Parent and children exploring a map of the United States and Canada to find the right summer camp
Explore summer camp locations across the United States and Canada to find the right experience for kids and teens.

Find Your Summer Camp

Every great summer starts somewhere. Explore summer camps for kids and teens across the United States and Canada, discover activities that spark new interests, and find programs that fit your family's needs, schedule, and summer goals.

Explore the Many Possibilities of Summer Camp

There is no single summer camp experience that fits every child or teen. Some campers look forward to traditional activities, outdoor adventures, new friendships, and camp traditions. Others are excited to explore a particular interest, develop a favorite skill, or try something completely new. The right camp begins with understanding what makes a young person enthusiastic about summer.

Traditional and multi-activity camps may combine swimming, sports, arts and crafts, outdoor recreation, games, campfires, and a wide variety of other experiences. These can be especially appealing to campers who enjoy variety and discovering new interests.

Specialty camps may focus on activities such as art, music, performing arts, science, technology, sports, academics, adventure, or other interests. Some provide introductory exploration, while others offer more advanced instruction and opportunities to develop existing skills.

Day camps and overnight camps offer different kinds of summer experiences. Day camps allow campers to return home each evening, while overnight and sleepaway camps provide additional opportunities for independence, friendships, shared routines, and camp traditions. Some overnight programs operate at colleges or universities with dormitory accommodations.

Camp settings and formats vary considerably. Families may find lakeside camps, outdoor adventure programs, neighborhood day camps, school-based programs, creative studios, sports facilities, and university-campus experiences.

As you compare programs, consider:

  • The camper's age, interests, personality, and readiness
  • Traditional activities versus a particular specialty
  • Beginner-friendly exploration versus intensive instruction
  • Day camp, overnight camp, or a combination of formats
  • Location, transportation, session length, and schedule
  • Staff experience, supervision, safety, and accessibility
  • Overall cost, available financial assistance, and included activities
  • The social atmosphere and the kind of summer experience the camper hopes to enjoy

The best camp is not necessarily the biggest, closest, most expensive, or most specialized. It is the program that provides the right combination of activities, community, setting, support, and opportunities for a particular child or teen.

Ready to Find Your Summer Camp?

Choose the search method that best matches where you want to begin.

1. Browse Camps by State

Choose a state or explore Canadian camp listings. Then review individual camp information, programs, locations, and activities.

Browse Camps by State

2. Search All Camps

Use our camp database search to narrow your choices by state or region, camp type, available programs, and special interest activities.

Open Camp Search Engine

3. Explore Specialty Camps

Already interested in art, music, science, technology, sports, adventure, performing arts, or another activity? Start with a focused camp directory.

Explore Specialty Camps

Helpful Search Tips

Searching by state: Start with the location that interests you. On many camp listing pages, you can also use your browser's Find feature to look for camp names or activities.

Find activities on a state page: Use Command-F on a Mac or Control-F on a PC to find specific names or keywords, such as overnight, day camp, art, music, sports, science, technology, or adventure. This searches the current page, not the entire database.

Using the camp search engine: Our existing database search uses an all-criteria matching approach. Selecting several activities means results must match all of those choices. For a broader search, start with fewer selections and refine your results.

Exploring specialty camps: Specialty directories can make it easier to compare programs focused on a particular interest, while traditional and multi-activity camps may offer a broader summer experience.

Compare and contact camps: Explore several listings and compare locations, ages served, activities, and formats. Visit each camp's own website or contact the camp directly to confirm current sessions, pricing, availability, and requirements.

CHOOSE A STATE FROM THE LIST BELOW
TO SEE A COMPLETE LIST OF BEST CAMPS

AL Best Alabama Camps AK Best Alaska Camps AZ Best Arizona Camps AR Best Arkansas Camps CA Best California Camps CO Best Colorado Camps CT Best Connecticut Camps DE Best Delaware Camps FL Best Florida Camps GA Best Georgia Camps
HI Best Hawaii Camps ID Best Idaho Camps IL Best Illinois Camps IN Best Indiana Camps IA Best Iowa Camps KS Best Kansas Camps KY Best Kentucky Camps LA Best Louisiana Camps ME Best Maine Camps MD Best Maryland Camps
MA Best Massachusetts Camps MI Best Michigan Camps MN Best Minnesota Camps MS Best Mississippi Camps MO Best Missouri Camps MT Best Montana Camps NE Best Nebraska Camps NV Best Nevada Camps NH Best New Hampshire Camps NJ Best New Jersey Camps
NM Best New Mexico Camps NY Best New York Camps NC Best North Carolina Camps ND Best North Dakota Camps OH Best Ohio Camps OK Best Oklahoma Camps OR Best Oregon Camps PA Best Pennsylvania Camps RI Best Rhode Island Camps SC Best South Carolina Camps
SD Best South Dakota Camps TN Best Tennessee Camps TX Best Texas Camps UT Best Utah Camps VT Best Vermont Camps VA Best Virginia Camps WA Best Washington Camps WV Best West Virginia Camps WI Best Wisconsin Camps WY Best Wyoming Camps
Wash D.C. Best Washington DC Camps CANADA Best Canada Camps            

Find Camps with Our Search Engine

Choose a location, then explore the camp types, programs and activities that matter most to your family.

How matching works: The search finds camps that offer all the activities you select. For example, choosing Baseball and Music finds camps listing both interests.

For more results: Select fewer activities or search a larger region. For fewer results: Select more activities or a single state.

Where Would You Like to Explore Camps?

Choose a larger region to discover more camps, or focus on a particular state or Canadian province.

Search across several states at once, or throughout Canada.
Focus on a single state or one of the currently listed provinces.
Search tip: Choose either a region or a state. The other choice will disappear. Select Change Location to start again, then choose your camp activities below.

Type of CampResults must include every activity you check in this section.

Special Camp Programs & OpportunitiesResults must include every activity you check in this section.

Art & Performing Arts ActivitiesResults must include every activity you check in this section.

Technology, Science & MediaResults must include every activity you check in this section.

Adventure, Wilderness & TravelResults must include every activity you check in this section.

Sports & Fitness ActivitiesResults must include every activity you check in this section.

Your selections will be used to find matching camps in our directory.

Explore Your Interests

Discover Our Specialty Summer Camp Directories

Every camper has different interests, talents, and summer dreams. Explore our family of specialty camp directories to discover exciting activities, inspiring programs, and new possibilities for an unforgettable summer.

Overnight, Family & Specialty Experiences

Discover different ways to experience summer camp.

Creative & Performing Arts

Celebrate imagination, artistic expression, and the joy of creating.

Sports & Athletics

Find your game, develop new skills, and enjoy an active summer.

Academics, Science & Technology

Follow your curiosity and discover something fascinating.

Adventure & Wilderness

Discover new challenges and the excitement of the great outdoors.

Horse Riding & Horsemanship

Build confidence and discover the special connection between riders and horses.

Travel, Treks & Trips

Set out to discover new destinations, people, and perspectives.

Leadership & Faith

Discover meaningful experiences centered on growth and community.

Inclusive Camp Experiences

Explore specialized programs and supportive camp environments.

Summer Camp Jobs & Opportunities

Discover the experience of working at summer camp.

Need Help Choosing the Right Camp?

Visit our Guide to Choosing the Best Summer Camp for practical advice about programs, staff, facilities, safety, costs, and finding the right fit.

For inspiration, explore the Top 10 Reasons to Go to Summer Camp .

Camp owners and directors can Submit or Update Camp Information .

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Top Ten Reasons to Attend Summer Camp

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