Overnight Adventures at Camp in Maine!

The American Northeast is a geographically astounding region, featuring natural wonders and quaint towns and cities that make for wonderful travel destinations – and Maine offers the perfect gateway to experience these for Maine Camp Experience (MCE) campers. With all that’s offered in the region, there are some highlights that require more than a day to experience to the fullest, and so many MCE camps include multi-day trips and treks as staples of their program. From on-campus overnights, to weeks-long multisport treks, to visiting international cities – overnights are wonderful additions to many MCE camp programming. Many MCE campers arrive at camp for the first time without ever having experienced what it’s really like to appreciate the wilderness, and many have their first real outdoor experiences on simple camp overnights – either on campus or at a nearby site. These kids might spend a day hiking, or might simply come to a removed part of beach before dinner – but in any case, a campfire cookout (S’mores included, of course) and a night spent in the tent is an incredibly fun way to get a taste of outdoor living. As campers get older, those who enjoy the outdoors will have ample opportunities to experience more challenging, and more rewarding, overnight adventures. At the MCE camp I work at, our campers have the opportunity to hike Franconia Notch and Mount Washington in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and Mount Katahdin, the highest peak in Maine. However, it’s not all just hiking – at multiple MCE camps an overnight rafting or biking trip is also annually on the agenda. At another MCE camp, their campers have the opportunity to experience a weeks-long overnight trip that includes hiking, rock-climbing, and mountain biking, with camping throughout. When their van finally returns to camp after their incredible adventure, they are cheered on by the whole camp to celebrate their achievement. Of course, Maine and the surrounding area offers more than just natural wonders and adventure destinations – there are great towns and cities that many camps use multi-night trips to enjoy. From overnights in Boston or Cape Cod, all the way the way to tourist trips to Quebec and Montreal, MCE campers have great opportunities to see some of the East Coast’s most impressive cities. In fact, at the MCE camp I attended as a child, there is even a lengthy trip through the American West for the older campers – they get to spend time in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and other western states experiencing great hiking, and – more importantly – quality time together. While there’s no place to be quite like camp in Maine, sometimes camp in Maine can take you somewhere else entirely. At MCE camps, there are so many opportunities for campers to enjoy multi-night experiences – and from hikers, to bikers, to rafters, to tourists, everyone can find the experience that is right for them! — Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our  website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.