America’s Best Summer Camps 2024

Summer camp activities often become idyllic memories: canoeing, campfires and long hikes with scenic views. These experiences are formative for the children who can experience them.

The American Camp Association is a national organization serving the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps in the U.S., which collectively welcome 26 million campers. Last year, the group released a study showing that 58 percent of youth said their time at summer camp "helped them appreciate the importance of being present in the moment." In today's fast-paced world, an opportunity to experience life away from omnipresent screens and endlessly updating timelines makes the experience of summer camp even more valuable.

With so many camps nationwide, though, parents have a challenging task in picking the right one for their children. Choosing a summer camp requires aligning its offerings with the personality and interests of the camper, as well as the safety and financial concerns of the parent. To help, Newsweek has partnered with data researcher Plant-A Insights Group to present the second annual ranking of America's Best Summer Camps.

The list presents the 500 best U.S. summer camps, split into 200 day camps and 300 overnight camps. The locations are ranked based on a survey of 30,000 parents conducted in 2023 and 2024 and nearly 700,000 social media reviews on Google and Facebook. Camps were rated on criteria like selection of offered activities, accessibility, staff-to-children ratio and camp safety.

This year's edition of America's Best Summer Camps offers the most far-reaching guidance on finding the right setting for your child's summer adventure.

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These rankings are intended to support parents as they research summer camp options for their children. They are informational, not prescriptive: Parents and guardians, who know their children so well, are the decision-makers.

America’s Best Summer Camps 2024 – Overnight Camps

Star Rating

Name

City

State

Affiliations

Gender

ACA Accreditation

★★★★½4-H Adventure CampDonnellyIdaho4-H ClubsCoed★★★★★4-H Camp Bristol HillsCanandaiguaNew York4-H ClubsCoed, Only GirlsAccredited Member★★★★★4-H Camp ShankitunkDelhiNew York4-H ClubsCoedAccredited Member★★★★★4-H Memorial CampMonticelloIllinois4-H ClubsCoedAccredited Member★★★★Adventure Unlimited RanchesBuena VistaColoradoAccredited Member★★★★½AL 4-H Youth Development CenterColumbianaAlabama4-H ClubsCoedAccredited Member★★★★★Alford Lake CampHopeMaineIndependent, For ProfitCoed, Only GirlsAccredited Member★★★★Aloha HiveFairleeVermontIndependent, Not for ProfitOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★½Alpine Camp For BoysMentoneAlabamaNondenominational ChristianOnly BoysAccredited Member★★★★Angeles Crest Christian CampLa CanadaCaliforniaCoedAccredited Member★★★★Athens Y CampsLakemontGeorgiaNondenominational ChristianOnly BoysAccredited Member★★★★★Baco for Boys Che-Na-Wah for GirlsMinervaNew YorkIndependent, For ProfitAccredited Member★★★★★Barbara C Harris CampGreenfieldNew HampshireEpiscopalCoedAccredited Member★★★★Beber CampMukwonagoWisconsinJewish, Association of Independent Jewish CampsCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp CopakeNew YorkJewish Community CenterCoedAccredited Member★★★★★Bethel HorizonsDodgevilleWisconsinLutheran, ELCACoedAccredited Member★★★★½Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Educational CenterReidsvilleNorth Carolina4-H ClubsCoedAccredited Member★★★★Big Bear Lake Christian CampBig Bear LakeCaliforniaCoedAccredited Member★★★★★Big Lake Youth Camp (SDA)SistersOregonSeventh-day AdventistCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Birchmont: A Pierce CampWolfeboroNew HampshireIndependent, For ProfitCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Bradford Woods/Camp RileyMartinsvilleIndianaCollege or UniversityCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Camp AdahiCloudlandGeorgiaAccredited Member★★★★Camp Addisone Boyce Tomkins CoveNew YorkGirl Scouts of the USAOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★Camp AgawakMinocquaWisconsinIndependent, For ProfitOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★½Camp Agnes ArnoldConroeTexasGirl Scouts of the USAOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★★Camp Alice PittengerMcCallIdahoGirl Scouts of the USAOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★½Camp AllenBedfordNew HampshireLions ClubCoedAccredited Member★★★★Camp AlonimBrandeisCaliforniaJewish, OtherCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Camp AndroscogginWayneMaineIndependent, For ProfitOnly BoysAccredited Member★★★★Camp AnneAncramdaleNew YorkCoedAccredited Member★★★★★Camp ArnazVenturaCaliforniaOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★½Camp ASCCAJacksons GapAlabamaEastersealsCoedAccredited Member★★★★★Camp Au Sable (SDA)GraylingMichiganSeventh-day AdventistAccredited Member★★★★½Camp AvodaMiddleboroMassachusettsIndependent, Not for ProfitOnly BoysAccredited Member★★★★½Camp AZDA - ADAPrescottArizonaAmerican Diabetes AssociationCoedAccredited Member★★★★Camp BakerChesterfieldVirginiaThe ArcCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Camp Ballibay for the Fine and Performing ArtsWyalusingPennsylvania★★★★½Camp Barney MedintzClevelandGeorgiaJewish Community CenterCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Camp Barney MedintzClevelandGeorgiaJewish Community CenterCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Camp Bear CreekWyomingIowaPresbyterianAccredited Member★★★★½Camp Bear TrackDrascoArkansasIndependent, For ProfitCoedAccredited Member★★★★★Camp Becket YMCABecketMassachusettsYMCAOnly BoysAccredited Member★★★★★Camp Betsey CoxPittsfordVermontIndependent, For ProfitOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★½Camp Birch TrailsIrmaWisconsinGirl Scouts of the USAOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★★Camp Blessing TexasBrenhamTexasNondenominational ChristianCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Camp Blue BayEast HamptonNew YorkGirl Scouts of the USAOnly GirlsAccredited Member★★★★★Camp Blue Ridge GA ClaytonGeorgiaIndependent, For ProfitCoedAccredited Member★★★★½Camp Bob WaldorfGlendaleCaliforniaJewish, Association of Independent Jewish CampsCoedAccredited Member★★★★Camp Boggy CreekEustisFloridaHospital/Health/MedicalCoedAccredited Member★★★★Camp Bonnie BraeEast OtisMassachusettsGirl Scouts of the USAOnly GirlsAccredited Member

