Finding Inner Peace, At Summer Camp
Pass the s’mores—and make them vegan! A new brand of sleep-away camp caters to wellness-seeking adults.
Illustration Credit: Camping in the Forest by Wei Zhou
Hiking in the woods, dining-hall dinners, campfire sing-alongs—they aren’t just the stuff of childhood memory anymore. You, too, can go to summer camp.
Across the country, the growing trend of grown-up summer camps offers computer captives a chance to get outdoors, get healthy, and ditch their digital addiction. Whether you’re looking to commune with nature, ready to deepen your spiritual practice, or you’re just a kid at heart, check out these adult-focused summer camps and retreats:
Camp Grounded
Check your smartphones and your assumptions at the door when you sign up for Camp Grounded, a summertime, off-the-grid “digital detox” for adults who have a hard time disconnecting—literally. The three-day camp in Navarro, California, offers meditation, yoga, and wellness workshops, plus outdoor activities like stargazing and tea service in a yurt. The dining hall and canteen serve a healthy vegetarian and vegan menu. campgrounded.org
Women’s Quest
Women’s Quest offers a variety of summer camps and retreats both across the United States and internationally (2014 adventures include Vermont, Colorado, and Italy), ranging from high-impact cycling to yoga for beginners. Most packages offer a combination of wellness and health-related opportunities, including qigong instruction, access to hot springs and massage services, and, for cycling or hiking tours, stops at sacred sites and temples along the route. womensquest.com
Camp Unleashed
Release your inhibitions at Camp Unleashed, a camp for people and the dogs they love. Pups of all sizes and ages are welcome to join their humans at a camp in either Massachusetts or North Carolina for four days of activities including dog-friendly crafts (participants might make their own pull toys), dog yoga, dock diving and swimming, and off-leash hikes in safe, forested areas. campunleashed.com
Living With Spirit
Presented by the spiritual community Ananda Sangha, Living With Spirit brings together young adults ages 18-30 for a two-week getaway in Northern California focused on spiritual practice, service to others, and communing with like-minded devotees. Programs include daily devotional singing, meditation, seminars about yoga philosophy, yoga practice, and an organic, vegetarian diet. Other camps for different age groups are offered in Oregon, India, and Italy. ananda.org
