How would you like to learn to sail, master a ropes course or relax on the sunny shores of the Chesapeake Bay surrounded by friends? Welp, too bad, you can’t. The following summer plans are for youngsters only. From zip lining to watersports and skateboarding, sleepaway camp has come a long way since we were kids. Try not to be too jealous—and act fast, as sign-ups for some camps are already underway.
Camps Airy and Louise
Camp Airy, for boys, and Camp Louise, for girls, provide children with single-gender summer experiences that promote creativity, adventure and a positive sense of Jewish identity. Campers of all faiths and practices are welcome to attend this camp, now celebrating 100 years of summer fun. Activities include swimming, rock climbing, go-carts, ropes courses, music and sports. Registration is open and sessions fill fast. New campers are eligible for a discount—$500-900 off the base cost, depending on the session. Drive time from Arlington: 1.5 hours. // 24959 Pen Mar Road, Cascade, Maryland
Camp Hidden Meadows
Community, confidence and independence are what the organizers of this camp hope to impart to campers. Kids here are responsible for charting their own summer path. There are no required activities. Instead, campers choose their own adventure. They sleep in riverside and hillside cabins at an elevation of about 3,000 feet, where temps are cool and breezy. Activities include climbing, outdoor living skills, organic farming and mountain biking. Choose from 1- to 4-week sessions. Older campers finishing 7th through 10th grade can participate in Earth Expeditions, a week of tent camping outside of camp grounds with a group of 10 campers. If interested, apply fast. Camp officials say some sessions are filling up. Drive time from Arlington: 3.5 hours. // 17739 Potomac Highland Trail, Bartow, West Virginia
Camp Rim Rock
This overnight camp for girls ages 6 to 15 is in its 73rd year of providing fun summer experiences. The camp prides itself on the number of campers who return year after year. Choose from a one-week mini camp, or the two-week or four-week general camp, with performing arts, aquatics, arts and crafts and sports. Or get up close with horses at riding camp where participants take lessons, go for trail rides and swim the horses in the Cacapon River. Two heated pools and a private lake and beach invite campers to paddleboard, kayak and swim. Other fun activities include beach parties, fireworks, color wars and hoedowns. In addition to the usual summer sports, such as soccer and volleyball, girls get an introduction to sports from around the world, including netball, cricket and handball. Drive time from Arlington: 2 hours. // 343 Camp Rim Rock Road, Yellow Spring, West Virginia
Camp Tall Timbers
Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this camp welcomes boys and girls ages 7 to 16. Choose a two-week, three-week or five-week session. The camp takes time to customize an individual schedule for each camper so that their program is unique to them. Activities include horseback riding, archery, canoeing, drama, hiking and swimming, as well as ziplining, tennis and a rock wall for climbing. Registration is now open. Drive time from Arlington: 2 hours. // 1115 Reflection Lane, High View, West Virginia
Camp Tockwogh
Campers can take to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay at this overnight destination for kids in K-11th grade. Learn to sail, try out waterskiing or wakeboarding, and paddle in a canoe, kayak or paddleboard. Kids can also cool off in the pool and try out the famous Wet-Willy water slide. Target sports include archery, axe throwing and slingshots. Those who want even more water fun can take a look at sister camp Tickwogh, a specialty watersports camp for campers who have completed grades 7-10. Drive time from Arlington: 2 hours, 15 minutes. // 24370 Still Pond Neck Road, Worton, Maryland
Camp Susquehannock
The Susquehannock camps—one for girls and one for boys—use sports to develop confidence, resilience and independence. Campers take part in ten different team sports and two individual sports. A typical day includes training and competition in sports ranging from ultimate frisbee and street hockey and mountain biking. Following a skills assessment, each camper is placed on a team with equally-abled peers to give them an opportunity to participate and therefore enhance their self-esteem. The Tripp Lake waterfront features a diving board, a slide, a trampoline and several boats. Boys and girls enjoy swimming at separate times, and water time includes regattas and swim relays to build team spirit. Drive time from Arlington: 5 hours, 30 minutes. // 2308 Tripp Lake Road, Brackney, Pennsylvania
Echo Hill
