Best Sleepaway Camps In Georgia 2024

Georgia is the perfect place for kids to go out and enjoy learning about nature and the outdoors. The state has everything from the Brasstown Bald Mountain to the vast Lake Lanier.

From farms to mountains and lakes to waterfalls, there are landscapes that everyone can explore in the state of Georgia. 

You’ll find plenty of summer camps accredited by the American Camp Association that focus on nature exploration and allow children to discover who they truly are while inspiring self-development.

It’s also a great place for them to make lifelong memories with their new friends. Pick from the following list of the best sleepaway camps in Georgia.

Summer Camp	Location	Ages	Gender	Session Lengths
Winshape Camps	Mt Berry	6-17	Coed	1, 2 weeks
Camp Evergreen	Clarkesville	7-14	Coed	1, 2 weeks
Camp Woodmont	Cloudland	6-15	Coed	1,2 weeks
Pine Cove	Toccoa	8-14	Coed	1 week
Camp Barney Medintz	Cleveland	7-18	Coed	1, 2, 4 weeks
YMCA Lake Allatoona	Cartersville	6-13	Coed	1 week
Georgia 4H Camp	Athens	9-18	Coed	1 week
Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center	Mansfield	6-16	Coed	6 days
Camp Fire	Toccoa	6-17	Coed	1 week

1. WinShape Camps

Winshape Camps are located in several different cities throughout Georgia. These Christian-based camps offer girls, boys, and family camps throughout June and July. The summer camps run for one week or two, while family camps run for three days.

Common camp activities for students in grades 1-12 include archery, rock climbing, arts and crafts, sports and water activities, horseback riding, and mountain biking. There are also more distinctive activities like photography, woodshop, gymnastics, pottery, wacky science, and calligraphy.

Whether you visit Cleveland, Crandall, Mount Berry, or Young Harris, they have the best summer camps in Georgia in these areas, with adventures just waiting to happen. You can also select their day camps if you don’t mind picking up your camper at the end of each day.

Winshape has more than 30+ years of experience running summer camps, including some in international locations.

2. Camp Evergreen

Camp Evergreen is located near Lake Burton in Clarkesville, surrounded by the peaceful mountains of Northern Georgia. It’s a family-operated Christian camp that focuses on nature, Christ, and building self-confidence. 

The husband-and-wife founders of Camp Evergreen, Pastor Toby Grady and Director Katie believe that having small groups allows for stronger relationships, which is why there are no more than eighty campers each session.

They offer summer sessions and family weekends. Camp sessions are open to children in kindergarten through ninth grade, with day camps and overnight camps available. The sleepaway camps last from three nights all the way up to two weeks. Day camps run from 9 am to 4 pm.

Some of the fun activities include daily worship, games, hikes, horseback riding, kayaking, and mystery day trips. Family weekend sessions are available where the whole family can spend the night at camp.

At these sessions, families work together for scavenger hunts, hike to waterfalls, attend worship services, and can play games. It’s a way to bring families together with delicious meals, talks by the campfire, and fun interactions. 

3. Camp Woodmont

Camp Woodmont is a traditional overnight camp found in Northwestern Georgia. One of the things that makes them stand out is their 1:5 staff-to-camper ratio. This creates a small family-like atmosphere for the camper and it’s been family-owned for two generations now. 

Boys and girls 6-15 are welcome to explore their campus which expands 110 acres over Lookout Mountain. Their outdoors also feature many horseback riding trails, and horseback riding is one of their top most popular activities. Children can also do traditional activities like ziplining, archery, canoeing, and other endless fun. 

While it presents Christian values, it’s nondenominational so anyone regardless of faith is welcome to attend and share a fantastic experience. There are one or two-week sessions with early bird discounts if you sign up ahead of time.

It’s also possible to combine multiple sessions to stay longer, and with all the things there are to do at Camp Woodmont, there are always plenty of new experiences and activities. 

4. Pine Cove

Pine Cove camps have been going strong for over fifty years in states like South Carolina and Texas. Pine Cove has recently expanded into Georgia with its first overnight camp located in Toccoa, near the peaceful Lake Louise. Their programs are centered around the teachings of Christ, having fun, and meeting new friends. 

Pine Cove Springs is open for kids in 4th to 8th grade and students can enjoy a weeklong residential camp. Experienced camp counselors go through extensive background checks and training before they can supervise your children, so you know your child is in good hands in a friendly camp environment. 

