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Joy El Ministries
Joy El is a Christian camp and retreat center in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on 20 acres in south-central PA. It offers cabin, dorm, and lodge housing for up to about 240 overnight guests, a dining hall seating 380, and hosts youth retreats, leadership getaways, and church group events.
Facts verified from the camp’s own website · Last verified 2026-09-11
Getting there
- 20 min from Hagerstown, MD
- 40 min from Martinsburg, WV
- 1 h 25 min from Cumberland, MD
3741 Joy-El Drive, Greencastle, PA 17225 · drive times are typical, not rush hour
On the property
The facts
| Lodging | Cabins (240 beds) · Dorm rooms (51 beds) · Lodge rooms (34 beds) |
| Meals | Full food service |
| Hosts | Youth groups · Families · Church leadership |
| Affiliation | non-denominational Christian |
| Property | 20 acres |
| Established | 1974 |
| Phone | (717) 369-4539 |
The parent ministry began in 1938 as the Children's Bible Mission, which pioneered a 1967 'Released Time Bible Program' letting public-school students leave once a week for offsite religious instruction; Camp Joy El itself broke ground on March 17, 1974 on 20 acres donated by three local farmers.