7 Best Overnight Camps In Vermont 2024

Overnight Camps In Vermont

If you want your child to experience everything the outdoors can provide, Vermont is one of the perfect places for overnight summer camps.

This mountain state has plenty of natural areas with its various parks, forests like the Green Mountain National Foresorests, and gorgeous lakes like Lake Champlain.

You’ll find many kinds of summer programs here, with a large selection of residential and also day and family camps.

These are the top sleepaway camps in Vermont to consider for your child’s next summer adventure.

Summer CampLocationAgesGenderSession Lengths
Camp FarwellNewbury6-17Girls3, 4, 7 weeks
The Aloha FoundationFairlee8-16Coed4, 6 weeks
Camp Dudley & Camp KiniyaColchester10-15Boys & Girls4 weeks
Brown LedgeColchester10-17Girls4 weeks
Camp LochearnPost Mills8-16Girls4 weeks
Camp Betsey CoxPittsford8-16Girls2, 3, 5, 8 weeks
Camp DownerSharon8-16Coed1, 2 weeks

1. Camp Farwell

Camp Farwell is located in the beautiful town of Newbury. It’s the perfect place for your daughter to grow to love the outdoors. Beginning with Rookie Week, first-time campers get a whole week of camp fun. Returning campers can select from two, three, and seven-week options.

Camp Farwell has one of the most popular horseback riding programs in the area, offering enthusiasts quality riding time. Campers receive instruction in stable Skills, horse theory, and vaulting. Plus, they can enjoy picturesque trail rides up to twice a day five times a week.  

With a small staff-to-kid ratio of 3:5, campers can participate in archery, tennis, performing arts, gymnastics, and other sports. At the boathouse, campers can enjoy kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, water skiing, tubing, and even make use of a water trampoline.

2. The Aloha Foundation

The Aloha Foundation is a group dedicated to making every child feel welcomed and encouraged to learn. They host several summer programs for 3rd to 10th-grade students, with day camp and overnight camps available. 

The Aloha program is designed for girls between 7th and 10th grade. Girls gain leadership skills while being mentored by the welcoming staff. During these experiences, children learn the value of companionship as they participate in fun activities and live alongside other peers in rustic cabins. 

Camp activities include canoeing, biking, kayaking, pottery, survival skills, and much more! The typical camp schedule consists of group games, events, daily meals, activities, and free time. If you want to help your girls learn valuable skills while having a fun, memorable summer, Aloha is right for you! 

3. Camp Dudley & Camp Kiniya

Camp Dudley is a fantastic campground in the heart of the wilderness designed for boys between 10-14. Camp Kiniya is the sister camp intended for girls ages 10-15. The goal of these camps is teamwork and camaraderie. 

Camp Dudley was founded in 1885 to create a safe space for young men to grow and thrive together. This is a value they carry through into today by instilling the same important values and ideals in the campers! Children partake in boating, performing arts, and other character-building experiences. The program stretches for three and a half weeks, with two sessions over the summer. 

Camp Kiniya offers a similar experience for girls. It was founded in 1919 to offer a similarly wholesome environment for young girls to thrive. They focus on building strong and confident campers and developing close relationships. 

They encourage teamwork during boating excursions, artistic performances, and other activities. Your girls can grow and explore their spiritual life in an accepting and wholesome environment!

4. Brown Ledge

Situated in Burlington, Vermont, Brown Ledge is nestled on the shores of Malletts Bay. Designed for ages 10-17, this girls-only camp strives to get the best out of each camper who visits. Brown Ledge offers two separate four-week sessions or one whole eight-week session.

The traditional cabins can sleep groups of 4-5 kids with nurses and counselors available throughout the night if needed. Working together, bunkmates make decisions and work together while sharing their space. 

Aside from wake-up calls, well-balanced meals, and horseback riding, activities are open throughout the day for campers to participate in at their leisure. There are no schedules to follow, giving children independence about how their day goes and adding to their self-confidence. In addition to horseback riding, girls choose from a slew of water sports, archery, riflery, tennis, arts and crafts, and theatre arts.

5. Camp Lochearn

Located in Post Mills, Vermont, on the horizon of Lake Fairlee, you can find Camp Lochearn. With an emphasis on development and enrichment, Lochearn’s motto puts an emphasis on honesty and kindness. 

Cabins feature a 3:1 camper-to-counselor ratio with three distinctive age groups: 7-10, 11-12, and 13-15, with older teens participating in leadership training. They host two sessions over the summer, just over three weeks long.

Their overnight summer camps have over 40 activities incorporating sports, hiking trips, yoga, tennis, lacrosse, culinary arts, and so much more. Lochearn also features a state-of-the-art stable facility to improve your young campers’ horse riding skills. 

6. Camp Betsey Cox

Camp Betsey Cox caters to girls and non-binary campers and instills values of quality, justice, and respect. Campers set their own rules for cabins allowing them to be independent and work together as a team.  

Attendees contribute to the workload daily by taking care of their sleeping and dinner areas. They also tend the garden, do farm chores, and care for the animals. The mornings consist of activities followed by lunch, more programming and free time in the evenings and storytime near the night. 

They can enjoy the typical camp activities involving archery, challenge courses, tennis, arts and crafts, plus more. You can select from sessions lasting anywhere from two to eight weeks.

7. Camp Downer

Camp Downer is located in Downer Forest State Park in Sharon, Vermont. It’s a scenic area donated to the group almost a century ago by Charles Downer. This helped support their mission to provide a healthy environment for children, which was affordable to everyone. 

Their programs include boating, aerobics, singing, pottery, fishing, outdoor survival, and much more! The main focus of all of their programs is to teach children to work together and learn new skills. Fully trained lifeguards supervise their boating and water activities. Your children can learn how to navigate canoes and kayaks safely and effectively. 

Professionals also teach campers outdoor skills like how to set up a campsite, cook food over an open fire, and watch out for animals. Campers learn to work together and create an environment where everyone can prosper. 

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