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Community and Internet Resources


Recreation: Camps (Overnight Programs)

National

Easter Seals offers the Camp Without Barriers for Children and Adults with Disabilities with 140 camping and recreation facilities across the country. Day and residential camp sessions, as well as weekend and after-school programs, are available. (Hours, duration, activities, eligibility requirements, transportation availability and tuition vary from camp to camp.) From campfire sing-a-longs and late night ghost stories, to boating, nature walks, swimming, and arts and crafts, Easter Seals camps provide the same excitement and activity available at other summer camp programs. To learn more about camping opportunities in your area, call (800) 221-6827.

National Center on Physical Activity and Disability "NCPAD is an information center concerned with physical activity and disability. Being physically active is good for every body. That's a message you will find many times on their site. Being active is an important part of getting and staying healthy." NCPAD is located within the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This site is a database of resources and guides on exercise, camps, recreation and accessibility to programs, equipment and opportunities for people with disabilities.

Very Special Camps is an online resource for individuals with one or more of a wide range of special needs to effectively obtain information about related summer camp programs. This site allows you to easily search for camps tailored to your desires. In your search you can specify type of disability, duration of camp, gender, age, regions, state or city, and activities. You can even check off as to whether you are in need of financial assistance to attend camp. Visit this site to find a camping experience in your area.

State Listings

Alabama

Alabama's Special Camp for Children and Adults has more than 20 different activities from which to choose. Activity areas include Outdoor Adventure, Aquatics and Outdoor Education. Each area offers visitors a unique experience, and allows the camper to succeed on his or her own, as well as in an environment of peer support. Camps are offered year round. For more information, call (800) 843-2267 or e-mail info@campascca.org

California

Camping UnLimited offers year-round and summer camping opportunities to children and adults with developmental disabilities. Summer camp takes place at Camp Krem, about 20 minutes from the Santa Cruz Beach/Boardwalk and sixty miles south of San Francisco. Camp Krem has ten rustic cabins, an arts and crafts center, a specially designed swimming pool, a campfire arena, a playground, and miles of hiking trails and outdoor camping areas. The 8, 10, and 12 day sessions run from early June to late August. For more information, call (510) 222-6662 or e-mail campkrem@campingunlimited.com.

Rose Resnick LightHouse, located in San Francisco, offers the Enchanted Hills Camp, a camp for individuals with visual impairments. There are several camping sessions available each for a unique population. The Adults With Special Needs camp session is open to any legally blind adult with a secondary cognitive (developmental disability, etc.) or emotional disability. Family Camp Weekends are offered to families who have visually impaired children age 18 and under and/or visually impaired parents with children age 18 and under. They also offer separate sessions for elementary, junior high and high school aged children with visual imapairments. For more information, call (415) 431-1481 (Voice) or (415) 431-4572 (TTY).

Colorado

National Sports Center for the Disabled offers several camping opportunities for teens and adults with disabilities. Their camp for adults with Developmental Disabilities offers 5 days of adventure and offers such activities as river rafting, cycling, hiking, and kayaking among others. Their week-long camp for teens with Physical Disabilities brings together teens from across the world and offers such activities as horseback riding, rafting, cycling, and cultural exchange activities, among others. For more information, call (970) 726-1540 or e-mail info@nscd.org

Connecticut

Camp Horizons, located in South Windham, Connecticut, offers a Weekends in the Country Camping Program for people with developmental disabilities. The two-night weekend camps have various themes and numerous activities. Transportation to and from the camp is available. They also offer a summer camp. For more information, visit their website or e-mail staffpage@camphorizons.org.

Illinois

Camp Ability is held at the Timber Pointe Outdoor Center at Lake Bloomington, 12 miles north of Bloomington/Normal, Illinois. Activities include canoeing, fishing, pontoon boat rides, art, and music therapy, an enhanced independence program, cookouts, talent shows, horseback riding, and much more. A new in-ground fully accessible pool and new bathhouse have been a welcome addition to the swimming program. If you are interested in receiving an application for camp, call the ISBA office at 1-800-969-ISBA.

Camp Little Giant, located on the shore of Little Grassy Lake, is surrounded by the Shawnee National Forest and hilly woodlands with access to caves, cliffs, meadows, coves, and adventure. Constant activity takes place at the camp's boat dock, beach, arts and craft area, dining hall, and lodges. Camps serve children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, ADD/ADHD, burn survivors, and traumatic brain injuries. They offer one week and two week camp sessions. Scholarships are available on a first come first serve basis. For more information, call (618) 453-1121.

Indiana

Isanogel Center, located in Munice, Indiana, is a one or two week summer residential camp program for children and adults with disabilities for ages 8-Adult. Sessions start in Late May and go through August. Weekend sessions and activities are year round. The camp provides outdoor recreation opportunities such as swimming and a ropes course as well as indoor programs such as arts and crafts. For more information, visit their website or call (765) 288-1073.

Iowa

Camp Courageous of Iowa, located five miles outside of the city of Monticello in eastern Iowa, is a year-round camp for people with disabilities of all ages. Fall, Winter, and Spring camp sessions vary from one to five days. Summer sessions run Sunday through Friday. Respite care weekends are available a minimum of once a month, Friday through Sunday. Activities include, arts and crafts, caving, canoeing, fishing, hiking, outdoor living skills training, rock climbing, sports and games, swimming and much more. For more information, call (319) 465-5916.

Maine

Camp Waban provides a summer camp vacation opportunity for children and adults with special needs. Campers have the opportunity to enjoy a weeklong overnight summer vacation that includes not only the traditional camp experience of boating, swimming, arts and crafts and campfires, but also trips to events and activities in the community. Camp Waban offers 2 weeks for children and 6 weeks for adults. The 2004 season begins June 27th and runs through August 21st. For more information, visit their website or call (207) 324-7955.

Maryland

Camp Fairlee Manor offers a summer residential camp for children (age 8 and up) and adults with disabilities. The summer camp program operates from June through August and offers daily activities that include arts and crafts, nature and gardening, sports and games, archery, swimming, canoeing, fishing, and much more. Sponsorships are available to low-income campers. For more information, either visit their website or call (410) 778-0566.

Camp Greentop, located in Catoctin Mountain National Park in Maryland, has been serving adults and children with disabilities since 1937. Campers share log cabins with other campers of the same age and gender. Daily activities include horseback riding, swimming, accessible hiking, arts and crafts, sports and games, boating and fishing, cookouts, tent camping, and a variety of other social activities. The focus of all activities is to enhance independence in each of the campers' lives. The camp offers separate sessions for adults and children from late June through early August. Sponsorships are available to eligible campers. For more information, call (410) 323-0500 ext. 309 or e-mail dmardaga.league@erols.com.

Minnesota

Courage Camps, with camps located in Maple Lake and Lake George, Minnesota, offers safe, accessible, natural environments for children and adults with physical disabilities, sensory and language impairments, and other disabilities or illnesses. In addition to the traditional summer camping programs for children and adults with physical or sensory disabilities or speech/language impairments, the camp also offers a number of unique special programs and sessions. They also offer a family camp. For more information, call (763) 520-0504 or e-mail camping@courage.org.

Friendship Ventures is a non-profit agency that creates unique educational, recreational and social opportunities for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. Their summer and winter camping program focuses on serving people with developmental disabilities. The summer program runs from June through August at Camp Friendship near Annandale, Minnesota, and Eden Wood Center in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Activities include canoeing, boating, camp-outs, fishing, arts and crafts, sing-a-longs, dances, hikes in the woods, and much more. Activities are adapted to the age and ability of each individual. For more information, call (800) 450-8376 or e-mail fv@friendshipventures.org.

Missouri

Wonderland Camp, located in Rocky Mount, Missouri, is a residential summer camp for mentally and physically challenged children and adults. They offer summer camp programs from the end of May through August. Campers can participate in many activities at camp including crafts, music, nature studies, hiking, swimming, boating, dances, campfires, talent shows, archery, fishing, group sports on the baseball and soccer field and more. For more information, visit their website, call (573) 392-1000 or e-mail wondcamp@advertisnet.com.

New York

Camp Jened is a camp offering vacations to adults who have a wide range of physical and developmental disabilities. Activities include swimming, boating, dances, and camp outs, among others. They also assist campers with personal care. For more information, call (845) 434-2220.

Camp Oakhurst, offered by the New York Service for the Handicapped, offers camping opportunities to children and adults with various disabilities. Adult camps are offered for two weeks in the summer. Their 15-acre facility is barrier free and includes a state-of-the-art, fully adapted gymnasium, and a fully accessible, heated swimming pool. All activities are tailored to the individual abilities of their campers and include swimming, sports, arts, crafts, drama, music, dance, cooking, photography, nature programs, and much more. They also offer special events and social outings to beaches, boardwalks, and other area attractions. The camper to counselor ratio is no more than 3 to 1 and there is 24-hour nursing coverage on site. Trained staff provide physical care assistance throughout the day. For more information, call (732) 531-0215 or e-mail Oakhurst06@aol.com

Ohio

Camp Cheerful, located in Strongsville, Ohio, offers one-week sessions from June through August to people with disabilities. Campers may participate in such activities as basketball, challenge courses, nature studies and ceramics, among others. For more information, call (440) 238-6200.

Pennsylvania

Camp Joy is a special needs camp for kids and adults with developmental disabilities: mental retardation, autism, brain injury, and neurological disorders. Located in Schwenksville, near Philadelphia, Camp Joy's year-round recreational services include Summer Camp and Weekend Getaways. Their Summer Camp runs from June 6-August 21, while their Weekend Getaways occur throughout the fall and spring. Beginning Friday evenings and winding down Sunday mornings, the sleep-over Getaway programs feature lots of camp fun: sing-alongs, storytelling, pizza parties, talent shows, and occasional excursions. For more information, visit their website or call (610) 754-6878.

Texas

Camp Summit, located just north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, provides a residential, barrier-free camping experience for persons with special needs. The camp serves children, youth and adults, beginning at age six, who are physically challenged, developmentally delayed, dual sensory impaired (deaf and blind) and multi-disabled. Camp Summit offers a wide variety of recreational and barrier-free outlets – a specially designed swimming pool, tree house, horse-back riding ramp, adapted ropes challenge course, covered outdoor gymnasium, lodge with fireplace, fishing pond, campsites, and an outdoor chapel – providing activities for all campers so that, regardless of the disability, everyone has equal ground to explore. For more information, visit their website or call (972) 484-8900.

Wisconsin

Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services sponsors a Lutheran outdoor campground, Camp Matz, a fully accessible camp for people with developmental disabilities. The camp has direct care staff and trained professionals. For more information, see their website or call (800) 369-4636, ext. 217.

New Sign Covenant Harbor Bible Camp hosts a special needs Family Camp, THRIVE, a getaway for families with children with special needs to network with other parents, hear from advocacy groups, and enjoy camp: waterfront activities, crafts, and campfires. Rediscover yourself and your family in an environment designed for you to THRIVE. Find more information on their website, or contact the Director of Adult Education, Covenant Harbor Bible Camp, 1724 W. Main Street, Lake Geneva, WI 53147 or call 262-248-3600, x309.

Easter Seal Society of Wisconsin sponsors Camp Wawbeek. It is available to campers ages 8-80. Also, Elks/Easter Seal Respite and other recreation programs are offered. For more information, contact via e-mail at webmaster@easter-seals.org. You may get a quicker answer via snail mail at 101 Nob Hill Rd., Ste. 301, Madison, Wisconsin 53713, or call (608) 277-8288.

Inspiration Ministries provides accessible Christian camping to people with disabilities via their Summer and year round Respite Camps. Guests are offered a wide variety of fun activities such as swimming, horseback riding, guided fishing trips, archery, nature hikes on an accessible trail, outdoor camping in the platform tent, climbing the new tree climb, campfires, singing, talent shows, and much more. Activities are adapted to the ability of each individual. Camps are available for both physically and mentally challenged. There are weeks designed especially for youth as well. Inspiration Center also offers accessible transportation to and from camp for those with physical disabilities. For more information, write to, Inspiration Center, P.O. Box 948, Walworth, WI 53184, call (262) 275-5753 or e-mail InspCenter@elknet.net.

Special Needs Wisconsin United Methodist Church Camps are for adults with special needs ages 22 and older, and they mean "any age" older. Enjoy the out of doors with religious emphasis at camps located throughout the state of Wisconsin during the summer. Byron Center located southwest of Fond du Lac offers semiprivate cabin living for adults with disabilities, 1-2 counselor to camper ratio, swimming pool and accessible facility and grounds. This camp is suited for individuals who use walkers and/or wheelchairs. Pine Lake is located northwest of Westfield and wheelchair accessibility is limited in this facility. For one week during the summer a camp for youth age 15 to 21 is also available at Pine Lake. Whispering Pines is located near the Twin Cities and wheelchair accessibility is not available. The camps are owned and operated by the United Methodist Church of Wisconsin Conference but you do not have to be a member to attend. If you are a member, ask your church for scholarship information. Individuals with a degree of profound or severe retardation and Mental Illness are not eligible due to the limitation of the volunteer staff. One must be able to take care of one's own bodily needs, although some assistance is provided by an on duty nurse and volunteer counselors. Get your application in early at the beginning of the year. For more information, on eligibility, registration forms, and fees, contact United Methodist Camps (608) 837-3388 or 1-(877) 947-2247.

Wisconsin Lions Camp offers camp sessions beginning in June and continuing through mid-August. Separate sessions are offered to adults and children with visual and hearing disabilities as well as to children with mild cognitive disabilities and to children with Type One Diabetes. Situated on 440 acres in Rosholt, Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Lions Camp is the ideal setting for a safe and enjoyable camping experience. Also a wildlife refuge, there's room aplenty for outdoor recreational and nature activities of all kinds. Activities include arts and crafts, sporting games, hiking, backpacking, canoeing, sailing, swimming, paddle-boating, rowing, kayaking and water sports of all kinds. To obtain a brochure or application, call (715) 677-4761 (Voice), (715) 677-6999 (TTY) or write to 3834 County Road A, Rosholt, Wisconsin 54473.

With A Little Help, Inc. offers camping opportunities to adults with Muscular Dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions. The camp offers one-on-one personal care assistants. Sessions are offered in the summer and fall at Camp Wawbeek in Wisconsin Dells. For more information, visit their website or call (414) 764-4896.

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Community and Internet Resources / FAQ / News Publications and Media

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[Updated August 31, 2008]
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