Camp Red Cedar

Camp Red Cedar is the cornerstone of AWRC’s inclusive recreation offerings. This fully accessible 57-acre facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, offers year-round recreational therapy, respite care, and equine and outdoor programming for children and adults. Camp Red Cedar offers a variety of fully accessible summer camps for children of all abilities, as well as day and overnight camps for adults with disabilities. In addition, it partners with local organizations to offer specialty camps for children with Down syndrome, autism, and type 1 diabetes.

With activities including horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, nature exploration, and arts and crafts, Camp Red Cedar creates a safe and welcoming environment where participants can learn, grow, and thrive. The organization’s mission is to empower people of all abilities to move beyond perceived limitations through recreation, creative expression, and interaction with horses.

Visit Camp Red Cedar to learn more.

  • A Camp Red Cedar volunteer and a camp participant smiling.
  • A woman and two young girls at Camp Red Cedar summer camp smiling and having fun.
  • Camp Red Cedar summer camper holding a small lizard, looking at it with curiosity.
  • Camp Red Cedar campers enjoying a pontoon ride on the camp's lake.
  • Camp Red Cedar summer campers with a painted white horse, one girl holding the horse's lead rope, green trees and shrubs in the background.
  • A Camp Red Cedar volunteer staffer with a young woman with Down Syndrome having fun at camp.
A Camp Red Cedar therapeutic horseback riding participant (seated on the horse) and her parents at Camp Red Cedar in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Meet Sara!

Sara has participated in therapeutic horseback riding at Camp Red Cedar for more than 13 years. Living with cerebral palsy, she faces significant physical challenges, including limited use of her left arm and difficulties with mobility and speech.

At Camp Red Cedar, horseback riding provides more than recreation—it creates opportunities for strength, confidence, and independence. Riding helps Sara build muscle control and improve her balance and coordination.

Most significantly, the impact extends far beyond the arena. Being around the horses, volunteers, and staff has helped Sara form meaningful connections and build confidence. Each week, she arrives eager to ride, and the sense of accomplishment she gains carries into other areas of her life.

For Sara and her family, Camp Red Cedar has been more than a program. It has been a source of support, growth, and community.

Partner with Us

AWRC welcomes collaboration with organizations, advocates, and volunteers that share our commitment to inclusive recreation.

If you are interested in exploring a partnership with Camp Red Cedar, please contact Shelly Detcher, Program Director, at sdetcher@campredcedar.com.

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