VP Human Resources
Jetta Operating Company
Fort Worth, TX

Kathie Forney

Founder & Coach
Forney Search
Houston, TX

Tom Forney, Founder

CEO
Forney Construction Co.
Houston, TX

John Guill

Vice President
Origin Bank
Houston, TX

Hunter Hawkins

President
Hibbs-Hallmark & Company San Antonio
San Antonio, TX

Denise Hazen

Founder/Creative Director
Aspire Accessories
Houston, TX

Anne Mahaffey

Teacher, Retired
Corpus Christi, TX

Taylor Maanao

Challenge Course Trainer

Whitney Solcher

Partner, Senior Advisor & Chief Investment Officer
Ulrich Investment Consultants
San Antonio, TX

George Strickhausen, IV

Developer
Van Horn, TX

Joanne Taylor

PDR Corp. President, Retired 
Rockport, TX

Greg Watson

Family Office Executive | Private Equity Investor
Houston, TX

From 2023 to 2026, we’re operating under this strategic plan defined by our Board of Directors. This plan is focused on building a solid institutional and fiscal foundation to support future growth, and it takes us through a very special milestone: 2026 will mark 20 years of serving our campers.

Katie Mattingly Brass

Community Volunteer
Houston, TX

Blake Finger

Hazel Smyth Jewelry
San Antonio, TX

Tom Flaherty

Business and Financial Consultant
Houston, TX

Robin Floyd

Community Leader
Houston, TX

John Guill

Vice President
Origin Bank
Houston, TX

Shannon Gunn

Consultant
San Antonio, TX

Bobby Hatcher

Equitime Capital LLC
Houston, TX

Gloria Hicks

Ed Hicks Imports
Corpus Christi, TX

Chip Jenkins

CEO, First State Bank
Louise, TX

T. Mark Kelly

Vinson & Elkins
Houston, TX

Jack Kins

Senterra
Houston, TX

Keith Little

Semi-retired Energy Industry Executive
Houston, TX

Rob McClane

Luther King Capital Management
San Antonio, TX

Alison Leland McKinney

University of Houston
Houston, TX

Marks Moore

Marks Moore Photography
San Antonio, TX

Jeff Panknin

Executive Pastor at Rock City Church Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX

Bryan Phillips

Partner
Ytterberg Deery Knull LLP
Houston, TX

Ashley Rhodes Smith

Chief Marketing Officer at Rally Credit Union
Corpus Christi, TX

Linda Strickland

Retired CEO
Houston, TX

Joanne Taylor

PDR Corp. President, Retired 
Rockport, TX

Rona Train

Swiff-Train Company
Houston, TX

John Watson

Attorney, JMI Inc.
Houston, TX

Camp Staff

Accreditations

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Four Star Rating Badge 2026
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Experience Aranzazu

Learn what to expect with our guide.