
Ready to send your kid to sleepaway camp this year? We're gathering parent recommendations for the best overnight camps near Philadelphia...or near enough to be worth the trip for an epic summer experience!
Parent reviews are essential to picking out the right overnight camp, so please comment below if your kids have attended any of these. Philly parents, if your favorite overnight summer camps in Pennsylvania or around the Northeast aren't on the list yet, please suggest them as new recommendations to let us know about them.
Find more summer fun on our full Philadelphia camp guide.
Camp Yolijwa
One Week Sessions
Overnight Camp
$232/one-week session
Entering 3rd-12th Grade
Vanessa M.: Camp Yolijwa stands for "youth living Jesus' way"; they are a Christian retreat center in a secluded Appalachian Mountain setting. Campers at the overnight camp will spend the week exploring nature, making crafts, playing sports & camp games, swimming, learning about the Bible, singing by the campfire and more. Wilderness cabin camps are available for campers in 7th-12th grade, and focus on outdoor survival skills.
Camp Saginaw
Vanessa M.: Rich in tradition, Camp Saginaw has made spectacular summer memories for kids since 1930. The wooded campground located in Chester County provides an endless playground for camp activities such as archery, fishing, skate park, jewelry making, theater, ceramics, sports, lake tubing and water skiing, and even scuba and snorkeling, and more! Camp Saginaw even offers a Weekend Club, which is a great opportunity for kiddos entering 1st-5th grades to enjoy an introductory overnight camp experience, including two action-packed days and one fun night.
Camp Conquest
One Week Sessions
Overnight Camp
$200/day camp, $420-$530/overnight
Age 7-15
Vanessa M.: Camp Conquest is a Christian retreat center offering overnight camp, as well as day camp, for kids on their beautiful wooded campus. Campers will explore swimming, archery, crafts, horses, group games and more while also learning creative Bible lessons and fun camp songs.
YMCA Camp Conrad Weiser
Vanessa M.: Over 600 acres of scenic nature beckon campers to Camp Conrad Weiser. Whether your child prefers traditional camp, horseback riding camp, paintball training camp, or Harry Potter camp, your camper will have a fantastic experience at this South Mountain YMCA camp. Kids will enjoy non-stop fun with activities including swimming, canoeing, dance, music, high ropes, shooting sports like archery and riflery, plus exciting evening activities like pool parties, talent show, campfires, and more.
High Point Camp
Vanessa M.: High Point Camp is a Christian camp located in the beautiful Welsh mountains of Pennsylvania. The overnight camp for kids and teens offers crafts, games and team competitions, sports, swimming, blob and waterslide, lake tubing, and spiritual growth through cabin devotions and chapel. With so many great activities, campers will find the week they spend at camp to be the highlight of their summer!
Camp Manatawny
One Week Sessions
Overnight Camp
$349-$375/week
Completed 1st-12th Grade
Vanessa M.: A beautiful Christian retreat center situated between forested hills and running streams, Camp Manatawny offers kids and teens a special summer overnight camp experience. With lots of outdoor activities, team-building and friendship building experiences, along with spiritual development, campers will grow and mature while having an amazing amount of fun!
Widener University - Engineering Summer Camp for High School Students
Shila: Introduce your high schooler to the field of engineering through Widener’s Engineering Summer Camp. Engineering camp is the perfect place to explore this exciting field through hands-on activities. Make concrete blocks, launch soda bottle rockets, and learn more about the different fields of engineering.
iD Tech Camps
Vanessa M.: Kids and teens of all skill levels will be challenged at iD Tech Camps this summer, with both day and overnight camp options at several Philadelphia area locations. Campers will learn to have fun with coding, game development, robotics, and design. Guaranteed small class sizes are led by qualified instructors. Note that ages, camp dates & cost vary by location.
Philadelphia 76ers Basketball Camps
Shila: Philly's Official NBA team offers co-ed basketball camps coached by experienced community members. Jr. 76ers day camps are designed to build a strong foundation for the game, campers (ages 6-14) will develop skills in shooting, ball handling, passing and more in a fun and positive learning environment. Jr. 76ers Skills Camp is a high-performance camp designed for dedicated players (ages 10-17) who want to develop top-notch skills in a competitive environment. They also offer an overnight camp!
