Hey, Camp Folks!

We work with more than 270 summer camps here at Everything Summer Camp and Camp Hayo-Went-Ha is one of them. Happy to feature them on the Blog today, we’re fixing our summer camp spotlight a rough 400 miles to the east of our own hometown in Boyd, Wisconsin, over to the state next to us across the beautiful Great Lake Michigan.

The YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha hosts a girls camp and a boys camp that are located in two different, but nearby locations. The boys camp sits on 600 acres 35 miles northeast of Traverse City while their sister camp, Camp Arbutus, boasts 80 acres 10 miles southeast of Traverse City. Both locations offer a breathtaking landscapes and the feeling of isolation from the rest of the hustle-bustle world.

The boys camp site at Hayo-Went-Ha is the oldest camp to stay on the same site as it’s done so for 110 years! In that time, boys have had fun participating in such activities as all sorts of sports canoeing, hiking, and biking. They have a 50’ climbing tower as well as a two-story 36’ ropes course and zipline. SCUBA lessons are offered as well as fun of all sorts in the water, plus many other fun things!

The girls at Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha have lots of similar activities like sports such as basketball, soccer, and tennis. They offer a 38’ ropes course and a 38’ climbing tower. They offer a prided Equestrian program in which campers can ride the lengthy trails of the campgrounds. With a plethora of water activities such as sailing, canoeing, and kayaking along with indoor activities like drama, dance, arts and crafts, and much, much more.

Both brother and sister camps offer accommodating cabins for a good night’s sleep where cabin leaders sleep at night as well so that, even at night, campers have some kind of supervision. You can look into Camp Hayo-Went-Ha for your son or daughter right here and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John

Hey, Happy Summer Camp Hunters!

If you’re looking for a summer camp in the western North Carolina region, check out High Rocks Camp for Boys. Located among a thousand acres of camp-owned mountain woodland and boasting an 11 acre lake, this camp has been introducing young men to a clear understanding of community, adventure, leadership, and independence for nearly 60 years—since 1958.

Featuring a number of streams, awe-inspiring rocky outcrops, granite balds, and jaw-dropping views from an elevation of three thousand feet. High Rocks Camp borders the DuPont North Carolina State Forest which is a 10,000 acre playground of forest, waterfalls, and some of the most beautiful biking trails this country has.

The private, eleven-acre High Rock Lake offers a perfect waterfront for swimming, canoeing, kayaking—they even offer sailing. Find endless trails of beautiful nature to hike or ride horseback or mountain bike through. High Rocks has constructed 5 Appalachian Trail-style shelters that make for perfect overnight pit stops or short backpacking trips for young campers.

Get ready for awesome activities like a three-day hike, a canoe trip, or going rock climbing. Outdoor courts are ready for tennis matches as well as basketball and volleyball games and the athletic fields are begging you to play soccer. Get skilled in other fun activities like Disc Golf, Ping Pong, Foosball, Ultimate Frisbee, Rope Swing, Ga-Ga Ball, and much, much more!

There are five to six campers accompanied by a cabin leader in each cabin. A camper and his cabin mates form an essential bond that create a happy camp experience and cabin leaders at High Rocks direct a great amount of effort toward developing their cabin group into an effective unit whose members offer each other support and understanding.

If High Rocks Camp for Boys sounds like a great fit for your summer camper, get an even better look into camp life on their website by clicking here. And, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

We’re shining our Everything Summer Camp summer camp spotlight on a quality brother/sister camp, very much deserving of a feature—today we’re taking a look into the world of Camp Ridgecrest for boys as well as Camp Crestridge for girls, situated up high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Basking in the charm of the summer season, Western North Carolina’s climate tends to see warmer temperatures that rarely exceed the mid-80’s—perfect for fun outdoor activities and incredible trips through the beautiful wilderness. Both Ridgecrest and Crestridge are treated to their own private lakes, awesome facilities, and comfortable cabins.

From Bedlam Ball (soccer with eight goals) at Ridgecrest to the Night of Chaos (a race of organized mess of chaotic events) at Crestridge, there is an incredible amount of fun waiting for you at these camps.

