Camping from Maine Camps

In addition to all the incredible water sports, land sports, and arts, camping is an integral part of going to camp in Maine. Some kids come to Maine Camps as camping enthusiasts having already experienced sleeping in tents, enjoying wilderness cooking, and relishing associated activities like hiking and kayaking. For others, being a camper at a Maine Camp Experience camp will introduce them to these activities and outdoor skills like pitching a tent, building a fire, and reading a map or compass. These camping experiences may help cultivate an appreciation for the great outdoors and teach kids some great life skills.

Camping is fun and educational in a multitude of ways, and the gorgeous lakes, rivers, parks, trees, and trails of Maine are unparalleled. What better place to introduce children to nature than the “Pine Tree” state?! Sleeping in a tent and connecting with nature alongside camp friends enriches their summer and helps children grow. By getting outside their comfort zone, Maine campers are trying new things, enjoying the great outdoors, learning survival and self-reliance skills as well as teamwork, and more.

We know that unplugging from tech devices at home and connecting with nature and peers at overnight summer camp is invaluable toward improving mental health and emotional well being. Going camping and spending more quality time in the outdoors is taking the nature connection to the next level.

Going camping also helps children gain a stronger appreciation for the environment. Stepping into the great outdoors in Maine shows campers the beauty of nature and motivates them to help find ways to save the earth and fight climate change. Campers are taught to “leave no trace” to keep nature pristine.

So many wilderness adventures are available to Maine campers. For the youngest campers, very often, camps will have an on-grounds “outpost” so campers can sleep out without going out too far. The outpost may be on a remote part of the camp’s grounds or even be set on a private island the camp may have. As kids become older and more advanced campers, they will likely have trips further away. Sites may include: the Appalachian Trail which ends in Maine, Acadia National Park, and along the Kennebec River in the western part of the state, which all offer camping opportunities unavailable elsewhere in the United States. Canoeing down the Allagash Waterway is a treat for older campers at some of our Maine Camps; others enjoy climbing Mount Katahdin.

Camping trips are planned appropriately based on age and may range from a single night to extended excursions for older campers. At some Maine Camps, camping trips may be part of the program from the youngest to the oldest ages. At other Maine Camps, camping may be a required activity for younger campers and an elective opportunity for older campers. 

These camping expeditions provide a chance to deepen the bonds of existing friendships and also to spend more time to spend time with kids not necessarily in one’s own camp cabin or group. Sometimes the counselors will mix it up when it comes to assigning tents; in other cases kids can choose their tent mates. Additionally, camping trips are another way that camp fosters independence. Campers will have responsibilities different from those at home or on the job wheel in the camp cabin; helping to cook a campfire meal, clean up the campsite, collect firewood, and carry supplies are just a few examples. 

Spending time in the great outdoors is truly valuable for our campers; it’s another dimension from lessons learned indoor school classrooms and on the sports fields. Camping experiences also offer adventures different from activities that fill the daily camp schedule. Cooking over an open flame, pitching tents, hiking and biking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and more await our children once they head into the great outdoors. Living out of a backpack, sleeping in a sleeping bag, gaining knowledge about local flora and fauna, and and learning how to navigate with the aid of maps and stars in the night sky are all a part of summer camping and outdoor education. At night campfires are made, meals are prepared, S’mores are eaten, songs ane sung, and our kids grow sleepy from active days in the Maine outdoors. Campers test their limits, push themselves outside of their comfort zones, and work togther as a team in new ways when they explore the outdoors of Maine, all the while, making memories for life.

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.