These are really specialized camps. Camps for the more adventurous campers. They do not take very young children, for obvious reasons and the child must be an outdoor enthusiast, but if he or she loves adventure, this type of camp might be the perfect fit for a fantastic summer experience. Be sure to do your homework as you would when sending you child anywhere.
Find out who runs the camp and what their qualifications are. What kind of medical staff do they have? Do they belong to any associations and what agencies are they licensed by ? Make you list of questions and make sure the answers meet your standards. Take a look at these camps across the county and see if one of them would fit the bill for your camper.
If backpack trips into the mountains, white water rafting the New River Gorge, sailing, rock climbing, organic farming and horseback riding sounds like something that your child would enjoy, then take a look at Camp Hidden Meadows Wilderness Camp. http://www.camphiddenmeadows.com/subpage.aspx?h=3&f=3&s=About&c=welcome
It is located in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia and accepts children from age 9-16.
The activities are different for the different age groups, with the older children getting to do the more difficult. Each cabin has two counselors and 8-12 campers. The counselor to camper ratio may vary during different activities, but will not exceed one counselor for every six campers.
Camp Voyager Wilderness Camp http://www.campvoyageur.com/ is a camp for boys only ages 10 to 17, located in Ely Minnesota. They are accredited by the American Camp Association and offer the boys adventures from Canoeing, Backpacking, Kayaking sailing to water-skiing, ultimate frisbee and rock climbing. They also have arts and crafts and trips.
Shaffer’s High Sierra Summer Wilderness Camp http://www.highsierracamp.com/
They have activities from archery to windsurfing. A low counselor to camper ratio and an experienced staff. The camp is located in the Tahoe National Forest and they are accredited by the American Camp Association and they are also members of the Western Association of Independent Camps. The owners are husband and wife. He has extensive camp experience and she has a teaching certificate and 9 years teaching experience.
Incarnation Wilderness Camp http://www.incarnationcamp.org/ is located in Ivoryton, Connecticut and is another camp that has been accredited by the American Camp Association. Incarnation Camp has been in operation since 1886. They have three separate sections, Pequot for Boys (7-13), Sherwood for Girls (7-13), and Pioneer Village for Teens (14-15) The boys and girls camps have boating, swimming, sports and off-site camping and canoe trips, just to mention a few of the activities going on. Pioneer Village picks up where the other programs leave off with more advanced activities such as longer camping trips. Each sleeping unit has 42 campers and 10 counselors, so the campers are well looked after.