This camp has been providing community and friendship since 1914. Campers are encouraged to gain life skills, independence and a can-do attitude through participation in more than 20 different non-competitive water sports and traditional camp activities. Participants live in large, platform tents for the summer and may choose the activities they do each day. Located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Echo Hill offers a wide range of activities on the Chesapeake Bay, including, sailing, waterskiing, tubing and even crabbing. A marshland bordering the camp offers hiking and boating amid the natural wildlife. Registration is now open. Drive time from Arlington: 2.5 hours. // 13655 Bloomingneck Road, Worton, Maryland
Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Outdoor adventures are the focus of two Virginia Girl Scout camps: Camp Pamunkey Ridge, situated on 250 acres of the Pamunkey River north of Richmond, and Camp Kittamaqund, on five miles of shoreline along the Great Wicomico River in Northumberland County. In addition to typical camping fun, each session has a special activity called the ”wow of the week” featuring activities such as a cardboard regatta, a water carnival and a crazy color dance party. Each week has a different theme. Girls can join the pajamboree (featuring classic slumber party activities) or the chasing stars week, with stargazing and glow-in-the-dark games. “Lil Bit O’ Camp” mini sessions from Sunday to Tuesday provide a shorter-term taste of sleepaway camp for younger campers. There are also sessions designed for older girls only. The camps are open to all, but non-scouts must pay an additional $35. Registration is first-come, first-serve and is accepted up to two weeks before sessions start or until camp is at capacity. Drive time to Pamunkey Ridge from Arlington: 1 hour 40 minutes // 34009 Discovery Lane, Hanover, Virginia. Drive time to Camp Kittamaqund: 2 hours 30 minutes // Pumpkin Hill Road, Heathsville, Virginia
Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital
Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital has three sleepaway camps to choose from: Camp Winona (Hughesville, Maryland), Camp Potomac Woods (Leesburg, Virginia) and Camp May Flather (Mt. Solon, Virginia), each of them with a variety of camp themes. For instance, at May Flather, girls can choose the Wild About Water week, and spend most of their time in the pool or out on the river, or the Cave Crawlers or Party in the USA-themed weeks. Other programs focus on art, theater, horseback riding and more. Though the lottery is closed, officials say there are still slots available and registration is ongoing.
International Gymnastics Camp
Flip, vault and cartwheel your way though summer at this Poconos-based camp for recreational and competitive gymnasts. IGC’s focus is on teaching technique and proper progressions in five separate gyms, with visits from celebrity gymnasts throughout the summer. Campers engage in six coached rotations daily, plus optional additional gym time in the evenings, combined with traditional summer camp experiences such as a giant slip and slide, an ice cream shop, a pool and a ropes course. Founded in 1971, IGC is family owned-and-operated by the Klaus family. Enrollment is ongoing. Drive time from Arlington: 4.5 hours. // 100 Gymnastics Way, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Sandy Hill
Boys and girls ages 8 to 16 can learn to sail, blast down a zipline, go horseback riding and more, on 643 acres at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. Action-packed camp experiences in one- or two-week sessions have days divided into five activity periods: three instructional classes, a cabin activity and a free period. Campers may choose their classes upon registration, with options such as acting, archery, magic, waterskiing, dance and more. Additional outdoor fun includes banana boat rides, zip lining, a giant swing and a pontoon boat trip. Some sessions still have availability. Drive time from Arlington: 2.5 hours. // 3380 Turkey Point Road, North East, Maryland
Woodward PA Action Sports Camp
Pack your skateboard with that sleeping bag. Bunking in cabins may be the only “traditional” aspect of this summer sleepaway camp centered on wheeled gear, from scooters, longboards and bikes (BMX or dirt) to roller skates. There’s also a Parkour option. Can’t decide on a favorite? Kids can try them all in the multisport camp. Glide up and down a half-pipe, ride the rails and ace the jumps on the dirt bike track. Other activities include electric guitar, go karts and a Gopro lab where campers can film, edit and take home a video of the sweet skills they learned at camp. Drive time from Arlington: 4 hours // 134 Sports Camp Drive, Woodward, Pennsylvania