Escape This Summer — to Family Camp
April 1st, 2009 by Jane Schneider
My cheek is flush against a craggy granite wall, so close I can almost taste the metallic tang of the ancient rock.
I grasp a heavy iron rung and heave myself up to the next rock ledge, trying not to worry about my 13-year-old son Evan, who climbs the narrow trail ahead of me, or my legs, which feel about as sturdy as cooked spaghetti. We’re hiking the Beehive at Acadia National Park, a challenging trail that snakes up the face of this craggy knob, in hopes of expansive views of Mount Desert Island, Maine.
Yesterday, we hiked through fir and white birch forests shrouded in mist, but today the sky is a cloudless, periwinkle blue. The morning hike is part of our week-long adventure at Echo Lake, a full-service family camp run by the Appalachian Mountain Club.
We’re sharing our experience with a host of outdoor enthusiasts, like Nena, a Cuban grandmother who scrambles behind her 10-year-old grandson, Jarred, as nimble as a mountain goat, and Dorothea and Matthias, a family from Boston whose children Frederick, 9, and Mia, 6, are already seasoned hikers.
As we head higher up the trail, I spy bushes of wild blueberries. Though much of the fruit is still several weeks from harvest, a few flanking eastern slopes yield early, just-ripe berries. I pop a handful into my mouth and savor their sweetness as my son calls out:
“Hurry up Mom, this is so cool. You can see the outer islands from here.” I pull myself up the last rung of the rock face, scramble up the granite outcropping and am handsomely rewarded with a view of Frenchmen’s Bay and Acadia’s outer islands, spread before us like a massive crazy quilt.
Sweet.
Get ready for adventure
If you thought camp was only for kids, think again. Family camps are a fun, affordable vacation alternative. According to the American Camp Association (ACA), the interest in family camps has mushroomed over the past 15 years, growing by more than 200 percent. Now, 40 percent of ACA-affiliated camps offer a family camp week. Some are non-stop action, others tout more laid-back schedules, but all promise a week your family won’t soon forget.
The camp we attend is through the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), a conservation and recreation organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. The AMC offers a host of summer programs that include full-service camps for families (as well as single adults) which are housed at three locations in New Hampshire and Maine, and offer hiking as the primary activity. Family Adventure Camps are geared expressly for families with kids ages 5 to 16 who want to learn more about the environment. Both enable families to get out and explore some of New England’s most spectacular natural settings.
What I discovered during our stay was that camp becomes a tradition for many of the families, who enjoy the camaraderie and relaxed environment. Dori Mitzi, a self-described “beach chick,” says she was a hard sell initially. “I grew up spending my summers on Cape Cod,” says Mitzi, who attended two AMC adventure camps with her 7-year-old daughter, Aleni. “My husband’s the hiker. I thought it would be boring, with nothing but hiking, but it turned out to be the antithesis — it was non-stop action and fun.”
They stay at Joe Dodge lodge in New Hampshire, where families enjoy three cooked meals a day and private rooms. Led by staff naturalists, mornings are spent doing stream exploration or nature walks; after lunch the group goes hiking, canoeing, or white- water rafting.
“We try to introduce an appreciation of the natural world, since it might lead to an appreciation of wilderness and make the kids want to conserve,” says senior interpretive naturalist Nicky Pizzo. “Once you get kids outdoors and hiking, they get hooked.”
Laid-back atmosphere
The full-service camps run for nine-weeks, from late June through the end of August. These are less structured than the adventure camps, but also offer opportunities for hiking, boating, biking, swimming, or hanging out at camp with friends. “The level of participation is left to the individual,” notes Mary Mitchell, who has co-managed Echo Lake camp with husband Ned since 1979. “You can do as much or as little as you want.”
The week-long stays include morning hikes, free time in the afternoon, and evening recreation led by AMC volunteers. “One reason campers come back is not just because of the atmosphere but the people who lead the trips,” says Roger Scholl, AMC director of volunteer relations. “If they like their pace and joie de vivre, everyone wants to return for the camaraderie between leaders and the group itself.”
Our camp has 80 guests, many of whom have been before, so a sense of community quickly evolves. When we aren’t hiking, afternoons are spent lounging dockside at the lake, or exploring other parts of the island. The kids, who range in age from 5 to 15, hang out in the game room playing board games and ping-pong, while older adults hole up in the library to read. One day, the camp arranged a half-day venture to an off-island; another afternoon we enjoyed a savory lobster picnic at a bay- side park.
Dorthea Von Herder and Matthias Eberstadt attended Echo for the first time last summer with their two children. “We’re outdoorsy and we’ve always hiked, even when the kids were babies. It was a great experience to meet so many other like-minded people who were into hiking and appreciated nature.”
Accommodations at Echo, Three Mile, and Cold Water camps range from panel tents to rustic cabins but all provide three cooked meals a day. Rates for both camps include meals, guided programs, and instruction, and equipment for paddling or climbing.
Toward the end of our stay, we drive with several families to watch a Fourth of July fireworks display in the town of Bar Harbor. As the colors reflect in the shimmering water, I can’t help but think it’s a fitting end to a magical week. Family camp might just become our tradition, too.
Want to learn more about the Appalachian Mountain Club?
For Adventure Camps: outdoors.org/adventure_camps
For Full-service Camps: outdoors.org/lodging/camps/index.cfm or call (603) 466-2727
For a listing of top family campsnationally, go to budgettravel.com.