Camp Dudley YMCA Reviews

BEST CAMP EVER! Leaders and staff are great and so much fun. Matt is a great director.

Camp Dudley turned me into the adult that I am now. The camp motto, "The Other Fellow First", permeates every part of a camper's life there. Campers take the motto to heart, and as a result this is the kindest, most caring group of people I have been around in my life.

Camp Dudley is a remarkable place. I had the great pleasure of attending camp as a child and then working there as an adult. It is a community based on building kid's self-confidence and learning to think of others ahead of your own needs. It sounds too good to be true, however, if you talk to anyone who attended Dudley (or read all of these Google Reviews), you'll discover that it's true. On top of all this, both Dudley and Kiniya are located in absolutely gorgeous locales. It's a no brainer, you will not regret sending your kid to Camp Dudley!

Remember that moment in your childhood that you return to, wistfully and perhaps a bit jealously when your current life forces you to temporarily withdraw? That memory (or series of them) that you call on for strength or peace or joy or contentment or whatever else it is you need in the doldrums of contemporary living? Well, if you went to Dudley, odds are good that memory springs from your time there.

Why? Oh, thousands of reasons. Over twenty five thousand of them, by now, since that's how many people have attended camp here (and Kiniya, just across the lake and a wee bit north) in the past century or so. And, while I might only know a fraction of them, the ones I do claim as friends are humans of the highest caliber.

This place has a great program, it's true. The facilities are top notch, without a doubt. The location is hard to beat, with smashing views and access to a massive wild space full of mountains and lakes. But take my word for it; the immeasurable treasure of this place, the intangible greatness of it, lies in is people, and has for as long as I've been a part of the organization, which is going on 40 years now.

So give yourself a chance at making one of those memories. Give your children a chance at it. And to borrow a phrase, you don't have to take my word for it. Go check it out for yourself. It might just change your life.

Camp Dudley is the best possible place to send your son for a great summer and character building. My best friends, my groomsmen, my father, and eventually my son have attended.

I have been so impressed by Camp Dudley in the development of my son. He attended for nearly 11 years, both as a camper and as a leader (counselor). Camp offers a wide range of activities across different programs including athletics (team and individual), outdoor/wilderness (hiking / canoe trips in the Adirondacks), Arts (graphic, music, theater), waterfront (kayaking, water polo, sailing, fishing). The facilities and programs are amazing and supported by a strong endowment that demonstrates the commitment of alumni. Each summer I witnessed my son becoming more confident, more independent, more focused on how he helps others because of his experience at camp. The fact that this is a generalist camp only helps the campers try new things in the safety of a nurturing environment, while minimizing the competition that these adolescents feel every day. Being technology-free also helps them immerse themselves every day and enjoy the incredible location on Lake Champlain.

My son's first year was last year and I can honestly say I thought he would not make the full session. He can't wait to get back this summer and he's is making it his goal to move up the ranks into leadership and hopefully Camp Director! Great nurturing camp for boys! Highly Recommend!

a very bad nordic skiier went to this camp so i must give it 1 star

Camp is the greatest place on Earth. The campers are fun, the counselors are fun and there has never been a bad day at camp. I wish every person could go here.

This place has shaped my life and the lives of my sons. Remarkable experience.

Camp Dudley is a wonderful summer camp for boys. The camp combines a well-balanced program of athletics, the arts, wilderness exploration, and spirituality with character and leadership development, and is a heck of a lot of fun, for campers, counselors ("Leaders"), and staff members. The camp's values are best described by its motto, "The Other Fellow First", which ripples through everyday life at the Camp. I went to Dudley for 10 summers, met my closest friends and learned lessons that continue to have a profound influence on my life. Founded in 1885, this is one of the country's very great summer camps, with a rich history. I am very thankful to have gone there and strongly recommend it as a summer experience for boys.

Truly fantastic place for kids. I went there as a camper in the 90s then worked there several years later as a leader in the 2000s and 2010s. Amidst the ever evolving world around us, Camp Dudley's values hold strong. Dudley perfectly balances fun and growth and I guarantee your son or daughter will make lifelong friends in just a few short weeks. Amazing, wonderful camp!!!

I just finished my first summer as a camper. It was hard to be away from home and I had homesickness, but was having fun the whole time even though I missed home. I met so many new friends and can t wait to go back. I am stronger and smarted because of my session at camp. I love camp!

