Raquette Lake's camp program is 7 weeks long. Days begin at 7:30am and end around 9pm. The hours in-between are broken up into a familiar rhythm of meals, activities, periods of rest, more activities, more food, and then something special and unexpected. At camp, children spend most of their days running around with their bunk, participating in 5 of their daily activities together. The 6th activity is a weekly elective chosen by your child. Weeks are typically made up of 6 days of activities in camp and one trip day.
Raquette Lake is a community, and that community begins with your child's bunk. Once your child is enrolled they will be introduced to pen pals from their bunk so they can start getting to know each other. We host reunions and off-season events around the world every year; new campers are invited to attend events near them. When convenient, Raquette Lake also partners with families to host sleepovers and smaller meet-ups.
Friends are one of the reasons campers return year after year. A child's best friends will be their camp friends. A major, if not the most important, component of our staff training is teaching counselors to foster those friendships and help campers who struggle to make friends. A child will only love camp and have fun if they have a friend to enjoy it with.
Raquette Lake offers an unparalleled range of activities. From land sports like football, tennis, and basketball to our elite waterfront program featuring wakeboarding and sailing on one of the Adirondacks' largest lakes, every day is an opportunity for growth. Boys challenge themselves on the largest climbing and ropes course in the East and explore the wilderness during overnight canoe trips.
Raquette Lake is located deep in the Adirondack State Park, the largest state park in the country, and Raquette Lake is one of the largest lakes in the park. 100 miles of shoreline and almost no private homes or commercial operations makes Raquette Lake serene and peaceful. There is very little boat traffic so campers virtually have the lake to themselves. Boys' Camp and Girls' Camp are located on peninsulas across the lake from each other. Boys' Camp is only accessible via our private ferry. Surrounded by 46 high peaks, hundreds of rivers and smaller lakes, Raquette Lake and the Adirondack State Park offer thousands of miles of pristine wilderness.
Camp Brothers & Sisters tradition — easing the transition
Every summer, each camper is paired with an older or younger 'camp brother' or 'camp sister' in order to help with the transition to camp life. Once a week they have dinner together and participate in a special event such as a scavenger hunt.
Color War (boys) and Team Week (girls) — end-of-summer traditions
Color War for the boys and Team Week for the girls — cherished traditions as old as the camps themselves. For one week, at the end of each summer, campers compete at their respective camps in all activities and events. It's the purest and healthiest form of competition; each boy and girl is challenged to give all they've got for their team. Team building and good sportsmanship are the goal of the games.
For most children, camp is the first time they become fully independent of their families. They learn to take healthy risks, make appropriate decisions, and learn to live on their own. The independence they learn at camp will help them succeed at college and throughout their lives. By emphasizing sportsmanship, independence, team work, and acceptance — life lessons that cross borders and translate into any language — your child will be better prepared to succeed in school, college, and through the rest of their lives.
