What’s better than kids enjoying their childhood while learning some valuable life lessons? For years, summer camps have been a true American tradition and a life-changing experience for kids.
Summer camps provide significant benefits for kids. They combine love, laughter, social, and leadership skills in one place. With Wisconsin’s lush forests and shimmering lakes, it’s a major attraction for its outstanding summer camps.
Best Summer Camps in Wisconsin
Camp Highlands
Established in 1904, Camp Highlands for Boys is one of the oldest private camps in the US midwest region for boys between 8 and 16. They offer an utterly unplugged experience in the pristine beauty of northern Wisconsin.
Highlands offers a wide variety of activities, including archery, riflery, soccer, sailing, tennis, fishing, canoeing, basketball, baseball, orienteering, basketball, swimming, woodshop, and more.
Camp Highlands boasts nearly 100% returning staff and a low camper to counselor ratio, which sets them apart from many other camps. They offer 3-week, 4-week, or 7-week options.
Wisconsin Swift Nature Camp
One of the best summer camps in Wisconsin, Swift Nature Camp welcomes boys and girls from the age of 6 to 17 years old to the stunning Northwoods of Wisconsin. Swift Nature Camp specializes in beginner campers with a introductory program only open to new campers who have never tried overnight camping before.
Swift Nature Camp places a strong emphasis on nature, science, and animals, and boasts an impressive collection of over 50 thrilling land and water activities. Campers rave about the petting zoo, while the canoe and hiking trips are always a big hit.
This small camp fosters personal connections where campers receive individual guidance from counselors. Friend making is easy, personal growth is promoted and fun is always screen-free.
St John’s Northwestern Summer Academy
St John’s Northwestern Academies’ 3 summer camps cater to most ages and interests. Summer Academy Plus allows for 6th to 12-grade campers to beat Summer Slump while enjoying summer outdoor activities and sports and building camaraderie with their fellow peers both on and off campus.
High schoolers can earn new credits in subjects like tech, fine arts, and leadership or get ahead in core subjects. Middle school students can enjoy a STEAM learning experience with robotics, debate, art, and 3d printing classes. Offering day or boarding options.
Students in 1st to 5th grade will fit right in at the Lancers Day Camp. There is lots of personal attention from dedicated camp counselors. From Bubble Ball or Archery to swimming and creative crafts, your camper can have a lot of fun, and soon they’ll be counting down the days till next summer!
The Raiders Camp can challenge your camper through physical activities based on strength and mental and physical endurance training. An excellent option for students looking to excel in the Fall Sports season.
iD Tech
iD Tech offers educational summer camps at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Students can learn from the expertise of teachers that come from Ivy-level colleges and large corporations like Google and Microsoft.
Those 7-17 can partake in coed classes to learn about programming, robotics, and much more in the capital of Wisconsin. Through the STEM camps offered by iD Tech, kids can enjoy a summer full of fun and learning adventures.
There is a limit of 10 campers per session so that everyone gets the attention they need. The company offers both day and overnight camp sessions. Your child gets the opportunity to work with the latest technology and software available at one of the best universities in all of the United States.
Camp Menominee
Camp Menominee is an all boys summer camp in Eagle River, Wisconsin. It has 65 acres of land and nearly 600 acres of lake area for campers to explore. Camp Menominee offers several different activities including archery, rifelry, wall climbing, zip lining and more. They also have a lot of sports for campers to participate in like basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer.
All the coaches they hire are specifically for the sport the coach, which means campers are getting coaching tips from experts. With the vast lake area available to them, campers can participate in fantastic water activities like water skiing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing just to name a few.
They have camp sections that lasts different times with the longest being the 8 week full summer section and the shortest being a one week family camp. With amazing, entertaining activities for campers and a camper to staff ratio of 4:1, Camp Menomine is one of the top all boys summer camps in Wisconsin.
Camp Woodland for Girls
The Woodland Camp in Eagle River is an all-girl camp for ages ranging from 7 to 16. The 50-year-old camp overlooks the shores of the amazing Sand Lake in a vast 84-acre campsite.
