Guess what: Summer camps aren’t just for kids! There are several getaways across the country that encourage parents to embrace nostalgia and join the fun of campfire sing-alongs, archery, canoeing and arts and crafts. These camps are all about promoting family bonding through memorable experiences, and in an effort to help families unplug, some campsites still run entirely without electricity. Plus, many of these family summer camps are all inclusive to help you budget and plan before you pack your sleeping bags.
Here are five summer camps that welcome entire families.
1. Snow Mountain Ranch, Estes Park, Colorado
Beloved in winter for its cross-country ski trails and tubing runs, Snow Mountain Ranch transforms into a playground for all ages in summer. Located 12 miles north of Winter Park and spread over 5,100-acres, it houses Colorado’s only summer tubing hill, plus horseback riding, zip-lining and mountain biking. There’s also an indoor pool, roller-skating rink and climbing wall, plus an impressive arts center for rainy days. Free family programming includes yoga, dodgeball and s’mores at the campfire (some of the other sports are fee-based, like archery which costs $12 per person and the new aerial ropes challenge course, which costs $45 per person).
Accommodations are welcoming for multi-generational groups or multiple families, with two- to four-bedroom cabins and two- to five-bedroom vacation homes, each fully equipped with a kitchen. You can also opt for simple lodge rooms, campsites or, if you’re game for something unusual, yurts, which can sleep up to six people. Buffet dining in the large cafeteria is inexpensive, and meals are offered three times a day (children under 5 eat free). One final note, Snow Mountain Ranch is affiliated with the YMCA of the Rockies, but you don’t have to be a YMCA member to stay here.
NEA Member Benefits: To get to the camp, you’ll want to fly into Denver International Airport (DEN) and then drive about 1.5 hours to Snow Mountain Ranch. Check the NEA Travel Program for flights and exclusive discounts on car rentals.
Plan Your Itinerary: Visit Estes Park | Visit Grand County | Colorado Tourism
2. Rockywold Deephaven Camps, Holderness, New Hampshire
This rustic camp rests on a forested area of the scenic Squam Lake in Holderness, New Hampshire. It features multi-bedroom cottages with screened-in porches, fireplaces and electricity (though there’s no air-conditioning or televisions). Activities focus on the lake, with canoes, kayaks and sailboats available for use, but there are also clay tennis courts and miles of hiking trails. Weekly events like capture the flag, square dances, mini-triathlons, scavenger hunts, parades and tie-dying are longstanding traditions at this camp that’s been around since 1897.
All cottage rates include food meals and all activities—they promise no hidden fees.
NEA Member Benefits: Use NEA Travel: Flights to search the best prices for flights into Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), which is 2.5 hours away, or Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT), which is 1 hour away.
Plan Your Itinerary: New Hampshire Lakes Region Tourism Association | New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism
3. Pinewoods, Plymouth, Massachusetts
If your family loves to sing and dance, then Pinewoods is the perfect place for a summer camp getaway. Set amid a beautiful 25-acre pine and beech forest, Pinewoods is a traditional English and Anglo-American dance and music camp. The property dates back to the 1930s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the wood cabins and the open-sided dining hall are original structures. Additionally, there are four dance pavilions and a central Camphouse that’s newer (but still rustic). There are two beautiful lakes for swimming and boating activities.
The Country Dance & Song Society hosts two different family weeks at Pinewoods each summer, one in July and one in August (the one in August is called Campers Week). Each morning has age-grouped song and dance classes, followed by lunch and swim time. Afternoon activities include dance band class, drama, harmony singing, instrument jam sessions and woodcarving.
NEA Member Benefits: The closest airports are Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) at 1.5 hours away and Providence’s T.F. Green Airport (PVD) at 1 hour away. Click on NEA Travel: Flights to find the best prices on airfare.
Plan Your Itinerary: See Plymouth | Visit MA
4. Timberlock, Indian Lake, New York
One of the oldest family resorts in the Adirondacks, Timberlock dates back to 1899. It has been owned by the Catlin family since 1963, and is so popular that people often book out a year ahead (so you may need to look toward 2025 now!). Nestled on 63 acres of forest by the pristine Indian Lake, Timberlock only has electricity at the main camp, where charging outlets and basic internet are available. For accommodations, visitors choose between bucolic cabins equipped with a wood stove for heat, gas lamps for light and an en-suite bathroom, and “tentlets,” which are simple shelters with shared basic bathrooms.
Meals, which are included, often use ingredients grown in the on-site gardens. Timberlock doesn’t have formal activity sessions; instead, families can select from a variety of activities based on your own time and preferences. Activities include hiking, fishing, horseback riding, biking, archery, golf, tennis, swimming, boating and water skiing. On rainy days, kids can check out the children’s play lodge with games like ping pong.
NEA Member Benefits: Search NEA Travel: Flights for airfare to Albany International Airport (ALB), which is 1.5 hours away, or Burlington International Airport (BTV), which is 2.5 hours away.
Plan Your Itinerary: Visit Adirondacks | I Love NY
5. Camp Sacramento, Twin Bridges, California
The 14-acre Camp Sacramento is found in the Eldorado National Forest, about 90 miles east of Sacramento, on land that is leased from the U.S. Forest Service by the city of Sacramento. Each morning, activity sessions are announced and can include anything from archery to arts and crafts to softball to fishing in the American River. The lodge boasts foosball and ping pong tables, board games and a playground for little ones.
Families can stay in one of 61 cabins of varying size with no running water, but basic electricity (there are no power outlets). Shared bathrooms are centrally located and have outlets. Camp Sacramento offers eight Mini Camps (4 days/3 nights) and three weeklong (6 days/5 nights) sessions. Three meals a day and the full of roster of activities are included in the rate.
NEA Member Benefits: The Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is 2 hours away and Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is 1.5 hours away. Use NEA Travel to find the best prices on airfare and exclusive discounts on car rentals.
Plan Your Itinerary: Visit Sacramento | Visit California
