I am writing to share my experience and observations about Camp Barnes, which I attended for three…read moreyears -- as a camper in 2023 and as a Counselor-in-Training (C.I.T.) in 2024 and 2025. While there are positive aspects of the camp, the overall environment is toxic, disorganized, and poorly managed, particularly for staff and C.I.T.s. As a camper in 2023, I enjoyed activities like campfires, arts and crafts, kayaking, archery, and sports, and most counselors were kind. However, even then there was significant drama within cabins, many campers felt excluded, bathrooms were dirty, cold water was rarely available, and toilet paper and soap often ran out despite repeated requests. The bathrooms were especially unsanitary -- during Girls' Week this year, 4 out of 5 toilets were clogged most of the day, showers flooded, campers had only two minutes to wash (barely enough), and menstrual blood and feces were left on walls and floors. Sewage water even backed up into kitchen drains during meal prep.
As a C.I.T., my experience was discouraging and not at all what was promised. The program was advertised as an opportunity to shadow counselors and develop leadership skills, but in reality we were treated like janitorial staff -- expected to wash dishes, refill water, and clean for hours while male counselors often stood by and contributed little. We arrived at meals an hour early and stayed up to two hours after to clean, with little to no training on how to interact with campers. In 2024, I left early due to a toxic cabin environment and lack of guidance, and in 2025 I returned for Girls' Week 1 hoping things had improved. Unfortunately, they had not. On arrival this year, no clear instructions were given; it was up to us to set up our cabins and pick counselors to shadow. One counselor, Shelby, stood out as kind, organized, and great with campers, but most others were unclear, dismissive, or power-hungry.
Several incidents this year demonstrate the camp's unprofessionalism. For example, Cabin 10 has a long-standing tradition of campers writing their names or messages on the walls, which staff had witnessed and tolerated for years. This year, after campers added some slightly inappropriate but harmless messages, counselors Ashleigh and Ashley Gott made us scrub the walls (despite knowing the permanent marker wouldn't come off), then forced us to hold plank positions and do push-ups -- roughly one for each of the 160 signatures -- even though most of us physically couldn't complete them. Meanwhile, two C.I.T.s completely shirked their responsibilities, ignored campers, used their phones in front of them, and refused to help clean, yet faced no consequences. Those of us who did the work were criticized by Ashley Gott as "childish" and told to "realize we weren't campers anymore." At the end of the week, we were even blamed for a trash bag left in our cabin, even though it had been there since Boys' Week, already full of food and trash when we arrived.
While Camp Barnes does offer fun activities and memorable moments for campers, the lack of organization, poor sanitation, toxic staff culture, and unprofessional treatment of C.I.T.s caused me significant stress and anxiety. As a camp run by the State Police, I expected higher standards of professionalism and accountability. I have decided not to return to Camp Barnes, and I sincerely hope the administration takes these concerns seriously to improve the experience for future campers and staff. If you have any further questions about my experience, please feel free to reach out -- I am happy to provide more details. Thank you for your time.