The camp offers all kinds of fun activities such as horseback riding and learning the English saddle. The camp also excels at gymnastics lessons, a notable activity which isn’t offered by many other camps. The camp offers different activities such as arts, archery, marksmanship, sailing, swimming, tennis, and performance theatre.
One of the exceptional perks of camp woodland is their off-school tutoring, which helps maintain and apply school learning in a fun and enriching experience. Their boys camp is Towering Pines Camp, which offers similar program offerings, is located just one mile apart. Here boys can have their own independent experience making it convenient for family scheduling.
Camp Nicolet for Girls
Camp Nicolet is one of the girls-only traditional resident camps in Eagle River, Wisconsin. The camp offers a unique experience for your girls, in which they enjoy a multitude of fun activities, make lifetime friends, and have the best memories of their childhood.
The camp has dedicated land sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and tennis. Additionally, the camp’s popular water sports include swimming in Franklin Lake, sailing and paddle sports, water skiing, and wakeboarding. A separate one-week competitive water skiing and wakeboard camp is offered to girls wishing to further their skills on the water.
Moreover, the camp hosts a full horse stable that’s home to fourteen friendly horses. Girls can enjoy horseback riding lessons, trail rides, and riding cookouts on miles of maintained trails. The fun doesn’t end here. In addition to these fun activities, Nicolet also features theater activites, handicrafts, and an excellent wilderness tripping program.
Nicolet offers 2,3,5,6 and 8-week session options for every busy household schedule. Family owned and operated, the camp is accredited by the American Camp Association.
Camp Kawaga
Camp Kawaga is an all-boys camp located in the Northwood forest in Wisconsin. Boys from the age of 7 to 16 can join to enjoy a one of a kind experience in the peninsula like camp. The camp was founded in 1915 and enjoys a rich tradition and competitive play.
The camp offers several programs, including the rookie camp, in which boys are introduced to the camp for the first time. In this program, kids participate in all kinds of activities that camp Kawaga offers, such as watersports, field sports, and soft skills workshops. One of the primary focuses at the camp is waterskiing, they host a regatta and ski tournament every summer.
The camp also offers a father-son weekend program. This allows for a great bonding experience between sons and fathers. Grandfathers can join the fun too! They also provide a 2-week rookie camp for boys 7-10 years old.
Camp Kawaga is one of the best boy’s camps in the region because of its unique experience, high standard facilities, and magical full-potential nature.
Red Arrow Camp
A traditional camp that welcomes boys from ages 7 to 16, Red Arrow camp is one of the top camps in the state of Wisconsin. Focusing on helping young campers become a better version of themselves by helping develop confidence and leadership skills while still having fun outdoor adventures.
One session lasts seven weeks, allowing campers to form lifelong friendships with other campers and gives counselors the chance to get to know their campers. There are plenty of adventures for campers to go on, with their mountain biking, horseback riding, and water skiing activities. Plus, all the sports any athlete could think of.
With a beautiful outdoor location on Trout Lake’s shores in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, technology is left behind, and an opportunity to grow and explore nature is experienced.
Camp Eagle Ridge
Camp Eagle Ridge, located in Mellen, Wisconsin, is a co-ed leadership camp full of fun times, activities, and leadership training and opportunities. This unique camp combines a traditional summer camp experience with over 40 different leadership workshops that focus on skills such as problem-solving, decision making, creativity, and leadership styles. Kids get opportunities to lead a team and learn to navigate any team experience.
Besides choosing from more than 50 different activities on a daily basis, kids can choose from day trips that include rock climbing, canoeing a river, experiencing an alpaca farm, hiking beautiful Copper Falls, and more! Don’t forget to pack some comfy hiking shoes for the campers. Eagle Ridge is known for its high staff retention rate and has won several awards.
Final Words
Although many camps can be different regarding their activities and free-time schedule, all camps on the list succeed at one thing: enriching our children’s personalities with unique memories, experiences, and special skills.
Now that you know more about all these great camps in Wisconsin, it’s time to choose your favorite camp and find the one that suits you the most. If Wisconsin isn’t your home state, then maybe check out our free service to find camps close by you. The Wisconsin summers are warm and perfect for summer camping, but the winters are a good time for camping in certain tents too.
Summer Camp Guides For Midwest: