Swimming in the lake, bunking in cabins with your besties and sneaking off to smooch with Timmy in the woods. Ahhh, those were the days...
Well, now you can relive your youth--but in much better style--with a wide variety of “adult summer camps” that offer everything from boozy color wars to archery. Here are nine awesome options for the throwback getaway you really want, but with the upscale accommodations you need.
It’s time to take your Chicago city lifestyle farther afield. Every morning at Camp No Counselors (just a few hours from the Windy City) starts with Bloody Marys and mimosas. Then you’ll move on to weaving friendship bracelets, playing dodgeball and dancing until 2 a.m. at an ’80s-themed dance party. Sign up for the August 25 session before it sells out.
With a pool this dreamy, it’s hard to imagine wanting to do anything else. And that’s OK. But for those Texans looking for a true summer camp adventure, it's got that, too. Hatchet throwing? Bull riding? Guided hikes? Sign us up.
Expect private (and air-conditioned) cabins at this Connecticut compound, plus endless amounts of surprisingly good food, free-flowing wine at dinner, nightly events and a serious list of daytime activities. Think zip-lining, tie-dyeing, trapeze lessons and color wars. Or just chill in a tube on the lake.
Not for the faint of heart, this four-day, three-night Utah experience packs in about as many heart-thumping thrills as you can think of--guided rock climbs, rafting the Colorado rapids, off-roading in the backcountry. You pick the dates and then an experienced guide will plan your action-packed itinerary. Warning: Tents are involved, but you choose whether it’s bare bones or the luxury-safari type.
This summer camp tucked deep into North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains is all about unplugging. After you trade in your cell phones, computers and digital cameras, you’ll be ready for four days of old-fashioned fun. Think everything from yoga, sweat lodges and wellness teepees to color war, capture the flag and kickball. And at the end of the day, you can giggle yourself to sleep with your bunkmates in classic cabins. Registration is still open for August 19 to 22 and August 25 to 28.
Anyone who’s ever lived in Manhattan knows that sometimes you just need to get out of Dodge. That’s where Soul Camp New York (August 24 to 28) comes in. Only a few hours from the concrete jungle you call home is a serene camp nestled in the Adirondacks--and there’s even a special shuttle to take you there. Health-ified camp meals and good-for-you snacks like coconut water and kale chips will keep you energized for dance classes, boating on the lake and spiritual sessions crafting dreamcatchers.
The newly opened design hotel in South Lake Tahoe gives cardio junkies easy access to all sorts of outdoor activities. Once you’ve had your fill of hiking, mountain biking and stand-up paddle boarding, post up at the hotel for happy hour and a game of cornhole. Then soak your tired muscles in the hot tub and end the day with s’mores by the firepit. Did we mention Saturday morning yoga on the beach?
Unlimited yoga classes by day, DJ dance parties by night. Wanderlust Aspen Snowmass (June 30 to July 3) promises everything from meditative sessions of sun salutations against mountain backdrops to body-bending acro-yoga from some of the best instructors around the country. Once you’ve downward-dogged yourself silly, throw on your tie-dye maxi and sway to the beats of Steel Pulse and Sol Rising.
Fulfill all of your moonwalking fantasies at this two-night Alabama adult camp. Learn what it takes to be a real astronaut and then role-play top-secret space missions in actual astronaut simulators. Meals--they’ll have you on a strict diet of freeze-dried food, just kidding--and accommodations are included.
