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Top Family Camps
Parents who wish to relive their childhood camp days---or who simply want to enjoy quality family time away from the distractions of modern technology---are flocking to family camps with their kids. Family camps welcome parents to enjoy the overnight-camp experience that is usually exclusive to tweens and teens. One of the fastest-growing trends in the camp industry, about 10 percent of camps in the U.S. now offer family programs, more than double the amount in 1995. Families stay in tents or cabins, eat communal meals in the dining hall, and participate in a variety of outdoor activities. No cooking, driving, or planning an itinerary on this vacation!
Most family camps run three to seven days, and generally include all activities, food, and lodging. The price ranges anywhere from $200 to $1500 per person, although it is often less expensive than the typical family vacation. Family camp is ideal for families with children ages 7-12, however most camps welcome infants (some even provide the option of childcare), and many camps have teen-specific programs as well.
Camps for Recreation & the Great Outdoors
East Coast Camps
Medomak Camp
178 Liberty Road (Summer)
Washington, ME 04574
13220 Westmeath Lane (Winter)
Clarksville, MD 21029
866/MEDOMAK
Medomak is a weeklong, all-inclusive family camp that runs throughout the summer. Families stay in one-room cabins with private bathrooms. Some comforts include reading lights, rocking chairs, queen beds for the parents, twin beds for the kids, and a writing desk. Activities range from typical camp activities (archery, sailing) to the more atypical (stretch classes, blueberry picking). Medomak also offers events just for parents like gallery visits, local beer and cheese tastings, and sessions with an on site massage therapist. All meals are served family-style in their farmhouse dining room, and--- it is Maine, after all---a lobster dinner is offered once a week. Tuition includes all dining hall meals, lodging, activities, and equipment.
Appalachian Mountain Club Family Adventure Camps
Headquarters: 5 Joy Street
Boston, MA 02108
603/466-2727
Available at five AMC lodges in the White Mountains and Lakes Region of New Hampshire, and in the Moosehead Lake Region of Maine, these specialized camp experiences are very popular with families with kids from age five through teens. Programs include guided lodge-to-hut hiking programs with easy-to-moderate hikes and naturalist programs for an all-inclusive rate covering lodging, all meals, guides, instructions and equipment. Typically, guided one-to-three-mile hikes are done in the mornings and afternoons in addition to stream exploration or a paddling trip. There is free time mid-day, a gathering time with other families before dinner, and a campfire, sing-along, night hike or movie after dinner. Special teens-only "break-out" activities are programmed during select camps.
Calumet Camp
1090 Ossipee Lake Rd
West Ossipee, NH 03890
603/539-4773
Calumet has 65 campsites for families that are ideal for tents and RVs. All have water and electric hook-ups, a fire-pit, a picnic table, and a spot for your car. Most sites have sewer hook-ups, and the bathroom facilities are centrally located. There is no minimum or maximum stay, which makes Calumet ideal for go-with-the-flow or hesitant campers. There is also a summer mid-week package plan for families at a special rate, which includes meals and lodging. The site is located on a half-mile of lifeguard-patrolled beach, and hiking, biking, canoeing, and volleyball are also offered. An all-you-can-eat breakfast is $4pp, and other meals are extra. Additionally, there are supervised teen evenings and all-camp game nights.
Common Grounds Center
473 Tatro Road
Starksboro, VT 05487
800/430-2667
Families can pitch their own tent, stay in a private cabin, or rent a room at one of the houses at this 700-acre Starksboro farm. There are miles of hiking trails, diverse wildlife and vegetation, a scenic wetland, and a shoreline along Lewis Creek. Large open fields are available for baseball, soccer, volleyball, or any other group sport. Artsy activities include music, crafts, dance, and yoga. There are separate adult and children’s programs in the morning, and multi-generation activities in the afternoon. Three meals are served each day at the camp; all are vegetarian and organic. For those with older kids, there is a specific family camp just for families with teenagers, which features community-building projects and age-specific activities. Rates are all-inclusive of meals and activities.
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