Beautiful and a very friendly camp. The oldest boys camp in the USA.

Love this place, it will always hold a special place in my heart and help me become the person I am today.

Easily the greatest place one Earth. Fun with a purpose. Athletics, arts, outdoors, spiritual. Wonderful experience for any young man (and now with Camp Kiniya, young girls too).

It feels funny to be writing a google review for a place that means so much to me and my family- but If Dudley is on Google, we have to show up! We would give Dudley 200 stars if we could. More than a camp, Dudley is a community and a foundation for life. It s a place that you and your children will always return to. We can t wait to share Dudley with our child.

Life changing experience. Started in 2012 and been going back every year since. Truly an incredible experience. I can't wait to come back summer after summer

Camp Dudley is hands down one of the best places to go! I started working at Camp Dudley in 2012 and have managed to be a part of camp every year since, starting in the office and being there several summers, to now spending parts of my summer working in the infirmary. This place fosters a warm, caring, and fun environment that makes you want to come back year after year. Every single area of Camp Dudley is amazing and has great staff throughout. You make lifetime friends by being a part of Camp Dudley, and this can be said for campers as well as staff. If you ve never seen Camp Dudley, schedule a tour because you won t be disappointed!

Dudley is my favorite place in the world. It has allowed me to express myself creatively. It has taught me how to be a better person. It has made me a better teacher. Dudley is a lot of fun, but that is not why I will send my two boys there. I will send them there because Dudley teaches boys how to be kind, responsible and giving members of society. It is a great place for character education.

Camp has reinforced for my three children the importance of respect, resiliency, independence, confidence, community and caring for others. They love Camp and I love the people they have become when they get home from Camp.

Camp Dudley in a word. Community. From the minute you walk into the gates of camp you are embraced by a family that has grown up together. Leaders and staff have started as campers, and continue to come back every summer because of the energy, love and support that is cultivated around everyone. The people and the place are what keep Dudley so special. I have made life-long friendships, mentors that have given me life-changing advice and created skills for the professional world. Dudley is full of so many traditions that you can only find within the Adirondacks, and the backdrop of Lake Champlain is the cherry on top to one of the most beautiful and peaceful places to spend a summer. Dudley isn t just with you for a summer, it s a lifelong village that is with you wherever you are in life.

Where to begin? Camp Dudley was the setting for the best summers of my life, hands down. I attended Camp Dudley for almost every summer between 2003 and 2015, as a camper, a leader and a Division Head. No matter my role I always left the summer a better person than when I entered, and will always be grateful for the spirit and magic that Camp Dudley has added to my life.

I will be a proud Dudley-ite for life.

Bo
#19399

A great place to learn valuable life skills, grow socially, improve in sports, and become a leader. "Yoha!"

Throughout my several summers of working at Camp Dudley, I have been a part of a workforce that demonstrates a strong sense of community and companionship.

My favorite place on earth. It s provided me with the 6 best summers of my life.

I am so incredibly thankful that I was able to spend my summers as a kid at Camp Dudley. The Camp motto, "The Other Fellow First" is one of the first things you learn the minute you step onto campus ... and something that stays with you for a lifetime.

It was hard being away from home for the first time, however i can still remember the activities we had and the fun. You go to sleep each night exhausted. Great camp and a beautiful location and experience.

Camp Dudley is a wonderful place with a rich history and fantastic people. I am a better person because of Camp Dudley, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly to any and all.

This place changed my life. Dudley connected me with a community of people who joyful, kind, thoughtful, and sincere. My best man was a Dudley friend. I live near and see many "Camp Buddies" even now. In a world where community can be hard to find, Dudley gave me connections that sustain me to this day. I really can't think of a better gift for a young boy than a summer at this camp.

I started going to Camp Dudley in 2006 and have been on campus in some capacity for eleven summers. This institution, its values, and the people that make up leadership and staff were instrumental to my development in ways too innumerable to measure. An incredible place and an incredible community that I will be proud to be a part of for the rest of my life.

- Jack Ludtke, #19623

As a parent of 3 campers at both Dudley and Kiniya, I could not be prouder of these amazing camps. Our children found joy and camaraderie as campers, making lifelong friends. As campers, they enjoyed leadership training and life lesson that guided them on their journey as leaders themselves at camp.