YMCA Camps Are Still the Industry Stalwarts

It’s easy to take the YMCA (ymcanyc.org) for granted because it’s always been there—at least in our lifetimes, and that of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents too. Always welcoming and, for the most part, inclusive in a way that’s backed up not by gesture but by demonstrable, long-term action, be it in the streets of New York City—which chapter was founded in 1852— or deep in the woods of Jersey. One might know the YMCA for their pools, or for their gyms, or even for their founding mission of Christian fellowship and education. From 1898 to 1921, the Y even published an impressive New York-based monthly magazine titled “Association Men,” issues of which can still be found online today.

Out on Shelter Island, the New York Conference of the United Methodist Church runs Camp Quinnipet with Camp KIngswood in the Catskills. It is important to gauge when and if your child is ready to take the plunge for sleepaway camp. Says its web site, “In light of the recent 2019 Special Session of General Conference, the NYAC Camping & Retreat Ministry Board of Directors would like to clearly state that we fully accept all persons identifying as LGBTQIA+ into the life, ministry, and activities of our camp, and of our sister campsite, Kingswood. Whether you are staff, camper, clergy, volunteer, or visitor, we welcome you! As with the church, we are a work in progress and going forward we are taking steps to make our camps more inclusive settings for all people.

All these things are true, as is the excellence of their summer camps too. Also, while the ideals of Christian uplift, the Y has long been quite ecumenical, with members and campers from nearly every faith participating in complete comfort.

For day campers, the YMCA might be the best—and most reliable— in Manhattan. They have five locations, each with slightly different programs available.

The Chinatown YMCA, at 273 Bowery, and the Harlem YMCA at 180 West 135th Street offers a traditional summer day camp, kinder camp, swim camp, teen camp and basketball camp.

The McBurney YMCA, at 125 West 14th Street, offers traditional summer day camp, kinder camp, swim camp and STEAM camp.

The Vanderbilt YMCA at 227 East 47th Street, and the West Side YMCA, at 5 West 63rd Street, offer traditional summer day camp, kinder camp, early childhood camp and swim camp.

Rates vary by program and location but all are comparatively affordable. In line with its charitable history, substantial financial aid is available to needy families.

Why the Y? In their own infectious words, “We love camp, yes we do; we love camp, how about you? Each camp has a fun and exciting energy that can only be found at the YMCA. From daily cheers to wacky spirit days, from camp songs sung throughout the day to weekly challenges, we create an experience that promotes individuality amongst campers and lifelong memories.”

For sleepaway camps, the YMCA of Greater New York partners three other Ys in the region: the co-ed Frost Valley Y (forstvalley.org), in Claryville, New York; Camp Mohawk Y for girls (campmohawk.org) in Litchfield, Connecticut; and the co-ed Fairview Lake Y (fairviewlakeymca.org) in Stillwater, New Jersey.

Of these, the Fairview Lake—about an hour west of the city, and operating as a branch of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges—is stunning: sited on its namesake mile-long lake beneath the Kittatinny Ridge, atop runs the Appalachian Trail.

Its traditional sleepaway camps, with options for kids grades 4 through 11, comprise of Camp Kittatinny for Boys and Camp Laurel Ridge for Girls, which are in separate areas but on the same side of the lake. Both camps feature cabins with electricity, toilets and showers. They accommodations are not, by certain camps standards, “luxurious,” but they are thoroughly comfortable and modern. Remember parents, it’s camp, not a spa!

One of Fairview’s many specialty sub-camps, Environmental Trips for Challenge (ETC) houses its campers in what, in a more spartan age, used to be the boys camps: groups of wooden cabins without electricity and with a shared toilet-shower buildings colorfully called “the perch.” As the ETC program focuses on outdoor adventure including overnight backpacking and canoe trips and the like, the rugged setting, including substantial but very scenic walks to and from the dining halls are considered features.

Another popular specialty program for young horse lovers is Ranch Camp. Although horseback riding is part of Fairview’s regular camp offering, here aspiring equestrians and equine lovers spend much of their day riding and caring for the camp’s beloved steeds. The camps many dirt trails and gravel roads, in addition to its stable facilities, provide many opportunities for exploration.

Out on Shelter Island, the New York Conference of the United Methodist Church runs Camp Quinnipet with a sister outlet, Camp KIngswood in the Catskills. Both emphasize they are pushing inclusivity. Its web site states, “In light of the recent 2019 Special Session of General Conference, the NYAC Camping & Retreat Ministry Board of Directors would like to clearly state that we fully accept all persons identifying as LGBTQIA+ into the life, ministry, and activities of our camp, and of our sister campsite, Kingswood.

“Whether you are staff, camper, clergy, volunteer, or visitor, we welcome you! As with the church, we are a work in progress and going forward we are taking steps to make our camps more inclusive settings for all people.”