My 14 year old son has been an every other year camper at Farm & Wilderness's Camp Timberlake, and…read morehas reported having a great experience each time. He got familiar with animals and barn duties in his first year, hiking for long treks (16 and 26 miles in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks!) in his second year, and bouldering in nature in his third, all the while making strong bonds with fellow campers and counselors. He looks forward to coming back as a counselor one year, and I couldn't be more excited for him. My 9 year old daughter had the opportunity of attending Firefly Song for her first time this year. She came home with wonderful memories of the camp community, and revealed in describing to us her daily routine -which included chores, Quaker inspired silent meetings and songs, and swimming in the lake every single day! She can't wait to keep going back.

After one good summer at Timberlake, we uncovered the ugly underbelly at Farm & Wilderness…read more In 2023, when other camps had moved on from all Covid protocols, F & W insisted on three days of covid testing from their campers at the outset. When they finally extracted a positive test from a cabin mate of my twin boys, the 5 remaining cabin kids were separated from the camp, made to wear masks indoors and out for 10 days. About half of their session. Despite testing negative consistently. When asked why in the year 2023 they were going well beyond CDC guidelines with their policy, there were no good answers. "Unfortunately, Covid isn't behind us yet, but we gave your cabin an oreo cheesecake and they loved it." Farm and Wilderness could be a great version of itself, outdoors and unplugged and accepting and spirited, but unfortunately they are entangled in a strange ideology where they think they can control what is not controllable. Predictably it backfired. Every kid ended up with a debilitating case of norovirus at the end of the session and my twins came back upset from a summer of isolation and pariah-like exclusion from the campers. Lasting bonds weren't made and refunds weren't offered. It's their policy to make, obviously, it's just not grounded in the child's actual experience. It's grounded in fear.

My three boys all LOVE Camp Chingachgook! There are great programs, outstanding supervision, and a…read moreprime location on beautiful Lake George. YMCA Camp Chingachgook is a wonderful place to build friendships, learn about nature and stewardship of our land, and develop wonderful new skills that will last a lifetime. Check out their wonderful family programs as well- we love the Labor Day Weekend Family Camp!

My parents asked me if I wanted to go to this camp I never heard of. I said sure, why not? It was…read moreone of the best decisions of my life. I was at Camp Chingachgook in the very late 50's or early 60's. Three years in all. The scenery was magnificent, the swimming lessons were helpful and the HUGE trampoline was a delight. The food was very good, too. But by far the two most memorable experiences were our overnight camping and canoeing trip on the lake and our lengthy and exhilarating hike up a mountainside on a steep incline ending up in a flowery meadow with incredible views, then back down through a forest. I'm considering a trip back. I would love to know the name and location of this trail. Camp Chingachgook will be a five-star memory for your kid.

I went to camp Echo Lake for a work weekend. There was about 40 of us coming from all over. We…read morestayed in the cabins and utilized every aspect of the entire camp. The cabins were really nice and clean upon arrival. There were bathrooms and sinks in the cabins which was awesome. A small bathhouse was not far away with really nice showers. The only thing I could say was they were advertised as heated and defenitly were not! The kitchen staff was incredible in serving up three meals a day with snacks in between. They were amazing at catering to vegan and vegetarian's as well! The camp staff in general was awesome. We had several classes including mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and yoga. The staff helped set up materials and walked us through how to properly use them every step of the way. The staff even set up an area for Olympic games and transported water as well. This camp had such a great set up, so many things to do and see, and a staff that made a huge difference in making things run smoothly!

From the owner: Camp Echo Lake Is a full season co-ed sleep away camp in New York's Adirondack Mountains.read more

My son has been to several summer camps at the Middlebury Studio School. He was fully engaged in…read moreeach camp he attended. He loved going in the morning, and when I picked him up he looked forward to what they would do the following day. I thought his teacher was fantastic. She kept the kids thinking and creating all week and I always felt that my son's experience was fully about him, and not about finishing something to be brought home to a parent. Now, he did bring home amazing creations, but they were completely from his imagination (not from a pre-packed arts and crafts dealer!). This year summer classes were offered at St. Mary's School in Middlebury. We loved the location and much preferred it to the Gailer School, where they were offered last year.

Love love love that something like this has come to Rutland, VT! This is such a special place…read morepeople here don't realize what they have at their fingertips. Such a unique exercise and strengthening experience for kids (and adults too)! Gorgeous space, Jill the owner is such a wonderful teacher. Tell your friends!! They're even doing a girls empowerment workshop starting this week. Zero other opportunities like this around I hope they can get visitors from surrounding areas to make this place thrive like it should be. Just awesome!!

