Thought summer camp was just for kids? Think again… There has been a growing trend in recent years for summer camps for the whole family. The idea is that everyone can join in on the fun that was once reserved for kids and their camp counselors. Here are some family summer camps you may want to check out.
Montecito Sequoia Lodge
Montecito Sequoia Lodge hosts the ultimate family summer camp experience. This all-inclusive camp offers a wide variety of lodging options, children’s programs, family activities, and buffet style meals. Rates vary depending on the type of accommodation chosen but expect to pay at least $4,000 for a family of four for the entire week. Located inside the gates of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, Montecito Sequoia Lodge is a great option for residents of Northern California.
Families have the option of spending the majority of the day together doing outdoor activities such as a guided hike or swimming in the lake. They also have the option of dropping their kids off with the camp counselors. Children are grouped by age and have four activity periods throughout the day where they can go sailing, canoeing, horseback riding or participate in music lessons, jujitsu, fencing, and more. Meals are eaten with the family, and after dinner themed activities are scheduled for the entire family as well.
Skylake Yosemite Camp
Skylake Yosemite camp offers weekend family camps in May and August. Families stay in a rustic bunkhouse with no electricity or showers, eat in a large dining hall, and spend the day completing activities together or separately. Rates begin at $325 for adults/teens and $195 for children 6-12, and they include accommodations, meals, and activities.
Children can choose from selected programs such as the craft shop, tie-dye, rock wall, and horseback riding with camp counselors. For entire families, there are a number of activities to enjoy on your own. Families can ride canoes, kayaks, learn archery, play tennis, volleyball, horseshoes, and lodge games. Every evening after dinner, there is a campfire session organized by the counselors for the whole family.
Camp Mather
Just outside of San Francisco, families have been visiting Camp Mather for nearly a hundred years. Designated as a state park in the 1920s, Camp Mather is a perfect summer vacation spot for the whole family. Rates vary based on the lodging chosen, length of stay and meals included. As a sample rate, a family of 4 could stay in a rustic cabin with meals included for about $2,000 a week.
Activities include swimming at the lake or pool, basketball, ping pong, badminton, horseback riding, fishing, and guided hiking and biking. There are specialized programs for younger campers, arts, crafts, and play areas. For families wanting to take a day trip, there is plenty of outdoor scenery nearby at both Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, and Yosemite is less than an hour away.
Bar 717 Ranch
Bar 717 Ranch is located near Shasta-Trinity National Forest about 2 hours outside of Redding, California. While they are mostly known for their kids only summer camp, Bar 717 offers two weeks in August as family camp weeks. Rates are $1300 per adult and $560-940 depending on the age of your children and include lodging, meals, and activities.
There are a variety of programs and activities that are offered each day guided by trained staff members. Families wake up and choose where they want to go and what they want to do. Typical activities include horseback riding, swimming, ropes course, arts and crafts, and music. There are also some unique programs such as archery, ceramics, cooking, dance, gardening, woodshop, and ranch projects. Families can help feed the goats and chickens, harvest vegetables, and milk the cows. There are also kid only special events like movie night and adult only events like wine and cheese tastings.
Margie de Quesada is a former teacher turned family travel blogger. She writes about the places her family visits around the USA and has a bucket list goal to visit all 50 states before her kids graduate high school. You can read Margie’s travel blog at www.dqtravel.net.