There’s a reason why summer camp movies are so beloved in our culture and have been for decades. It’s because so many of us have experiences of going off to camp in our teenage years and building memories that last a lifetime.
The days are long, hot, and filled top to bottom with fun and adventure. Summer camps for teenagers provide experiences that help them grow as individuals and teach them lessons they remember forever. We specifically came up with these handpicked options on the top camps for teens.
Best Summer Camps For Teens
1. Camp Robin Hood
This camp isn’t just named after the legendary British outlaw of Sherwood Forest, but really embraces this kind of identity by helping campers to get a sense of self-confidence, to build real relationships, and to unleash their creativity and imagination through the outdoor summer camp experience.
Lake activities, every sport you could imagine, and a whole bunch of camp games that Camp Robin Hood has invented and exported to summer camps throughout the country are all going to be a big part of the memories teenagers build here.
Situated inside of the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire it’s an idyllic location for campers between the ages of six and 16.
2. iD Tech Camps
iD Tech offers virtual technology camps for teens. At their online camps, teens receive a STEM education while making friends with other students that attend. You can sign up for all types of STEM-related camps that involve coding, game development, and much more.
Their expert instructors have years of experience and often come from prestigious universities like Stanford, California Institute of Technology, and New York University, to name a few. The vast majority of students who attend their virtual camps enroll in STEM programs at universities, making it perfect for high school students who want a future career in the STEM field.
They have an fantastic 5:1 instructor to camper ratio — plus you can sign them up for private online lessons for a more personalized experience. If you’re looking to continue your children’s education during the school break, they offer some of the top camps in the U.S.A.
3. Camp North Star Maine
Boys and girls ages 7-17 are welcome at this premier overnight summer camp in Poland, Maine. Camp North Star Maine teaches children life and wilderness skills and exposes them to outdoor adventures. You can enroll your children in camp sessions ranging from 2 to 7 weeks in length.
Campers participate in various camp activities across more than the 200+ acres this overnight camp encompasses, plus its own private lake. Kids can participate in fun camp activities like rock wall climbing, water skiing, basketball, arts and crafts, paddle boarding, ropes courses, team sports, and much more.
The camp emphasizes necessary 21st-century life skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. Camp North Star Maine challenges participants to step out of their comfort zone regularly and encourages them to learn and build new relationships.
4. Camp Walt Whitman
Founded in 1948, Camp Walt Whitman is very much a traditional American summer camp in Piermont, New Hampshire. It focuses on outdoor adventures, sports, and other programs designed to teach kids new skills and to fill them with confidence while they are soaking in all that New England outdoors has to offer.
Located on the shores of Lake Armington, Camp Walt Whitman offers activities like soccer, tennis, rock climbing, hiking, ceramics, paddle boarding, and pretty much any camp activity you can think of. It’s hard to imagine there being a more picturesque location for a summer camp than this one.
It comes as no surprise that it’s named after Walt Whitman – the odds are pretty good he would have written a story or a poem about this camp if he got to attend. Fortunately, you can enroll your kids in a full-summer seven week program from June to August or a shorter camp session lasting 3 or 4 weeks.
5. Camp Hi-Rock
This summer camp for teenagers is set up and organized by the YMCA, situated in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. The camp stretches across hundreds of acres of private land on Mount Washington and also has access to their very own absolutely crystal clear 90-acre lake.
It gives campers a chance to enjoy lake activities that include sailing, kayaking, canoeing, and so much more right alongside all of the other adventures, sports, and activities the YMCA helps to put on. There is a day camp, family camp, and overnight camp to choose from.
Some pretty famous alumni have attended this camp throughout the years, none of them more famous than Lady Gaga – a huge advocate for the camp. It’s one of the most popular sleep-away summer camps in the country, and perfect for children ages 7 to 17. Campers from all over the world flock to this summer camp each year, so make sure to reserve your children’s spot as early as possible.
6. Catalina Sea Camp
Catalina Sea Camp is an adventure camp in Catalina Island, California. It’s perfect for kids ages 8-17 who enjoy being out in the ocean and participating in thrilling water sports and activities. It also has an educational aspect to it, focusing on marine biology, making it perfect for those interested in a future career in the field.
The camp offers one-week and three-week summer programs for your child. The shorter program is for campers ages 8-13 and provides a fun-filled week of exciting activities like snorkeling, wildlife observation, marine science learning, and more. They also get to enjoy the traditional camp experiences.
The three-week program offers the same things mentioned above, plus other unique pursuits like sailing, diving, kayaking, and much more. The marine biology focus is top-notch and teaches kids all sorts of concepts like oceanography and marine conserv
7. Camp Twin Creeks
Located in Marlinton, West Virginia – deep in the Allegheny Mountains – this truly one-of-a-kind “throwback style” summer camp specifically intended for children between the ages of seven and sixteen is unlike anything else you’ll find today.
New campers visiting for their first summer get to go through “Dream Week”, a one-week welcome program designed to get them up to speed to everything there is to do on the property (which there is a lot to do)
Situated on a lake but also surrounded by plenty of timber and wilderness for kids & teenagers to explore, when you think of classic summer camp movies Twin Creeks seems like one of those camps. Read the following list to check out more camps in West Virginia.
8. Fusion Academy College Camps
If you’re looking for a different kind of camp experience, Fusion Academy is offering College Admissions Camps this summer. Fusion is a private middle and high school with a personalized learning model.
They offer seven unique college camps virtually, so your high schooler can attend from anywhere. Options include Finding the Right College Fit, College Essay Writing Bootcamp, Test Prep. 101, Gap Years 101, and more.
Fusion Academy provides a nurturing environment where students can become the best versions of themselves on an academic and personal level.
9. Greenwood Trails
This American summer camp is situated in Connecticut, and the entire summer camp experience is built on the back of “choosing your own trail” – the official motto of the camp itself.
A coed sleep-away summer camp that gives teenagers an opportunity to get away for the summer, campers have a chance to really customize each and every one of their days while away at camp through programs designed to reinforce the “four C’s”.
Communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are all tightly woven into all of the activities here. Whether you’re building something in the woodworking shop, creating wacky experiments in the science lab, or soaking up everything down at the lake or in the woods, this camp has a top-tier reputation in the industry for good reason.
10. Indian & Forest Acres
There are two brother and sister camps that make up the Camp Acres community – Indian Acres, an all-boys summer camp and Forest Acres, an all-girls summer camp – with both of them separated by about two miles of woods and wilderness.
While campers are usually going to be spending their summer with boys or girls exclusively, there are a lot of programs designed for both groups to mix and mingle with one another as well. There is CoEd play, dances, movies and other fun camp activities.
Both camps share lake access in the heart of Maine and they also share the equestrian center. The entire camp program is built on the back of learning new skills, learning self-reliance, growing self-confidence, and learning how to better communicate and be part of a community.
11. Camp Wicosuta
This is another summer camp situated in New Hampshire, but unlike many of the other options, we have highlighted on this list this particular summer camp is intended exclusively for teenage girls that want to spend a little time outdoors.
Each sleep-away camp session is broken down into four individual weeks (with multiple sessions available to be booked), and the entire program is based on celebrating confidence, competence, and communication.
This camp is so popular that many attendees eventually come back to work at the camp as counselors later on in life!