This place is amazing! Jill is wonderful with my daughter. She loves her FLYoga classes and has…read morealso participated in 1:1 sessions, GLOga (glow in the dark yoga), paint and yoga, and will be attending FLYoga Camp and the Sole Shine workshops this summer! What an opportunity for our community and our children! There is nothing like this around here! It's not just FUN, it teaches kids to self-regulate, and to know their bodies from the inside out...not to mention stretching and being flexible is so good for them! I'm 100% a FAN! I truly hope Mindful Money can be successful here in Rutland, VT! CHECK IT OUT‼

I'll be honest - I was a little nervous coming here. I actually visited for a weekend work retreat…read moreand although I'm not much of a camper per se, I loved every minute of it. They had several unique cabins on the property as well as "suites" with bathrooms in a larger building that also had a community area. The property is gorgeous with mountains overlooking the treeline, a large field (with Quidditch goals if you're a HP fan), a stunning lake, another community area with a kitchen attached, a barn, campfire area, and trails. There is something for everyone to do here but what I loved the most was being able to look up at the sky at night and see all the stars! If you're looking for a place to reconnect with nature, this is it!

We've gone for the family camp twice and we were there this weekend for their twentieth anniversary…read moreweekend. We are returning again this July. My kids talk about camp all year long and it has become an important part of our lives. We all love it. It's my piece of heaven on earth. We stay in the cabins. There were plenty of beds. Bunk beds and twins with a little piece that goes between two beds pushed together that eliminates that uncomfortable gap. There was plenty of shelf space for clothes as well. Some people stay in tents, others in the Eco-lodge. There are coin operated washing machines, which is important when traveling with little kids. We brought sheets, pillows, sleeping bags, lanterns and towels. There's no electricity in the cabins but there is in the dining hall and the Eco Lodge. You can charge your devices there and connect with the world if you really want to. We stayed screen free and didn't miss it at all. During family camp there are plenty of activities and kids go to Kidville for three hours in the morning. I love hiking up the mountain, relaxing by the river or taking dance classes. Others prefer glass blowing, art class or playing instruments. Activities vary by week. It's relaxing, people are great, and the campus is contained so I can give my kids more freedom than when we're at home. In the afternoons/ evenings there are organized family games like Quiddich and scavenger hunts. There's no pressure to participate but it was a lot of fun. The food is vegetarian and delicious. Meals are planned with kids in mind and there are kid friendly options. They even published a camp cookbook. For me what makes the camp is the people. Camp was built little by little and with a lot of love. The tiles in the bathroom were 2005 camper art projects, and many of those families return every year. The people who run it live what they believe and they are active in the community, they use solar power and they work hard to decrease their carbon footprint. A tour of all of the features of the Eco-lodge was fascinating. They run different camps for under served populations. Camp Kaleidoscope is for families with autistic children, Camp Outright is for LGBTQ teenagers and they run a camp for families in the midst of high conflict divorces. They don't shy away from hard situations. All families are truly welcomed and it's a non-judgmental, cooperative environment. Communication is real and the friendships are genuine. There is a bit of sticker shock but there is a sliding scale and I believe it is money well spent. The food is high quality and fresh. They invest in maintaining the property with ecologically friendly products, they provide a variety of activities for children and adults, and there are enough staff on hand to deal with issues as they arise. It has been an experience that has greatly enriched my life and my children's lives.

I sent my three children to this camp. One for 2 years, one for 5, and the third for 8 years. I can…read moresay without question as a parent that this was one of the best experiences of their lives in terms of both having fun and making friends, but also for developing self-reliance, confidence, and social skills. The team in place - from the owner to key staff members and counselors - are all top notch. Many have 20 or more years experience and are teachers during the year, so they bring a wealth of experience working with kids this age. They had so much fun as well - the first year I took my then-12 year old he went for 4 weeks, and when I picked him up his first words were 'Dad, it's like you just left!'. His second sentence was, "We have to buy a sailboat!" -- he'd taken sailing and fell in love with it. He later developed a love of kayaking and now years later still whitewater kayaks and guides beginners. This was also a kid who we struggled to keep off computers and phones -- but he willingly gave up gaming for camp each summer. Adirondack's 'no phones/no social media' policy works well and was a godsend in terms of giving him time away from electronics. I could not recommend this place more. My children are better, more confident people today because of their time at ADK.

If your child didn't begin Adirondack Camp in elementary school, think twice about sending. My son…read moreattended for two summers and had a very difficult time fitting in here. It is not as described on their website, or when we visited in person. My son was placed in a cabin with children of employees who had been attending for many years. The children had formed close bonds by that time and were not open to meeting new people. A few of the children were bullies who faced no repercussions for their actions. My son had a more rewarding and welcoming experience at Boy Scout camp. And the cost was significantly cheaper as well.

We loved our experience at Chipman Stables- it's rare to get a private ride in a beautiful setting…read more Vermont is truly one of the last places where there is recreational land... I hope it stays that way. Our guides were friendly, the horses very responsive (!!) and we just really enjoyed the ride. It was also affordable! Thanks Ashley and Billie!

Went to Vermont on vacation and read about their private tours. Affordable $60 per person for an…read morehour ride. They guide you and your group up through the woods trail. Beautiful views and they offer to stop and take your groups picture to memorialize the event. Such wonderful guides and a perfect VT experience! Thank you!