Wyonegonic Camps
Wyonegonic, the oldest continuously run camp for girls, was founded in 1902. 3 and 6 week programs are offered for girls age 8-18. Wyonegonic offers a non-competitive atmosphere which allows campers to build confidence. Emphasis is on personal development and group cooperation. Wyonegonic is composed of three camps; Junior, Intermediate and Senior. These units are designed to fit the needs and interests of each age group. Each unit is a close-knit community that is small enough to kindle deep friendships and personalized attention. Campers live with a counselor in a cabin group of girls their age. Cabin counselors are carefully selected as positive role models and make the needs of their campers top priority. Program is individualized for each camper based on their goals and interests. Particular focus is on waterfront activities and outdoor living skills. Campers choose from traditional activities such as swimming, tennis, sailing, horseback riding, canoeing, archery and creative arts. Age appropriate ropes courses add adventure, challenge and group problem solving. Canoe and hiking trips are offered for all ages from 1-6 days in length in Maine and New Hampshire. Typical clientele represents 30 states and 11 foreign countries. Wyonegonic and Winona are the oldest Brother/Sister camps in the country.
Camp Reviews — Memories from Real Camp Families
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Danica said... |
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One of my many favorite camp memories is laying in my hammock in the pine trees outside my cabin, laughing and talking and just hanging out with my friends. I’ve met so many great friends at Wyonegonic. We were doing a lot of nothing, but I’m so busy all school year that it felt so good to just hang out with such special people in such a special place. I love Wyo so much and can’t wait to get back there. |
Allie said... |
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One of my camp memories was when I first stepped into Wyo, in the summer of 2014. I had that fluttery feeling in my stomach, yet at the same time couldn't wait to make memories in this beautiful place. In a few minutes I had friends and felt like this had been my home forever. The counselors are like big sisters who comfort you and get to know you in every way they can. Days pass by quickly at Wyo, with all the activities and special events. Sometimes you have twinges of homesickness but it leaves just as quickly as it had come, because you're having too much fun to spend time thinking about it. Everyone there is so nice and they are all like family, Wyo is everyone's second home. At the end of the session you and your friends cry your eyes out and hope to see each other again. You share memories and hug and cry some more and then that session is done. You make so many memories at Wyo that you will never forget. Wyo is a great place for any girl. |
Allie said... |
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I love Wyo! It is one of the best choices I ever made. My best memory was actually the last night of first session, when my friends and I cried our eyes out, realizing how close we were and how strong our friendship had become. The counselors, CIT's, ACs, and staff just made our friendships stronger through the session. I totally think that any girl would really enjoy Wyo. |
Kate said... |
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My 9-year old daughter attended Camp Wyonegonic for the first time this past summer and had a fantastic time. We did get a few letters with twinges of homesickness, but the guidance and information the camp staff provided to us reassured us it was normal, to-be-expected emotion. The communications from camp were so professional yet personal. I loved seeing my daughter in the photos Wyo posted each week for parents to enjoy -- her smile made it clear she wasn't TOO homesick! Even though she knows she's missing some of the summer fun at home with her local friends and attending sleepaway camp hundreds of miles away isn't typical for our region, she can't wait to go back! |
Elizabeth said... |
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The last night of Wyo is amazingly special for campers and parents alke. The younger girls file onto the docks carrying a candle, singing camp songs. The seniors paddle in from two different directions, forming an arc around the docks. Thoughtful words are spoken, memories invoked and songs fill the air, echoing across the lake. The gaudy sunset painting the sky behind the girls puts the whole scene over the top. How lucky my girls are to have spent time at Wyo. |
Susan said... |
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Some of my most fond memories are sitting around the camp fire singing songs that have been sung for generations at camp. forty years later, I still remember those songs and still sing them with my camp friends when we get together. My daughter is going to camp for the first time this summer, and she'll be ready for the camp fire sing alongs too--with all the songs we've sung together since she was little. |
Amy said... |
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There is simply nothing more special than summer on a lake in Maine. A lifelong camper myself, nothing gives me greater joy that being able to share that experience with my daughters. On opening day I turn them over to Wyo, excited, nervous, and slightly jaded from the school year. Returned to me on closing day (along with some rather stinky laundry) are respectful, grounded, independent, adventuresome girls with a lifetime of stories to tell, lessons to teach us, friends from all over the country and world, and 10 infinitely long months in the calendar to check off before they can return again to the shores of Moose Pond. |
Lynda said... |
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I am a camp parent but have also served as the Nurse at Camp Wyonegonic. My kids started camp later in life than many girls. They were afraid of not fitting in and having trouble making friends. Within 2 days they had friends they were inseperable from all summer and keep in touch with to this day. In the 3/12 weeks they spent there they went on incredible life altering trips, such as the 5 day Allagash canoe trip, hiking Mt. Pleasant and sleeping in a yurt etc. They became much more independent and confident and could experience freedoms that they do not have at home, because they were in a safe environment. They could let their guard down in a way they are unable to do in their home town. They got to truly be kids, experience the thrill of getting a letter in the mail and learn to live without technology and instant gratification. It was the best decision I ever made to give them that experience, and was worth all of the 16 hour days I worked, because I also grew both personally and professionally and loved just disconnecting from the world outside and embracing the great outdoors!
