WHO WE ARE

In 1980, Tim and Charlene Worrell moved from Wyoming to Capitan, New Mexico to pioneer the first New Mexico Lone Tree Camp. Home for the first two months for Tim, Charlene and their two children was an 8’ x 10’ canvas tent. Their children were 2 years old and 5 months old at the time. A logging permit was secured on the Apache reservation and using an old horse and a borrowed harness, logs were hauled out of the forest for the first building on the property. Originally intended to be their home, they decided to use if for the main lodge for the camp to start serving others and get the camp off the ground. You can still see the chainsaw marks on the logs in current game room made as each log was shaped for its place.

For the first two years water was hauled from Capitan (9 miles away). A sawmill was donated soon after and all the lumber for construction came off of the camp’s sawmill. In 1982 Lone Tree Ranch was ready to open (although very rustic). The stories from those first few summers are of wild adventures and pursuing the mission to share the love of Christ with students.

As each year has gone by, improvements and additions keep adding to the facility through generous donations and volunteers. Lone Tree Ranch has developed into a year round facility that continues to host Jr. and Sr. High Students in the summer months and a variety of student and adult retreats throughout the rest of the year. Many staff and volunteers have come and gone, but the very core of our mission has stayed steadfast. We continue to use high adventure activities to build relationships with our guests for the purpose of sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

As the Ranch has grown and we have seen the need, Lone Tree Camps has developed other properties to meet the needs of a variety of age groups. Today, Lone Tree Ranch is one of four unique programs using three Lone Tree Camp Properties.