15 Amazing Summer Camps For Kids and Families

Some of Our Favorite Overnight Summer Camps For Kids

Below are ten of the best sleepaway camps for children and teenagers across the United States.

1.    Camp Cody

Located in Freedom, New Hampshire, Camp Cody boasts a scenic lakeside property, friendly counselors, and an abundance of exciting daily activities for kids aged 7 through 15. Partake in watersports like kayaking, make your own candles, and eat delicious s’mores during one of the camp’s two or four-week sessions. One-week adventure trips to top destinations like Nova Scotia and Acadia National Park in Maine are offered to older children.

2.    Action Quest Adventure Camps

Action Quest Adventure Camps are ideal for thrill-seeking tweens and teens between ages 12 and 18. Most of the camp sessions are offered in the British Virgin Islands, allowing your children to learn about sailing, scuba diving, watersports, and marine biology in the beautiful Caribbean Sea.

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3.    Camp Lenox

Nestled in the heart of The Berkshires, Camp Lenox is a stellar sports-orientated overnight summer camp. Campers may select a full or half summer session, beginning the last week of June through mid-August. Some activities you can enjoy at camp include watersports, jazz classes, tennis (taught by pros!), and gymnastics classes at Camp Lenox’s brand new pavilion.

4.    Frost Valley YMCA

The YMCA has some of the best overnight camps in the nation. Frost Valley YMCA is no exception, offering four two-week camp sessions for children ages 6 to 17. In addition to traditional overnight camps, Frost Valley YMCA provides an all-girls horseback riding camp and co-ed farm camp. Either option is perfect if your child is a budding veterinarian!

5.    Camp High Road

Only an hour or so drive away from Washington D.C., Camp High Road is an excellent summer camp for residents of the DMV. Escape into the wilderness at this 620-acre lakeside property. The best activities offered at the camp include archery, horseback riding, rock climbing, a high ropes course, mountain boarding, and a thrilling 800-foot-tall treetop zipline.

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6.    Passages Adventure Camp

Adventurous tweens and teens are bound to enjoy one of Peak Experiences’ weeklong overnight summer camps. The iconic Virginia rock climbing gym, with locations in Richmond and Midlothian, guides campers through North Carolina’s River Week or West Virginia’s Rock Week.

7.    Camp Robin Hood

Situated in the foothills of New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, a month-long or entire summer session at Camp Robin Hood will keep your kids entertained while school’s out. We like that Camp Robin Hood offers exciting excursions and day trips, including some to nearby beaches, Fenway Park in Boston, and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory in Vermont.

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8.    Camp Varsity

This lovely co-ed overnight camp boasts breathtaking views of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountain Range. Camp Varsity offers weekly sessions, providing the option for campers to extend their stay throughout the summer. The camp offers numerous daily activities like arts and crafts, paddle boarding, fishing, horseback riding, and yoga. Theme days are often a part of the week’s itinerary, including Fairy Tale Week, Star Wars Day, and Olympic Week.

9.     Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center

This upscale performing arts overnight camp in Loch Sheldrake, New York, is perfect for broadway-loving children. It is broken up into two-week sessions, featuring days spent doing outdoor recreation, rehearsals, and music classes. With a lengthy list of notable alumni like Ansel Elgort, Bryce Howard, Natalie Portman, and Robert Downey Jr., we couldn’t think of a better place for your child’s first big break.

Best Overnight Summer Camps For The Entire Family

Want to join your kids on their adventure in The Great Outdoors? Check out these family-friendly overnight summer camps.

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10.Camp Common Ground

Located in Starksboro, Vermont, Camp Common Ground offers youth and family summer camp sessions jam-packed with activities to accommodate campers of all ages. From adults-only yoga and meditation courses to family-wide candle-making and field trips, you are sure to stay engaged at Camp Common Ground.

11.Family Space Camp

Those who grew up watching the 1986 film Space Camp will experience the adventure of a lifetime at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s family space camp. The film was actually based on this Huntsville, Alabama, facility where children and families undergo basic astronaut training, construct model rockets, and embark on simulated space missions.

12.Club Getaway Family Camp

Club Getaway is the perfect place for parents to unleash their inner child while making long-lasting memories with their own kiddos. It is a great weekend retreat for city slickers since the Kent, Connecticut-based facility is only around 90-minutes away from Manhattan and three hours away from Boston, depending on traffic. Camp activities include archery, sports games, bungee jumping, waterskiing, and much more.

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13.Snow Mountain Ranch At YMCA Of The Rockies

Few overnight camps offer a backdrop as stunning as Snow Mountain Ranch. Placed in the foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, you and your family can immerse yourself in the Great Outdoors. Stay in one of the camp’s rustic yurts, cabins, or lodge-style hotel rooms. Feel free to hike, paddleboard, roller skate, or play a round of mini golf. In the winter, more activities are available, including dog-sledding, skiing, and snowboarding. 

14.Timberlock Family Resort

Timberlock Family Resort offers affordable all-inclusive overnight accommodations in their cabins along New York’s Indian Lake. It is located in the Adirondacks, providing your family with ample hiking and watersport opportunities, which are included with your stay. All meals are also included, with the kitchen serving great farm-to-table fare along with summer camp classics.

15.YMCA Camp Hi-Rock

Unsurprisingly, the last camp on this list is affiliated with the YMCA. Camp Hi-Rock in Mount Washington, Massachusetts, is a beautiful destination for a family-friendly summer camp. The family camp program is offered at the end of the summer and later in Autumn when you can glimpse The Berkshire’s exceptional Fall Foliage.

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