122 Years Strong: Welcome Back to Lake George

There’s nothing quite like that first week at camp. Whether you’ve been waiting all year to see your camp friends again, or it’s your first year and the nervous excitement is just bubbling over, opening day is pretty memorable! Last week we welcomed faces new and old back to our Lake George peninsula for our 122nd summer. Here’s a look back at how our opening week unfolded, for parents following along and for any families out there exploring summer camps in New York and the Northeast.

Opening Day: Nearly 200 Campers Arrive

Opening day landed on a Thursday this year, and by the end of it, nearly 200 campers had made their way onto the peninsula. The day was all about settling in, unpacking and moving into bunks, reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones, and getting to know their cabin counselors. We rounded things out with a full camp tour so every camper, new and returning, could see the activities on offer around camp before diving in the next day. By Friday, we jumped straight into the full activity schedule. The evening wrapped up with Club Night. The ballfield opened up for ball sports, campers could sit down and make friendship bracelets, or head over to learn knot-tying with the Adirondack Camp Yacht Club (ACYC), or one of the many other clubs that were on option.

Saturday brought another day of activities, followed by one of camp’s classic evening activities: the dance. Campers could join in on the dance floor or opt for a movie night on the tennis courts instead.

Sunday had a different rhythm. No activity schedule today and no morning revielle! Campers had the option to sleep in a little if they wished, or they could watch cartoons in the dining hall from 7:30am. Our Rangers (the oldest campers in camp) were up early making pancakes for everybody, a super sweet tradition that never gets old.

After club morning we moved into the day’s main event: Blue/White, our all-camp color war competition. New campers were sorted onto Blue Team or White Team, and the rivalry kicked off with dodgeball. White came out on top this round — but it’s only the beginning. Stay tuned all summer to see who takes the plaque this year! Check out our videographer Phoebe’s weekly video about week one below:

Week Two: New Activities, New Adventures

We rolled straight into Week 2 with brand-new activity schedules. Campers had the chance to reschedule their choices over the weekend, and the evening lineup kept things fresh with Junior and Intermediate Cabin Night doing activities like swimming and smores, baking, soccer and volleyball, and Senior Line Night. The Moss Line had a cupcake decorating competition (Wolf Den won!), and the Pine Line took some time together to set and share their goals for the summer over a campfire.

This week also marked the start of our wilderness trip program for the summer. Campers have been heading out on hiking trips, camping trips, arts trips, rock climbing trips, and canoeing trips, making the most of everything the Adirondacks have to offer beyond our own waterfront.

We’re also excited to have two guest artists on site this week: magician David Black is back teaching magic, and Renee is joining us to lead an upcycling sewing class.

It’s been such a fantastic start to our 122nd summer on Lake George, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings. Whether you’re a camp parent checking in or a family exploring coed summer camps in New York or the Northeast, welcome, and stay tuned for more updates throughout the summer!