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LICENSING:

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METHODOLOGY

Summer camps are a quintessential American experience, providing children with a unique opportunity to explore new interests, forge lifelong friendships, and cultivate independence within a supportive and enjoyable setting. Newsweek and Plant-A Insights embarked on an exhaustive research program to unveil America's Best Summer Camps 2024, which offer a diverse range of activities as well as seasoned staff, and foster safe, inclusive atmospheres. Our meticulous evaluation identified camps with good staff-to-camper ratios and well-trained staff members who are passionate about nurturing children's growth and development.

The methodology for America's Best Summer Camps 2024 is combines a comprehensive, independent online survey with more than 15,000 parents who have either sent their child to a summer camp or are planning to do so in the future. The interviewed parents were asked to rate up to 10 camps that they are familiar with. The study is designed to be demographically representative, aligning with U.S. Census Data. In total, over 3,500 camps were evaluated and more than 134,000 camp reviews were collected between March and April 2024.

Additionally, more than 51,000 camp reviews collected from more than 15,000 parents from America's Best Summer Camps 2023 were integrated into the overall findings with a reduced weight.

The camp evaluation criteria are designed based on a peer-to-peer survey Plant-A conducted in 2023 with about 120 camp managers to validate the questionnaire for the parent survey regarding the relevance of the queried topics from a professional perspective. Plant-A extensively researched all camp reviews on the social media platforms Google and Facebook. In total, we collected more than 699,000 social media reviews from both platforms which were consolidated into a Social Media Score for each camp.

Plant-A researched and validated every single camp regarding the variety of programs, gender specification, address of the camps as well as if the camp is accredited by the American Camp Association (https://www.acacamps.org/).

Click here to request the detailed methodology document.

Plant-A Insights Group has a strict no-pay-to-play policy. All awards are based on independent research and unbiased data analysis. No applications.

Disclaimer:

This Ranking is based on primary and secondary market research and analysis of publicly available data or provided to Plant-A Insights Group LLC. Placement in the ranking is a positive recognition based on research of publicly available data sources at the time, the information provided in the validation survey and an extensive survey of parents in the U.S. The ranking is the result of a detailed research process which, due to the interval of data collection and analysis, is a reflection of data from the last 24 months. Furthermore, events following March 30, 2024, were not a subject of this ranking. Newsweek and Plant-A make no claim to the completeness of the companies examined. The information provided in this ranking should be considered in conjunction with other available information about Summer Camps or, if possible, accompanied by a visit to a facility. considered in conjunction with other available information. Plant-A nor any of its subsidiaries or their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees or agents accept any responsibility or liability with respect to the use of or reliance on any information or analysis contained in this document. The quality of the camps that are not included in the ranking is not disputed. This work is copyright by Plant-A and may not be published, transmitted, broadcast, copied, reproduced or reprinted in whole or in part without the explicit written permission of Plant-A Insights Group LLC. Copyright © 2024 Plant-A Insights Group LLC. All rights reserved.