Lynda Savlenable |
Megan said... |
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According to my daughter, "My favorite memory was funyaking. My friends and I went paddle boarding and had a blast! It was awesome!!"
As a parent & former staff member, I am grateful to share the camp experience with my daughter. My daughter had a great 1st summer at Wyonegonic and is looking forward to another year in Maine.
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Paige said... |
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I wanted to thank you for the most wonderful 10 summers I'll ever have. Wyonegonic has provided me with an amazing past, present, and future...to be honest, I'm not sure I would have had the confidence or the communication skills to even attempt the PR/marketing frontier before coming to camp. So thank you for providing and guiding me towards a life filled with happiness. |
Mimi said... |
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It is hard write about just ONE fun camp memory, because there are so many to choose from! The one that I will share was from this past summer (2011) on one of the last nights of camp. After having an amazing 7 weeks at Wyo, our age group and the age group counselors all got a chance to go up to the upper tennis courts and stargaze. We snuggled and reflected on the summer, shared funny moments and cried over the awful fact that we had to leave our summer home. That breezy august night made me realize that all of the girls in my age group would be my friends for the rest of my life. These girls are some of my closest friends, even though they live in all different states and out of the country. I cannot wait until next summer when I am a CIT, and am counting down the days until my return (175 to be exact!!). I cherish my time spent with them and will always be thankful for Wyonegonic and the impact that it has made on my life. Thank you for being the perfect summer home, Wyo!!! |
Sarah said... |
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It is sooo hard to pick a favorite....but hiking in the Whites with the dedicated tripper girls...and canoeing on the ocean are at the top. Also....my very first summer in 2001 was probably the best of my life....a great cabin, lots of new friends from all over the world & lots of new things to learn about. It really opened my eyes to the magic of camp in Maine and I couldn't help but return year after year. Thanks Wyo. |
Laura said... |
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My favourite memory of camp is the look on a camper's face when she swam across the length of the swim dock by herself for the first time. At the beginning of the summer she had been so terrified of the water she wouldn't even get in! I know I will never forget the look of joy, achievement and pride in her face when she got out of the water that day, knowing she had finally done it! This is undoubtedly one of the best memories of my time at camp, and really, one of the greatest moments of my life. |
Zoe said... |
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My favorite camp memory is of my first day there. I am a proud Mainer, but I can ensure that the feeling in the air had nothing to do with our location -- a mere thirty miles away, as I constantly reminded myself. The sweet mixture of happy voices and the lap of the lake against the shore is a sound I will always remember. I immediately sensed that this was a different world, one where I could become my own person, free of the ties of everyday life. |
Tasha said... |
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I remember my first day of camp in 1996 when I walked into my cabin for the first time. My counselor introduced me to my cabin mates-they said 'hi' and ran out the door. My friend Sara, who I specifically remember saying hi to was probably the fastest out the door. Things changed so fast and we had been inseparable every year at camp as campers and then as counselors. To this day we are still in touch and I will never forget that day, a lot of new friendships were made and I will never any of the great memories I had as a camper or counselor and hope to pass everything to my daughter one day. |
Tina said... |
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My favorite memory at camp is hanging in the cabins with my friends and having ukelele jam session! I also love having cabin time with my cabin. Wyo is an overall awesome place to spend your summers and i can't wait to go back next summer! |
Sophie said... |
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My best camp memory is of hanging out in the cabin having a ukelele jam session with my friends! We were playing our ukeleles and singing and just generally having a great time!! |
Ellen said... |
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I loved summer camp at Wyonegonic. Nestled in the pines of Denmark, ME, Wyonegonic was a classic girls camp experience. Archery, tennis, canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts and so many more activities. Hikes up Pleasant Mt. and overnights on the Saco river were highlights of the summer. Rainy days in the "Wiggie" were spent playing jacks, the piano and other games. Once a week we were allowed to pick our candy at the "candy line." Camp is divided into Jr. Intermediate and Sr. camps, so each group was similar in age. We were heavily supervised but not at the expense of learning responsibility, how to make friends and choices. I only wish I continued to be a counselor. |