Windsor Mountain is a very thoughtfully-run camp, which has a set a values that all counselors and staff believe in and share. Whenever I pick up my son from Windsor Mountain, he's more energetic, friendly, reflective and spirited -- more three-dimensional -- than when I dropped him off. He tried three different summer camps and liked Windsor Mountain by far the best. Older, better trained counselors make a big difference -- they are mature, thoughtful, engaged and connected with the kids; they have a set of principles from which they make decisions and treat the kids. And it's very very fun!
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This was my daughters 2nd summer at Windsor Mountain: 2 weeks last summer, and the entire 1st session this summer. She came back with funny stories, new friends and planning for the week s she wants to attend next summer. She claims the only things missing from her WMI camp life were sushi and her dog Stella. She s made some lovely friends and we are already making plans to see some in August. The camp stresses community, expression and warmth, helping the kids to grow into their own w acceptance of one another. I m so glad we found this place for my girl!
Thanks Jake and Kerry for all you do!
Best WMI nick-name from another camp parent: Hippi-Love-Camp
Best sleep away camp! My older son has been going to this camp for years and he just graduated as LIT this year. Windsor mountain camp is very organized , has lots of activities, and has an amazing atmosphere for kids from all over the world. One year he skipped Windsor mountain and opted for a sports camp in Connecticut. He came home UPSET and ANGRY because of the amount of bullying and the camp owners were totally incompetent in terms of running the camp. The owners and the managers at Windsor mountain are extremely experienced, professional and open minded. I can t wait for my little one to be old enough to go there because I know he is gonna be taken care of and have life long wonderful experiences and memories.
This was our 10 year old son's first sleepaway experience and it couldn't have been a better one. WMI is a warm, nurturing place that strives to bring out the best in each camper. It is an inclusive, respectful and most of all fun environment for kids. The staff is from all over the world, and the campers themselves always made our son feel like part of the group. The biggest test was if he wanted to return again and he did, and wants to stay longer! We look forward to next year and hopefully many more to come.
We have had two children at WMI for several years, and we absolutely love it. The owners and staff are attentive, caring and fun, and our kids have made many important and long-lasting friendships there. They really enjoy every minute they spend there, and I can't recommend the camp highly enough.
Our daughter went for a mini (2 week) session for the first time this summer. We couldn't have asked for a better experience for her. Our only regret is that we didn't sign her up for the full August session. We definitely will next year. Windsor Mountain is the real deal summer camp experience and with a complete lack of pretense. All sorts of kids from all over the place (my daughter had bunk mates from France, China, Hong Kong and NY) come together in a socially pressure-free environment that is welcoming, inclusive, supportive and fun. The staff seem to really get the kids and their unique and developmental needs.
Windsor Mountain Summer camp, is a special place where children can interact with people from all different walks of life. During camp my children were able to learn about different countries, and become involved in the culture. they love it!!
This is my first time writing a review about anything, but my kids' experience at Windsor Mountain this year was so awesome that I had to write. This was my boys' first time at sleepaway camp, they were reluctant to go, and honestly, it could not have gone better. My 8-year-old went for a mini-session but wished he had stayed longer, and my 10-year-old went for the full session and is now home and very campsick! Yes, they loved all of the activities from the traditional camp stuff (Gaga, sports, table tennis waterfront) to the less traditional (bad stand up comedy) but mostly they just loved the vibe. They felt free and loved and like they could be themselves. They developed real bonds with their bunkmates and wonderful counselors, and my 10-year-old keeps talking about how cool it was to be out of his home "bubble" and make friends from all over the world. They can't wait to go back next summer, and my husband and I are so thrilled that they had such a positive experience. I was a camp kid growing up (at a different camp) and I wasn't sure my kids would be, but it turns out they are, because of this camp! A truly menschy place. Can't recommend Windsor Mountain enough.
I.... I... I can't even say how amazing this camp is. It is the best place in the world to be with friends. It is a magical, funny and an amazing journey, you will have if you come here. Send all your kids here!
