The joys of summer camps are known to pretty much everyone, including those who didn’t attend one as a child. But rather than relying on nostalgic memories—or if you never went—why not go now?
It’s easy to assume all the aspects of summer camp, from sleeping in cabins and campfire singalongs to canoeing, rock climbing, arts and crafts, and more are only available to kids, but the reality is that a growing number of “camps” are set up strictly for adult-age campers. These range from traditional summer camps to band camps, boat-building camps, and even an adult version of Space Camp.
Below are several examples of summer camps created specifically for adults. Get ready to make s’mores!
Traditional Fun
The very apt motto of Club Getaway located in Kent, Connecticut, is “unleash your inner child.” Marketed as a way for grownups to escape from the restrictions of the city, this 300-acre lakeside facility has a wide variety of traditional summer camp daytime activities such as rock climbing on actual rock faces, obstacle courses, swings suspended from huge trees, climbing walls, and zip lines that whisk brave campers along at up to 40 miles per hour.Other activities include Crazy Olympics, organized sports, water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, canoeing, water volleyball, and clambering over and across an array of inflatable obstacles. After dark, the activities switch to themed dinners, DJ dance parties, karaoke, and, of course, s’mores parties around a roaring campfire. To complete the summer camp experience, campers stay in rustic cabins.
Getaways With Like Minds
Campers at WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine, spend their days mastering the skills required to craft a boat by hand, taught by artisans with decades of experience. The 60-acre waterfront facility is a five-hour drive from Boston. Campers choose from courses in which they build a kayak, a canoe, a dory, or even a McKenzie River Drift Boat from start to finish. With other courses focusing on diesel engine maintenance, essentials of fine woodworking, blacksmithing for boatbuilders, building a radio-controlled sailboat, and navigation basics, it’s no surprise that many campers come back year after year to learn new skills. Campers stay in cabins or home-style housing.Camping in Style
Campers who yearn for an authentic American West experience should consider Sorrel River Ranch, on 240 acres of wilderness outside of Moab, Utah. Campers stay in rustic cabins, lulled to sleep by the Colorado River passing by a few feet away. Activities include horseback rides, rock climbing, rafting, UTV tours, mountain biking, hot air balloon rides, pickleball, swimming, and much more. After a long day playing, campers can indulge in a massage at the spa, followed by a cocktail and a gourmet meal.Later, they can use a bike to explore the island, visiting the nearby Jaws Bridge connecting Edgartown and Oak Bluffs, where some of its namesake’s shark attack scenes were filmed. Unlike most summer camps, Summercamp is dog-friendly, with well-behaved best friends welcome.
Summer camp—it’s not just for kids!