The best sleepaway camps in New York and beyond

At first glance, Adirondack Camp looks like paradise. If paradise was an overnight camp nestled between the Adirondack Mountains and Lake George that is. You get what you pay for at this sleepaway camp. The steep price tag comes with a jam-packed daily schedule full of water, land, and art activities. Some of their offerings you won’t find at your everyday camp. If snorkeling, archery, wake surfing, and culinary arts, sound like fun activities for your kid, then consider Adirondack Camp this summer. There’s also an option for campers in training for the older teens!

Location: 302 Warrick Road Putnam Station, NY 12861
Contact: 518-547-8261, info@adirondackcamp.com
Price: $5,250+
Ages: 7-17

Two-week, three-week, four-week, five-week, or seven-week sessions are available at Appel Arts Camp. Most campers choose to stay for a month, but the two-week session is great for first-timers. In addition to being able to customize the length of your child’s stay at camp, you can also customize what they focus on during the summer. Each child chooses two majors and two minors to learn. Some options are theater performance, dance, music, creative writing, and photography.

Location: 457 Shirley Road P.O. Box 888 Elmer, NJ 08318
Contact: 856-358-6881
Price: $1,750+
Ages: 7-17

Think of Awosting 1900 as one giant adventure for your son(s). The all-boys camp offers a one-of-a-kind summer camp experience. It even attracts international campers and considers itself an informal and friendly environment. With more than 30 choices of activities, your son may come home knowing martial arts and how to canoe and waterski. The younger campers receive more personal attention, while the pre-teens and teenagers are allowed to enjoy more freedom during their time at the camp.

Location: 296 West Street, Morris, CT 06763
Contact: 860-567-4924, summer@awosting.com
Price: $4,700+
Ages: 6-15

Camp Eagle Hill takes sleepaway camp one step further. Your child will spend the summer in Upstate New York 90 minutes north of New York City.  The facility features two baseball fields, five basketball courts, eight tennis courts, two soccer fields, a large hockey rink and three volleyball courts. And that’s not all! The camp is also surrounded by 100 acres of woodland and also includes the chance for campers to take trips. Thursdays are trip days to water parks, including Howe Caverns, Great Escape Amusement Park, Lake Taghkanic or Bash Bish Falls. 

Location: PO Box 12, Elizaville, NY 12523
Contact: 518-537-4000
Price: $3,100+
Ages: 6-16

Camp Mah-Kee-Nac is another all-boys camp focused on instilling traits in its campers through teaching a strong commitment to the community. The camp keeps kids busy with action-packed days full of activities, sports, and art. The goal is that by the end of the summer, the campers will realize their own power and have the confidence to be their true, authentic selves. What more could a parent want for their kid? Camp Mah-Kee-Nac is highly recommending that campers and staff are up-to-date with Covid-19 vaccinations.   

Location: 6 Hawthorne Rd Lenox, MA 01240
Contact: 800-753-9118, info@campmkn.com
Price: $7,550+
Ages: 7-15

The fun is still on at Long Lake Camp Adventures! The Westchester County camp nestled in the Adirondack mountains is making sure campers partake in an abundance of activities. The overnight camp has been around for more than 50 years and has experience with keeping campers healthy, even pre-pandemic. The campers will still enjoy horseback riding, cheerleading, engineering, and blacksmithing—they’ll just do it safely to ensure the health of all campers and staff.

Location: 199 Washington Avenue Dobbs Ferry, NY, 10522
Contact: 914-693-7111, lee@longlakecampadventures.com
Price: $5,850+
Ages: 8-16

The co-ed sleepaway camp in the Catskill Mountains has been around since 1937. With more than eight years of experience, it’s safe to say that Camp Lokanda knows a thing or two about kids. Their secret? Create a place where campers can disconnect. That means that there’s a strict no-screens policy. Prepare your kid to leave their phone, iPad, tablet … whatever at home because it’s not going with them. Once they move on from that electronic withdrawal, they’ll see the beauty that is Camp Lokanda.

Location: PO Box 218, 432 Haring Road Glen Spey, New York 12737
Contact: 845-557-6686
Price: $14,100
Ages: 9-17

Though this camp is just under two hours from NYC, the majestic Catskill Mountains couldn’t feel farther away from the bustle of Manhattan. Two hundred scenic acres are filled to the brim with activities! The options are endless: Soccer, lacrosse, basketball, softball, GaGa and tennis are just a few of the sports on offer, and kids will also get their fill of water sports such as sailing, swim team, banana boats and waterskiing. Lakota also caters to equestrians, gymnasts, artists and skateboard fanatics (the campground just got a new skateboard park!). 

Location: ​​56 Park Rd Wurtsboro, New York, 12790
Contact: 845-888-5611, Info@CampLakota.com
Price: $6,150+
Ages: 6–16

A lot goes into every aspect of Camp Schodack. The atmosphere is down-to-earth and new campers are always welcome. But, it doesn’t end there. New Camper Day allows for first-timers to visit, see their bunk, and let their parents meet the staff. Plus, if your kid has a case of nerves, they’ll also be placed with a “Big Sister” or “Big Brother,” so that they have a friend who can look out for them during the summer.

Location: 40 Krouner Road Nassau, NY 12123
Contact: 518-766-3100
Price: $8,150+
Ages: 7-16

It’s actually difficult to believe all of the different types of activities that kids at Camp Stonewall can choose from. There are fun games like capture the flag and hopscotch. Then there are more advanced sports like cricket, lacrosse-basketball, and badminton. There are also arts-focused activities like candle making, crocheting, and scrapbooking. It’s pretty much necessary to continue going back to Camp Stonewall year after year—that’s the only way to get through the lengthy list of activities!

Location: 26 Chase Road, Thompson Connecticut, 06277
Contact: 860-923-9565 x291, campstonewall@marianapolis.org
Price: $950+
Grades: 2-10