Family Camps with Cabin Camping

Family camps offer lots of outdoor adventures like canoeing, kayaking, and more. Photo courtesy of Camp Seymour on Puget Sound
Family camps offer lots of outdoor adventures like canoeing, kayaking, and more. Photo courtesy of Camp Seymour on Puget Sound
2/29/24 - By Jody Mercier

For decades, American kids have made lasting summer memories at sleepaway camps from New England to the West Coast. But, what about the adults? Enter: Family Camps with cabin camping. Many popular sleepaway camps open their bunkhouses to families for weekend or week-long family camps each spring, summer, and/or fall.

Family camps offer families an entire summer camp experience with a slew of activities including sports, hiking, boating, arts and crafts, and more. Nearly all of them serve up three meals a day, and some offer extra perks like evening happy hours and movies under the stars.

Here are 20 family camps with cabin camping in the Northeast, South, Midwest, and West Coast. Get even more fun family vacation ideas in our Family Travel Guide. And if your kids are ready to attend an overnight camp on their own, find the perfect one in our US Sleepaway Camp Guide.

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Note: Some of these family camps sell out quickly and far in advance, so book ASAP if your family wants to get in on this rustic, all-inclusive family vacation option.

Family Camps with Cabin Camping: Appalachian Mountain Club Family Adventure Camps
Explore the great outdoors at an Appalachian Mountain Club Family Adventure Camp. Photo by Paula Champagn

Best Family Camps with Cabin Camping in the Northeast

1. Appalachian Mountain Club Family Adventure Camps — New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, & New York

AMC's Family Adventure Camps are all-inclusive, with days-long trips filled with guided activities, meals, and lodging. The camps are specifically designed for families to experience the great outdoors together. Activities include hikes, paddling, fly fishing, hands-on nature studies, and evening programs. Families learn about outdoor safety, ecology, and stewardship of wild areas while exploring the Northeast mountains and lakes. AMC also generally offers a junior version of the camps, Wee Wanderers, geared toward families with kids ages 4-6.

2. Club Getaway Family Camp — Kent, CT

Make Club Getaway's Family Camp your home for a week or weekend this summer. Experience the great outdoors in a private cabin and enjoy tons of active fun on the 300-acre Club Getaway campgrounds. Swim or boat in the lake, play tennis and basketball, stage a family softball game, go hiking or mountain biking, and conquer the adventure park with its zip line, ropes course, and more. Rates are all-inclusive of meals and activities.

3. YMCA Camp Hi-Rock — Mount Washington, MA

Spend a week adventuring and bonding with your family at this YMCA camp in the Bay State. Families can enjoy private cabins or rooms, available for the entire week in August or for a shorter stay. There's a sandy beach and a private lake for boating adventures. If you're up for a family hike, the Appalachian Trail is right there waiting for you. Meals and activities are included in the price.

4. Forest Lake Camp — Chestertown, NY

Enjoy a weekend at The Cabins at Forest Lake Camp, as this family camp has been dubbed. All-inclusive bookings can be made for the week-long family camp in August. Cabins have 6-14 beds and a private bathroom and shower. Tents are also available to rent on this over 800-acre campus. Meals are included, plus access to the on-site lake, hiking trails, and camp activities like sports, archery, a climbing wall, and more. End your day with a campfire and s'mores.

5. Camp DeWolfe — Wading River, NY

While Camp DeWolfe is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, it welcomes people of all backgrounds to its 19-acre beachfront property overlooking the Long Island Sound. Activities include kayaking, paddleboarding, canoeing, arts and crafts, climbing, biking, hiking, fishing, sports, games, and, of course, campfires.

6. Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp — Copake, NY

Berkshire Hills Eisenberg offers family camps on two weekends in May. Rental options range from lodge-style hotel rooms to lakeside cabins sleeping up to 20. There's plenty to do on the 640-acre campus, and all of your activities will be self-directed. You should also pack sports equipment for any games you plan to play. The pool will be open, but no lifeguard will be on duty, and all children must be supervised there and all across the camp. All meals are kosher.

7. Frost Valley YMCA — Claryville, NY

This popular Catskills YMCA summer camp hosts long family weekends with themed camp fun throughout the year. With zip lining, boating, board games, arts and crafts, archery, candle making, and much more to look forward to, your family will have so much to choose from. A program coordinator will help you plan your family camp weekend.

8. Fairview Lake YMCA — Stillwater, NJ

This YMCA camp nestled on a wooded lakeside offers many options for family camps through the fall, including Memorial Day and Labor Day family camps, an LGBTQ+ family camp, and more. There is swimming, archery, hiking, boating, crafts, and sports fields and courts. Families can also bring their own recreation equipment. Lodging is typically located in a year-round cabin with a private bathroom and electricity. Seasonal housing, which includes cabins without electricity and a shared bathhouse, is an option on some summer weekends. All meals are included.