We just picked our 10-year-old son up from his first two-week session at WMI. We knew he had been homesick throughout, and we worried about what he would be like upon pickup? Morose? Eager to leave? The answer was no, he was elated, hugging everyone, talking a mile a minute about his time at WMI, proudly touring us around the camp, telling us endless tales of how much fun he had. He hasn't stopped talking about it since, and wants to go for 4 weeks next summer (and declared the food "so, so good!"). What a wonderful, special place this is. The atmosphere is one of warmth, caring, whimsy and fun, with a sense of family. Owners Jake and Kerry set a tone of emphasizing kindness and caring and independence. The counselors are wonderful, and spent a lot of time helping our son through the homesickness, all with compassion and empathy. Activities are classic - archery, sailing, canoeing - and goofy (goat band, catching stuff while jumping off of things) and just plain cool (cooking, ropes, pottery, guitar lessons). Facilities are great, lake is beautiful. Kids come back year after year for a reason.
I have been thinking of the camp during this period of covid and am a little surprised that their home page does not address this. Minimally, I would have thought this late in the game that they would have made a statement as to precautions they were taking.
I am neither a parent nor a camper under the current ownership. As such, I am not in a good position to judge the place in its current state, I can share my thoughts as to a visit that proves that you cannot go home again and that indicates that the current owners are not as into the place as the founders.
My third cousin spent a few summers at the base camp and took at least one trip. I recall that her father was a huge supporter of the camp.
The place always had been about peace, love, and understanding.
I returned to the general area in 2000 and had a great visit with founder Richard Herman. I also got new perspective as to my 80s era distress as to my camp mother taking up with the studly farm boy in her employ.
The current board at that time was not especially receptive to my offer of wealth, wisdom, and wallet but was open to letting things develop over time, That just faltered, but there was no real offense.
Seeking both to give back and desperately wanting peace, love, and understanding in an increasingly cold cruel world, I looked up the camp in 2012 and saw that it had new owners. I hoped and thought that this would mean new energy in an era after the break-up of the marriage of the founders (aka my camp parents .)
The husband was nicely receptive and agreed to a pre-season visit. I thought that it was clear that my objective extended beyond seeing how things had changed to exploring my rejoining the camp family.
One surprise, but not offense, was not being invited to stay over. My experience had been that visiting scholars regularly came and went. My surprise was compounded on seeing on my arrival that a barn had been converted to housing that had several empty rooms and a kitchen area during this pre-camp season period.
The owners did have a staff member, whom I knew as an infant and in whose parents home I had temporarily stayed my first summer on staff, show me around. He was nice.
The husband also kindly invited me to a very informal buffet dinner that night, it overall was a wonderful time, but I noticed that the wife was a little uptight. It almost seemed like someone had dragged a needle across a record when I sat in a not-so-recently vacated chair only to have the wife glare at me and noisily pull out another chair for the person who had been sitting in the one that I had used. I recall that I and others had sat in different chairs throughout the evening. I did not intend any offense and objectively did not think that I had acted badly. Musical chairs seems common at such gatherings.
Considering my old guard status and eager willingness to volunteer and to discuss a major gift, I was surprised that they were not at all responsive to my idea of my becoming one of the visiting scholars I remembered coming up for a week when I was a camper and a staff member,
One of my ideas was to offer a Judge Judy style activity in which I would settle minor disputes among campers. I also run a film and television review website and could have shared that expertise. On top of that, I happily would have been a free warm body to help out where needed.
I would have liked to have discovered that the spirit of the place fully lived on.
It took a Herculean lift, but Windsor Mountain found a way to open safely this summer. They took great care with our children's safety, with quarantine and testing protocol that were extraordinary. And yet, somehow, they managed to give our kids a normal summer experience. Jake and Kerry were so committed to ensuring our kids got some time away from the stress of Zoom and the pandemic, filling their tanks so they could face whatever the school year would bring. Thank you so much to the entire staff for giving my kid a normal summer.
My daughter will be going for the third time this year (she is going into 7th grade next year). She is counting down the days. She has made the most wonderful friends. I call this camp Hippy Love Camp. . .it is a special place. There is a folk concert at the end of the first session that is so sweet. My daughter came home with pottery this year that my friends asked me where I bought it because it looked so good. This camp is focused on community and creativity. The owner Jake is wonderful. I miss my daughter while she is away, but I know she is so happy.
Both my boys have been at this camp for 6-7 years and have just graduated. They are too old now to go to camp and look forward to their college years when they can become counselors. This camp has truly helped my kids with their confidence, compassion and has left them with lifelong friendships from kids and staff from all over the world. Recommend this overnight camp highly and we have tried few in the past that did not have the incredible, loving culture that this camp has. We have seen the camp change directors as the original director retired and the new directors have carried on the wonderful wholesome philosophy.
