About Summer Camp

Fostering Community and Kinship

For over 100 years, Camp Kawartha has created unforgettable day and overnight experiences, fostering community, connection, and impact to last a lifetime. With Environmental Kinship at the heart of all we do, we inspire campers to develop a love of the natural world, and an ethic of sustainability and stewardship, all while discovering the best in themselves and others.

The Camp Kawartha Difference

Community

With a small, close-knit community of campers and staff, Camp Kawartha has a 1:2 staff to camper ratio. Our warm and welcoming community allows us to honour individuality in each camper, and to help them to develop their confidence, independence, collaboration and leadership skills. With small cabin groupings, campers form close and enduring friendships. Our counsellors are there to support them every step of the way! For us community also means getting to know and appreciate our nature neighbours that we share our camp with.

Safety

As a trusted camp with over 100 years of operation, safety is always a priority at Camp Kawartha. As an Accredited Member of the Ontario Camps Association, we go above and beyond the standards set out to ensure our staff are equipped with the skills and certifications needed to ensure the ongoing safety of our campers.

Inclusion

Camp Kawartha is proud to welcome campers and families of a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. We celebrate the diversity of our camp community and strive to make camp a safe space where campers can feel celebrated and seen for how they identify and express themselves.

Leadership

At Camp Kawartha, leadership development is a key part of the camper experience. Throughout all our camper programs and ages, our staff help campers develop skills of communication, teamwork, leadership, initiative, collaboration, and so much more. Our leadership programs for older campers build them up to end their time at Camp Kawartha as confident, passionate leaders within their communities.

Environmental Kinship

At Camp Kawartha, connecting campers to the wonders of the natural world drives everything that we do. We help foster wonder and curiosity in each camper, through opportunities for connection throughout every part of the camp day. It is our goal that each camper who comes through our gates leaves Camp Kawartha with a love of the natural world, a life-time commitment to Kinship and rewilding and are inspired to engage in positive action for the environment.

Roots

Since 1921, Camp Kawartha has created unforgettable summer experiences for campers. As a tech-free camp, we connect campers to a classic camp experience, true to the spirit of camp as it has been over our 100+ year history. We believe in the power of Summer Camp experiences as a means for learning, skill building, and community connection that leaves a lifelong impact on Camp Kawartha campers.

A small camp, with deep roots and a big heart.
Your summer home away from home – we can’t wait to see you soon.

Camp Kawartha’s 4 Pillars



Promoting Self-Esteem

We believe that the development of self-esteem and self-confidence is at the very heart of what we do. Every child is treated as a special individual with something unique to contribute to our camping community. Both in our programs and in our interactions with campers, we provide opportunities for individual challenge and growth.



A Commitment to Excellence

We are an accredited, award-winning, not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to the promotion of the highest standard of programming. We’ve been in operation for more than 100 years.



Promoting a Sense of Community

Our goal is to create a supportive community which recognizes and values every child. Camp Kawartha accepts only 86 regular campers, cared for by 30 staff members. Our intimate size allows us to build a very close-knit community. The staff know the campers by name, and they take the time to provide individual attention to each child.



Fostering Environmental Stewardship & Kinship

Connecting children to nature, providing them with the skills to appreciate the outdoors and to practice stewardship, is at the very heart of Camp Kawartha’s programming. And environmental awareness is an ethic we incorporate into everything we do from the food we serve, to the way we maintain our facilities.

Overnight Camps

1 and 2 week programs for campers ages 7-14

Explore Our Overnight Camps

Day Camps

1-week long sessions for campers age 4+

Peterborough Day Camps

Clear Lake Day Camps

Canoe Tripping Programs

1 and 2 week programs for campers ages 11+

Explore Our Canoe Tripping Programs

Leadership Camps

3 and 4 weeks programs for campers 13+

Explore Our Leadership Programs

Clear Lake Virtual Tour

Camp Kawartha Activity & Facility Highlights



Cozy camper cabins arranged in community-building clusters



Dining hall and straw-bale extension – the central hub of camp



State of the art straw-bale health centre with three patient rooms, a treatment centre, and a healing garden



Swimming, Sailing, Archery, Windsurfing, Canoeing, Kayaking, Arts and Crafts, Drama, Dance, Eco Skills, Landsports, and more



Rock climbing wall and a wide variety of high ropes courses



Large campfire circle that fits the whole community



Basketball course, two playing field spaces, volleyball court and a GagaBall Court



Over 186 Acres of natural walking trails, wetlands and forests to explore

Testimonials

{It makes me happy to see my daughter come back from camp with a newly learned skill and lots of stories about her adventures. Last year, she learned how to play the guitar at camp. This year, she conquered the challenging middle rock wall. The counsellors are all very positive & supportive; it's a great place for building self-confidence!

{Because our kids have some anxiety or social issues, we were worried about how they would do or if they would stay the whole week. The camp had some great strategies to help the kids feel comfortable and overcome challenges. It all worked out great and we're very appreciative parents!

{My kids look forward to Camp Kawartha and it is the best part of their summer. When I go to pick them up after 2 weeks they don't want to come home! They gain lots of confidence and build their self-esteem at camp. I'm impressed with the depth of relationships they make and all the activities they do at camp.

{Nicholas had a very positive, eventful and well rounded experience in the PLC program. He developed a stronger skillset for both physical activities as well as respect and responsibility. Great program and super fun time as always!

{Our girls have such a great experience that they continue to fight on how many weeks each one gets!

{My kids just love this camp. Every year they want to stay for longer and they are very difficult to extract on pickup day!

{Max came back from Camp Kawartha taller, trimmer, more tanned, and more sure of himself than ever. He loved the opportunity to go tripping, to get training in first aid and water rescues, and to participate in some leadership experiences. He didn't miss his phone! Warm, challenging, formative experiences that I would recommend for any young teen.

{"Lauren spent 4 weeks outdoors doing a variety of fun activities with new friends from all over. It is such a great experience. As a parent of a teen I can not recommend it more. It is the best investment in our child we have made over the years."

Have questions? Get in touch with us!

Email our Summer Camp Director, Emma, with any inquiries! We’ll be happy to talk with you soon.