Don’t Miss the Best Part: Why Second Session Matters
There’s a moment every summer at Adirondack Camp when something shifts. By the time Second Session begins, camp isn’t something new anymore. It’s something that feels grounded, where routines, friendships, and traditions have all found their place.
And that’s when some of the most meaningful parts of the summer unfold.
Where Camp Traditions Come to Life
Second session is when many of camp’s most cherished traditions take place, the ones campers talk about all year. Candlelight is one of those moments. On the final night, we gather quietly, each camper holding a candle. Poems are read, reflections are shared, and we take a moment to look back our summer. It’s a chance to pause and recognize what camp means to us. It’s not something you can fully explain. Only something you need to experience to understand.
And it only happens in Second Session.
The Energy Builds
If Candlelight is the quiet close to the summer, the rest of Second Session builds toward it.
Carnivale, organized by our Counselors in Training (CITs), transforms the peninsula for an afternoon of games, laughter, a dunk tank, and bouncy slides, with a new theme each year that keeps it fresh.
Our annual Staff Show brings everyone together for an evening of humor, creativity, and some surprisingly impressive talent from our awesome counselors. Sports competitions like the Patryk Tennis Tournament and 3v3 Basketball add to the spirit of friendly rivalry between campers and staff. And throughout it all, anticipation builds for Blue/White.
The Final Push of Blue/White
All summer long, Blue Team and White Team compete, and more often than not, it comes down to the final days. Second Session is when that story reaches its ending for the summer.
Two of the biggest events happen: War Canoe, where each team selects their 12 strongest paddlers for an all-out race across the lake in 100-year plus wooden canoes, and Medley, a relay race involving every camper that brings together nearly every activity at camp.
And then, on the final night, when the entire camp gathers for our Awards Banquet, the winning team is revealed and the Blue/White Cup is presented. The culmination of a summer-long rivalry!
Some second session experiences can’t happen without the time that comes before them. Our white-water kayaking trip on the Ottawa River is one of those. Campers spend weeks building skills and confidence here on Lake George before they’re ready to hit the world class rapids of the Ottawa River in Canada. For many, it becomes an ultimate goal for the summer, and a reason to stay on longer. Our sailors do the same, working toward the Cheeseburger in Paradise Regatta with our neighbours at the Northern Lake George Yacht Club, a highly anticipated event each year.
For many campers, First Session is where they discover ADK. Second Session is where they don’t want to leave.
Each summer, we see campers extend their stay, not just for more time, but for what comes next. For the traditions, the milestones, and the final moments that bring everything together. For families considering a later start, second session offers everything that makes Adirondack Camp special, and the experiences that only happen then.
Spots still remain for second session 2026! Click here to enroll now, or contact our Director of Camper Recruitment Rikki at (518) 547-8261 or email with any questions.
