Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article stated that the Hills Retreat was returning in 2026 for its sixth consecutive year, while it is actually returning for its eighth. Additionally, the retreat is located at Pine Cove Springs in Toccoa, Georgia, not Pinecoast Springs in Westminster, South Carolina. The Tiger regrets these errors and has since corrected them.
The Hills Retreat is returning for its eighth consecutive year, with organizers looking to break attendance records. As of Monday, over 600 incoming student attendees and around 400 staff members are registered.
The retreat is aimed at helping incoming freshmen and transfer students at Clemson University or Tri-County Technical College join a community of like-minded people and connect with various churches and students from other ministries. This year, the retreat will take place in two four-day, three-night sessions: the first from Aug. 3-6 and the second from Aug. 7-10, at Pine Cove Springs in Toccoa, Georgia — about 40 minutes from Clemson’s campus.
Hills Retreat treasurer Isaac Masone, a senior marketing major at Clemson, believes the retreat fosters a community of people who share the same beliefs, want to get involved in Christian organizations and ministries and pursue their faith. This was “huge coming into college” for him, especially in terms of meeting older students who became mentors for him to help navigate college. He said it was transformative for his freshman-year self to connect with other incoming students and recognize familiar faces once he stepped onto campus in the fall.
“I came (to the retreat) and met leaders who just really wanted to invest in these kids and prioritize mentorship, and that’s something that I really wanted to be a part of,” he told The Tiger, adding that he is still close to several people he met at The Hills from his freshman year.
The initial idea for the retreat came from Auburn’s The Oaks Retreat. The Hills began in 2018 with 30 freshmen and 25 upperclassmen, a number that has steadily grown each year, with 943 students participating in 2025. Over 1,000 total students are estimated to attend this year.
Masone noted that, as someone from outside the Clemson area, The Hills Retreat taught him what he liked and didn’t like about surrounding churches, as the event is a collective effort organized by different campus organizations and Christian ministries. These include Reformed University Fellowship, Clemson Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Beta Upsilon Chi fraternity, Clemson Cru, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and more. It also involves a number of different churches across Christian denominations: Young Life, LifePoint, Grace Community Church, NewSpring, Clemson Presbyterian and Crosspoint Church, among others.
The retreat ultimately helped Masone decide which ministry he wanted to be part of during his college years. He became involved in Young Life after coming to Clemson and found he wanted to participate in the same mentorship his freshman-year counselors had shown him.
“Going into my sophomore year, I was able to be a counselor to a group of about 15 boys, and I was able to pour into them and encourage them and be a familiar face once they get to Clemson,” Masone told The Tiger. The following year, he took on the fundraising chair position, and this year, he’s in charge of finances.
“It’s been a great thing to be on the leadership team,” Masone continued.
To help accommodate the growing number of registrants and staff, Pine Cove Springs just built a brand-new addition with 400 additional beds, according to Masone. The retreat’s co-directors this year are Eliza Ellett, a senior graphic communications major, and Noah Hargette, a senior management major.
Throughout the sessions, students will attend speaker seminars on topics from five different churches, play games, share meals with others and more.