Camp Haluwasa
Vanessa M.: Camp Haluwasa is a Christian camping and retreat center in New Jersey offering the ultimate Christian camping experience for kids and teens. Campers enjoy scenic lakes, swimming park, Victorian train rides, camp games, sports, Bible lessons, and campfires. Add on programs for overnight campers, such as horsemanship and culinary arts, make kids' summer camp experience even more incredible!
Camp Nock-A-Mixon
Vanessa M.: Camp Nock-A-Mixon is a traditional, co-ed overnight summer camp offering a 7-week long camp experience to give children a chance to enjoy the outdoors, try something new, and create strong bonds with their counselors and fellow campers. With so many great activities, such as ropes course, zipline, sports, arts & drama, pool (with waterslides!), water tubing, canoeing, and so much more, your camper will want to come back year after year.
Camp Galil
2, 3, 4 & 7 Week Sessions
Overnight Camp
$2,750-$9,000/session
Age 8-16
Vanessa M.: For over 70 years, Camp Galil has brought a fun-filled Jewish overnight summer camp experience to kids in the beautiful fields and forests of Bucks County. They offer 2, 3, 4, and 7 week camp options, plus a four-night program open to 2nd and 3rd graders called Taste of Galil. Camp activities include sports like basketball, soccer, and swimming, outdoor education like organic gardening, Shabbat activities and Jewish teaching, music, drama, Israeli folk dancing, high ropes course, zipline, and so much more.
Camp Dark Waters
Vanessa M.: Campers have been having fun at Camp Dark Waters, a Quaker camp in South Jersey, for over 90 years! Kids enjoy choosing their own activities and experiencing the many options available. Explore the arts with pottery and candle-making, play ultimate frisbee or noodle hockey, have fun with drama and music, or maybe learn a new language, fire building, and outdoor cooking.
Camp Tecumseh
Vanessa M.: Camp Tecumseh is a ministry of the Salvation Army, located in rural New Jersey. Kids and teens have flocked to this overnight camp for a great camp experience every summer for over 50 years! Activities like arts & crafts, hands-on farming, Bible teaching, exploring nature, swimming, team games, campfires, and specialty camp themes (music & arts, sports & fitness, and more) make Camp Tecumseh a special place for kids.
Lake Greeley Camp
2, 3, 5 & 7 Week Sessions
Overnight Camp
$3,200-$9,600/session
Age 6-15
Vanessa M.: The Poconos Mountains provide the perfect summer camp setting for Lake Greeley Camp, with beautiful pine trees, pristine Lake Greeley, and exciting camp activities. With a family-like atmosphere, Lake Greeley Camp specializes in creating a positive camp experience for first-time campers. Activities abound, from archery, paintball, rock climbing, swimming, water skiing, tubing, horseback riding, skate park, and intercamp sports competitions.
Camp Cayuga
2, 4, 6 & 8 Week Sessions
Overnight Camp
$2,250-$11,000/session
Age 6-16
Vanessa M.: Camp Cayuga is nestled in the Pocono Mountains, boasting rolling fields, wooded trails, stream-fed lake, and clean mountain air. Campers enjoy over 60 activities, including tennis, paintball, scuba, horseback riding, trapeze, climbing wall, zipline, lake activities, and water sports. Kids will love spending time with nature, trying new things, and the special community of friendship.
Independent Lake Camp
2-8 Week Sessions
Overnight Camp
Starting at $3,950/session
Age 6-17
Vanessa M.: Independent Lake Camp is an idyllic sleepaway camp that kids can attend. They offer a huge variety of daily activities, from dance, technical skills like Photoshop and 3D graphics, circus arts, creative writing, extreme sports, music, theater, arts & crafts, water sports, swimming, climbing wall, and so much more in a positive and fun atmosphere.
Camp Lohikan
1, 2, 4, 6 & 8 Week Sessions
Overnight Camp
$1,200-$11,500/session
Age 6-15
Vanessa M.: With more than 65 exciting activities offered daily, your camper will never get bored at Camp Lohikan, located in beautiful Lake Como. In addition to traditional camp activities, Camp Lohikan offers paintball, sailing, circus arts, scuba, spy camp and more to create a truly unique camp experience. Kids will love the warm, welcoming community and the endless ways to have fun!
The Road Less Traveled Summer Travel Programs
Gina I.: Although it's not your typical summer camp experience, The Road Less Traveled offers wonderful life changing travel opportunities for middle school and high school students. Students can go many places inside the United States or can travel internationally! From community service and language programs to scuba diving and summer adventures, there are lifelong memories to be made at every destination!
Primary photo: Josh Campbell on Unsplash
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