Best Family Camps and Cabin Camping in the South

9. YMCA Camp Immokalee — Keystone Heights, FL

This year's family camp at YMCA Camp Innokalee takes place on Labor Day Weekend 2024. Book a stay with your family to enjoy this Thanksgiving-themed camp, with activities including kayaking, zip lining, archery, a campfire with s'mores, and much more. This camp is for ages 4 and up and is a great way to try out sleepaway camp together as a family before registering kids for their own camps in the future.

10. Camp Southern Ground — Fayetteville, GA

This unique Warrior Family Camp is geared toward families of veterans. To be eligible to attend, at least one family member must be a veteran or active-duty military, or the spouse of a fallen or deceased service member. Children must be ages 5-17. Camp experiences aim to bring family members together through this shared experience, as they connect and communicate about their family mission, values, and challenges.

11. Smoky Mountain Family Camp — Townsend, TN

Activities at this six-day, five-night family camp set in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee include bicycling, searching for wildlife, nature-based art, overnight camping, and many more. Food and lodging at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park dorm are included in the price. Families of five or six receive a 15% group discount. This family camp also provides financial aid opportunities to help make your summer-camp dreams come true.

12. T Bar M Camps — New Braunfels, TX

Families can soak in the beauty of the Texas hill country at T Bar M Camps each summer. Family camp is an all-inclusive, five-day experience filled with bonding activities, small-group sessions, crafting, sporting activities, swimming, and hiking. T Bar M is a Christian camp, and family worship is offered at the end of each day. Families can participate in as much or as little of the camp activities as they want.

RELATED: Top Midwest Overnight Summer Camps for Kids and Teens

Family Camps with Cabin Camping: Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See
Families can enjoy cabin camping and summer camp activities just outside of Chicago. Photo courtesy of Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See

Best Family Camps and Cabin Camping in the Midwest

13. Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See — Manteno, IL

Enjoy a late-summer weekend getaway at Camp Shaw-waw-nas-see. Family cabins accommodate up to 10 campers. The camp, located an hour south of Chicago, spreads out over 110 acres. Explore grassy fields and wooded areas or enjoy camp-directed programming in environmental sustainability, archery, arts and crafts, team-building, survivor skills, and more.

14. Camp Tecumseh YMCA — Brookston, IN

Camp Tecumseh is known for its family-friendly vibes and Midwestern hospitality. Located along the Tippecanoe River, this camp includes tons of outdoor activities like canoeing, kayaking, archery, riflery, climbing, hiking, and horseback riding. Rent a cabin with the whole crew and enjoy the simple pleasures of s'mores around the campfire and family storytelling during one of Camp Tecumseh's family camp weekends.

15. Lake of the Woods & Greenwoods Camps — Decatur, MI

At this family camp, you can choose to stay in a private cabin or share with other families or friends. The outdoor adventures are limitless, with activities such as sailing, windsurfing, golf, songwriting and recording, fitness classes, arts and crafts, paddleboarding, and fishing. Enjoy themed evening programming like a Top Chef Cook-off and Family Bowling Night.

16. Dunes Harbor Family Camp — Mears, MI

Spend quality time with the fam at Silver Lake this summer. You can hook up your own RV or rent one. Cabins are also available for rent. Dunes Harbor is a modern campground with tons of family activities and amenities. There's a store, an ice cream shop, a heated pool, and a playground, as well as activities like archery, field games, and movie nights.

Best Family Camps and Cabin Camping in the West Coast

17. YMCA Camp Seymour — Gig Harbor, WA

An all-inclusive family camp on Puget Sound, Camp Seymour is a great choice for a family getaway. There are three options for family camp slots. Lodging, meals, and activities are all included in the registration fees. Enjoy the great outdoors and all that Washington State has to offer.

18. UC Santa Barbara Family Vacation Center — Santa Barbara, CA

This family camp is a big hit for West Coast families and beyond. Sink your feet into the warm sand and enjoy this all-inclusive week-long excursion. Here, you'll be right along the beach, so there are tons of great ocean activities for kids and adults alike. Surf lessons and time at the pool will definitely be at the top of many families' lists. Enjoy a beach-side BBQ and other games and camp activities.

19. YMCA Camp Campbell — Boulder Creek, CA

Get the family out of the city and into the forest. Camp Campbell is nestled in the redwoods and offers some old-fashioned, unplugged, nature-inspired fun. Accommodations range from tent cabins to bunks sleeping up to 20 people. Themed camps run year-round on holidays, but no matter the season there's plenty to do. Choose from a list of traditional camp activities, enjoy time on the lake, and close out the day with a campfire.

20. Twin Rocks Family Camp — Rockaway Beach, OR

Get away to the Pacific Northwest for quality family bonding time. At this faith-based family camp, you can enjoy interactive activities, times for worship, and engaging speakers. Traditional camp activities like arts and crafts, volleyball, hiking, and board games are all part of the fun. Relax with your family and new friends around a campfire to end the exciting day at camp.

Additional reporting by Vanessa Leigh

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