Some of the activities at Pine Cover offers include ziplining, horseback riding, tubing, and so much more! Campers can enjoy their free time sliding in the pool, swinging in the barn, or doing other fun activities on the lake. 

5. Camp Barney Medintz

Camp Barney Medintz provides kids with a fun summer camp that helps them develop a stronger connection with their Jewish identity. This camp is located in the North Georgia mountains on 500 acres of land with two lakes. 

Campers can enjoy water skiing, water slides, horseback riding, ziplining, music, theater, dance, crafts, and more! All campers spend at least one Shabbat at Camp. 

Camp Barney offers one, two, and four-week camp options depending on the camper’s grade level. There is also a Junior-in-training Program for rising eleventh graders that involves a six-day hiking and camping trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Rising twelfth graders have the option of a long eight-week camping experience, where they learn the ins and outs of camp and transition into a camp counselor.

The camp’s mission is to help kids develop essential leadership skills and build up their self-confidence, self-resilience, and responsibility.

6. YMCA Camp High Harbour at Lake Allatoona

YMCA Camp High Harbour Lake Allatoona is a traditional camp situated near the lakefront in Bartow County, GA. The staff-to-child ratio is 7:1, ensuring each child gets a sufficient amount of supervision. There are several programs with different focuses. Some focus on watersports while others focus on outdoor adventure like hiking and camping.

Kids can participate in exciting activities like tubing, waterskiing, overnight camping, ropes courses, and much more. The programs provide a supportive environment with the goal of improving a camper’s self-esteem, self-confidence, and resilience skills.

With a focus on teaching children the importance of nature, kids have fun while also coming out of the program more educated on the environment around them. The YMCA also offers a family camp and other types of specialty camps throughout the year.

7. Georgia 4-H Camp

Georgia’s 4-H Camp offers weeklong sleepaway summer camps to kids in the state. The camps take place all over Georgia at one of their many 4-H centers, depending on the age and grade of the campers. 

Cloverleaf Camp for fourth and sixth graders is held at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton. Children can participate in activities such as swimming, sports, archery, hiking, and so much more. 

Junior Camp is available for seventh and eighth-graders and is situated at Jekyll Island. Fun things to do include day trips to places like the Georgia Aquarium and Stone Mountain or opportunities to learn about the nearby environment.

Wilderness Challenge Camp is for the more outdoorsy camper in seventh and eighth grade. Pursuits include swimming in the river, zip-lining, taking survival classes, white water rafting, and everything outdoors! 

The last program, Senior Camp, is for high school students in the 9-12th grade. Teenagers participate in fun pool parties, kayaking, team-building activities, and service projects. 

8. Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center offers day and overnight camps for kids ages 6-16 in Mansfield, Georgia. Their camp gives youth unique opportunities to connect with their natural surroundings. 

They offer two-day camp programs for kids ages 6-10. Where The Wild Things Are allows kids to explore nature through crafts, animal encounters, games, and adventures. Nature Heroes Day Camp is for older kids 8-10. During this week-long day camp, kids can become superheroes and develop skills that help protect wildlife and nature. Fun activities include archery, fishing, and watersports. 

Older students 11 and above can attend one of their many sleepaway experiences. Participants can choose between several options that involve a range of things like learning wildlife survival skills, riflery, archery, fishing, and much more. There are fun field trips to places like Jekyll Island and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. 

The Georiga Department of Natural Resources also offers another program called Camp TALON for older teenagers 14-19. The camp lasts six days and takes teenagers on a fun adventure along Georgia’s coast, stopping at state parks and wildlife areas. 

9. Camp Fire

Camp Fire allows campers to discover their spark while making new friends and exploring the outdoors. The camp is for students in grades 1st-12th and takes place on Toccoa’s 176-acre land. Kids can choose their own activities throughout the weeklong camps from June to July. They’re encouraged to build leadership skills and improve themselves while having fun. 

Traditional camp activities like water sports, theatre, art, gardening, archery, and hiking occur at this camp. In addition, all participants participate in group activities like shelter-building, waterfall hikes, and fire-building skills. 

Camp facilities include cabins where campers sleep with eight other peers and a counselor. The outdoor swimming pool lets campers swim, and the local area provides them with the ability to explore the great outdoors.