This is my favorite place on earth. My bunk mates are like my sisters. I can't begin to explain how happy, loved, and safe, WMI makes me. Thanks for four wonderful years!
Windsor Mountain is a magical, wonderful place full of wonderful, kind and supportive staff and genuinely warm, thoughtful children. My kids spent 6 wonderful weeks at camp. We feel so lucky to have found Windsor Mountain. It is a gem.
Our daughter just returned from 2 1/2 weeks at Windsor Mountain- her third year going and she loves it more each time. There are lots of camps around and we consider ourselves v fortunate to have chosen Windsor Mountain- v competent staff, super friendly inclusive vibe, everyone seems relaxed and happy. We consider the summer camp experience she has there to be an important part of her growth each year. We never doubt the team's ability to keep our daughter safe for the weeks that she is away- which for me is the most important thing.
To say this is my daughter's happy place is a HUGE understatement. Jake and Kerry and all the staff have created a warm, friendly, loving atmosphere that allows for fun as well as opportunities for learning and growth.This is truly and wonderful place.
I cannot explain how special Windsor Mountain is to so many people. I see children come here every year and leave kinder, stronger and more independent humans.
This past summer was my childrens' 6th at Windsor Mountain. They know it as their happy place. A place where everyone is welcomed and accepted for who they are. Where every day and night is filled with creative and enriching activities and lifelong friends. I know it as a place where they learn empathy, community, responsibility, courage. I am grateful for Jake and Kerry and the entire staff who sustain this incredibly special place.
Windsor Mountain is the type of place I dreamed of going as a kid. When I have dropped off my boys there for the past 7 years, I wanted to stay myself.
My kids have gone every year for seven years now and they absolutely love the place. It has given them a great opportunity to meet others from a diverse background, they have many international friends now. Jake and the whole staff are awesome! I can't believe how good they are with these kids. Windsor Mountain is an experience that will benefit your kids for the rest of their life.
Our 8 yr old daughter and 10 year old son were both at camp for the first session. They loved their counselors, played guitar, swam, made new friends, learned new songs, hiked, zipped, and all around loved their summer. Windsor Mountain provides an incredibly safe community for kids to grow and learn and be without electronics for the summer. We loved it!
this camp is such a beautiful camp filled with amazing people and amazing counslors! for new campers listen u might be scared to go to an overnight camp im telling you this place is worth it and its okay! youll have sooo much fun the first or second day your homesickness is gone. this place is like a second home and if your looking for a camp this is the place to be signed a former camper a still am a camper (:
Our daughter, age 14, had two fantastic stays (of 13 and 26 days) at Windsor Mountain back in the pre-pandemic days. When COVID-19 hit, we were worried that she wouldn t be able to go, but Jake and his fantastic team managed to thread the needle of requirements and opened the camp. As evidenced from her constant, happy stream of commentary upon her return, and the daily photos from camp, our daughter had an absolute blast during her 15-day stay in 2020. After four months of being cooped up with just her parents and brother, exposure to other kids her age in this setting was exactly what she needed. While it was pricey, seeing her smiles convinced us that it was the best money we ve spent in years.
My son just spent his 2nd summer there. It is a beautiful camp, owned/directed by a lovely couple who hire great people and instill the right values (community, respect, diversity). Could not be happier.
All three of my kids go, eldest for 6 years now, for the 4 week July session. They are very different and the all LOVE it. A super varied camp as it should be where they form strong friendships. Awesome staff, very international, and a ton of different skills being developed. Extremely well managed, fantastic media sharing. Highly recommended.
My then-11 year old daughter found Windsor Mountain herself, at a camps fair. Something about the young lady manning the booth convinced her WM is the place for her. She had a wonderful experience last summer. It was the staff s dedication in navigating the many hurdles and hoops necessary even to OPEN this year, though, that convinced our family of just what a special place it is. The two weeks of normalcy our daughter had this year were a true gift. We cannot say enough good things about Windsor Mountain and the people who run it. If your child is looking for a traditional overnight camp experience, you can do no better.
Both of our kids went this year for a 2 week session. This is our daughter's third year and my son's first. They both loved it. The staff is a diverse group from all over the world. You can tell the staff has fun and they enjoy their time together. We will be heading to the family camp at the end of August. We love it there.
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