School is out for summer and all of my parent friends (including myself) are debating what to do with the kids. Couple your Vermont getaway (or staycations) with kids summer camps! Whether it’s adventure programming, golf, or mountain biking, Vermont mountain resorts can keep your kids active and entertained all summer long.
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking, the go-to summer gravity adventure of snowsports enthusiasts, is a popular mountain resort offering. Bolton Valley’s week-long mountain bike camps offer programming for beginning mountain bikers to experienced riders looking for more gnarly terrain. Bolton offers mountain bike programming alternating weekly starting in late June through the end of August with its all-around Mountain Kids Camp program and Skate Camp at the resorts indoor skate park. Killington Mountain Resort’s 3- and 5-day camps set your little rippers up with expert guides to take them through Killington’s progression terrain, flow park, and expert-level downhill. Sessions start at the end of June and start each Monday through the end of August.
Burke Mountain teamed up with NorthWoods Stewardship Center and Kingdom trails to offer a mountain bike program that also fosters appreciation for the natural environment. Campers develop technical mountain biking skills, while also understanding the practice of stewardship. This camp is offered in two sessions for ages 8-15, June 27- July 1, and July 11-15. Burke also offers mountain bike programming in partnership with NorthWoods with offerings for different age and ability levels throughout the summer.
Raise your hand if you want to go to camp at Bolton Valley!
Adventure
Mountain biking isn’t the only Green Mountain adventure. Your kids can hike, swim, and explore everything Vermont has to offer at summer camp. Head to Stratton to practice map and compass work while exploring the outdoors. The five-day full or half-day camps for children age 3-12 are offered throughout the summer. Smugglers Notch offers outdoor adventure coupled with S.T.E.M. projects, problems, and puzzles to get future naturalists exploring Vermont’s ecosystems and solving engineering challenges. Summer camps, for ages 7-17, are offered in 9 week-long sessions including S.T.E.M., the classic camp, arts & crafts, high adventure, and mountain biking. Does your child have a younger sibling? Smugglers also offers childcare programs starting at 6 weeks old.
At Mount Snow’s Outdoor Exploration Camp kids ages 6-12 start each day with camp-wide activities before breaking into age groups for hiking, river walks, golf, arts & crafts, biking, and more. Camp programming is offered Monday-Friday and campers can purchase day packs to match their families vacation schedule.
Golf
Has your child expressed an interest in hitting the links? Sugarbush Mountain Resort’s junior golf camp gets campers out on the course to provide them with an introduction to golf, instruction in technique, and building a love for a lifelong sport. This half-day camp is offered with two sessions for kids ages 6-17, July 5-8, and August 9-12.
Don’t get jealous though, there’s plenty of golf, mountain biking, hiking, and more to explore while your kids are off adventuring.
Sarah Borodaeff is a freelance writer, project manager, and tiny person wrangler. A snowsports enthusiast, Sarah has worked in the snowsports industry for over fifteen years as a ski coach, in marketing, and most recently as an associate editor for Ski Area Management. She is currently endeavoring to keep up with a toddler whose favorite phrase is “go outside!”
Love this Sarah, getting out on the mountain in the summer can be just as fun as the winter.