Avery Chen

Review of YMCA Camp Campbell

This summer was my third summer at camp. All three...

This summer was my third summer at camp. All three years, I have loved camp and many campers love it so much that they come back year after year. The first year, I was a trekker and did a one week camp, second year, I did TAC classic, and the third year, I did TAC waves and whitewater. The one week camp was a great way to get used to camp for my first overnight sleep away camp. There were plenty of activities to choose from and I enjoyed all of the activities I got to do. I did high ropes, climbing wall, and hiking. I stayed in the treetop cabins. They have a beautiful view of the redwoods, are heated, and have hot water showers in each cabin.

I love the TAC program which stands for teen adventure camp, but please keep in mind that it is quite an intense experience. It s mainly suited towards active campers who enjoy outdoor activities. We backpacked the skyline-to-sea trail in 4 days, went rock climbing at castle rock state park, did the high ropes course at camp, and had an epic rafting trip down the American river. We slept on tarps under the stars. The backpacking was the hardest thing I ve ever done (40 ish miles with a 20 pound backpack) but it was a chance for me to push myself even when it was hard. If you do this camp, please bring hiking shoes!

A few weeks ago, I did the TAC waves and whitewater camp. This camp would be perfect for a teenager who loves being in the water. We got to try surfing, rafting, and kayaking, as well as some other traditional camp activities like hiking, high ropes, low ropes, and archery. A pair of water shoes would be great for this camp. Every year, I find the camp incredibly relaxing and a nice retreat from all the stress that I have in my day to day life. It was nice to be away from electronics for two weeks and I realized I don t need my phone that much. I met a lot of people and made so many friends. There were not many kids doing this camp, meaning a high counselor to camper ratio. All the counselors were incredibly fun, funny, and always caring. I want to give a special shoutout to my counselor Francesca. She really cared about our cabin and wanted to make sure we always were ok. One night, we were all feeling quite sad, and she allowed us to talk about our feelings and also gave us some valuable life advice. I m so glad that I had her as a counselor. I would love to come back again next year. If you are planning to register, you should do so before January since you will get a 10% discount and also a free t-shirt.

All in all, camp has been a magical place for me in the last three years. If you are considering sending your child to a sleep away camp, I highly suggest Camp Campbell.