The camps have many shared activities like Archery, Riflery, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Horesback Riding, Guitar, and Crafts. The camps also offer exclusive activities like Sewing, Gymnastics, and Needlework at Crestridge as well as Chess, Paintball, and Rocketry at Ridgecrest. And both camps come together to participate in Carnival—giant, inflatable rides and games of skill where you can win awesome prizes for your cabin.

Each camp has their own welcoming and atmospheric dining hall and both campgrounds have cool, rustic buildings, fun facilities, and accommodating cabins. Crestridge campers are provided with the luxury of internal bath amenities while the boys at Ridgecrest use the private cabin bathhouses complete with shower stalls, toilets, urinals, and sinks.

Growing opportunities and great fun are happening each and every summer at Ridgecrest and Crestridge. Look in to either of these camps to see if they’d be a good match for your son or daughter and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Aficionados!

Is your kid interested in camp? A great way to investigate camps for future summer seasons is to check out all of our Summer Camp Spotlight posts that we’ve published on the Blog. Browse potential camps and get a good idea of what summer stays are like at each camp when you read these posts! Today, we’ll shine the Everything Summer Camp spotlight on a great camp in the Berkshires region of western Massachusetts—YMCA Chimney Corners Camp for girls.A sister camp to Camp Becket, Chimney Corners Camp was founded in 1931 by the loving couple Ina and Henry Gibson. These two had reached the juncture in their lives where the relief of retirement was on the horizon. In preparation for the upcoming stage, the couple came across a promising piece of property. Its main feature was a building that was falling apart around an old chimney.

Seeing its potential, the Gibsons thought to themselves that this could be the site for a summer camp for girls. They fell in love with the idea and received awesome help and support from the folks at the nearby camp—Camp Becket!

Like their brother camp, there’s a lot going on at Chimney Corners Camp. Choose from fun camp activities like Softball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, Archery, Swimming, Canoeing, Kayaking, Horseback Riding, High/Low Ropes Course, Nature Outings, Outdoor Living Skills, and a plethora of Creative Arts like Photography, Woodshop, Music, and Drama!

Two cabin leaders stay in the rustic but cozy cabins of Chimney Corners with 8 to 9 campers of the same age and grade in each cabin. Campers get a taste of simpler living with no electricity or indoor bathrooms. Cabins glow with flashlights and lanterns after sundown and each camper gets her own cubby as well as some shared space underneath the bunk and in a closet.

Standing for over a decade, the Chimney Corners Dining Hall gathers the entire camp at mealtimes and gives them all one roof under which to eat. Cabin leaders and cabin mates sit together during mealtimes. Have your daughter experience the family and fun at Chimney Corners Camp and check out their website for more details. As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp People!

We can’t talk enough about all the excellent summer camps with whom we’ve developed great relationships. That’s why we post about them as often as we can and, today, we’re swinging our Everything Summer Camp spotlight over to the West Coast to one of these amazing camps. Focusing our attention about 20 miles off the Southern California coast, let’s take a good look at Catalina Island Camps

Bound by glorious views and graced by ocean breezes, Catalina Island Camps is settled on Howlands Landing, a private cove downwind of the beautiful Catalina Island. Initially a boys camp when it was first founded in 1922, this camp has been open to girls as well now since the 70’s.

There are awesome water activities at Catalina Island Camps like Skin Diving, Kayaking, Sailing, Water Skiing, Wake Boarding, Tubing, Knee Boarding, and Stand Up Paddleboards. And days are filled with other activities like Arts & Crafts, Archery, Riflery, Rock Wall Climbing, Ropes Course, Outdoor Cooking, Adventure Trips, and much, much more.

Catalina Island campers find a sense of belonging to the cabin group. The activities, special events, and overall cabin life are determined by the cabin groups to which campers are assigned. Through cooperation in activities and shared experiences, Catalina campers learn to help their fellow cabin mates and develop friendships with one another. There is a cabin leader and an activity instructor living with typically ten campers in each cabin.

Boasting beautiful campgrounds and a lovely campus, campers believe Catalina Island Camps to be heaven on earth. Here, campers take their first steps toward a stage of maturity and self-reliance. Check out Catalina Island Camps for yourself right here if it sounds like a good camp for your camper and, as always thanks for reading!

- John