Aquatics — American Red Cross curriculum, Lake Kanawauke waterfront
Every day, our campers participate in instructional swim and small craft. Campers work through the American Red Cross Learn to Swim curriculum with a dedicated lifeguard to improve your swimming, diving, and water-safety skills. Once you pass Level 6, you move on to instructional Small Craft class where you hone your skills in canoeing, kayaking, and rowing. Every afternoon, you can also participate in General Swim — use the diving board, take out a boat, or just float on a noodle and relax!
Camp Ma-He-Tu is very special in my heart. The people at Ma-He-Tu are more than friends, we are a family that live with each other for two weeks or even more. At camp, we help people come out of their comfort zone... I enjoy going to camp every year to see my second family.
Program breadth — activities across arts, adventure, athletics, aquatics
Camp Ma-He-Tu is a traditional summer camp that does not have one main focus or activity that dominates the program. Our activities typically fall into a few categories — sports (e.g., tennis and kickball), creative arts (e.g., painting and jewelry making), performing arts (e.g., drama and dance), adventure (e.g. hiking and zip-line), and waterfront activities (e.g., swimming and kayaking). Find a particular activity you love? Sign up for more during Choice Activity!
Setting and environment — Lake Kanawauke, Harriman State Park
Camp Ma-He-Tu is located on the shores of Lake Kanawauke in Harriman State Park, in Bear Mountain, New York. Ma-He-Tu retains its rugged charm with little alteration to the natural landscape — our facilities blend right into the beautiful wilderness. Our location within the Park System provides privacy (our only neighbors are other camps), access to extensive hiking trails maintained by the park, and the added security of the Park Police Force in case of emergency. We are only about an hour away from NYC by car, bus, or train.
Campers love finding out what unit they will be in year after year as many units have special traditions that girls look forward to participating in. We live in our units as camp families where we work and play together! Units rotate through their daily schedule together, spend Rest House relaxing together, and rewind at the end of the day together during Our Time. Some of the best camp friendships are made with your cabin and tent-mates!
History and tradition — founded 1937, Harriman State Park
Camp Ma-He-Tu was founded in 1937. Since then we have remained on the same site in Harriman State Park, Bear Mountain, NY. We have a long tradition of providing young women with an outdoor experience that incorporates a variety of activities but focuses on individual growth and development. Ma-He-Tu blends tradition and innovation by keeping current with new trends and ideas that meet the expectations of today's camper. We treasure our camp songs around the campfire and delight in our new zip line and ropes course.
During a typical day, the cabin or tent group will follow a schedule that includes 5 scheduled activities and 1 choice activity. A new schedule is written every day to suit the needs of the campers — since schedules are written daily, campers have an opportunity to make suggestions for their next day's schedule. Evening programs are always a surprise. They may include a game of capture the flag, a counselor hunt, a social in camp or with a neighboring camp, or a special theme event.
Food and dietary needs — allergy-aware, vegetarian/vegan accommodations
We are an allergy aware camp. We are not completely nut free, but are still able to accommodate most food allergies including celiac disease, lactose intolerance, and others. We are also able to accommodate most diets including vegetarian and vegan. Please include this information on your health form. We strive to give every girl a camp experience and do not want food concerns to be a source of stress.
