Family Camp

Summer camp for your family and friends

Enjoy a stay at Pemi for family camp! Focus on simple living. Spend restorative time with your family or friends and meet others on Pemi’s beautiful grounds. Participate in activities such as hiking, casual sports, water skiing, kayaking, archery, arts and crafts, and more. Indulge in fresh and delicious meals. And of course, take part in one of Pemi’s greatest community traditions: campfire. To reserve an individual cabin for your family, for your friends, or for yourself, register for Family Camp below.

Your stay includes:

  • A rich variety of fun, daily programming (from nature activities and mountain hikes, to water skiing and “lifeguard on duty” at specified hours, and Pemi classics like Campfire)
  • Use of camp facilities (tennis courts, basketball courts, waterfront, kayaks, canoes, archery, arts & crafts, and more)
  • Kids-only activities (e.g. “art-chery”)
  • Adults-only activities (e.g. sip-and-paint)
  • 3 delicious meals a day plus snacks and beverages
  • Your cabin or house

 

Dates for 2024:

Monday, August 12 – Sunday, August 18

(Partial-week options available)

Register for 2024!

Feel free to email Dan Reed ([email protected]) with any questions about Family Camp!

Register Now

"Family camp is magical. To detach from the world and go into the Pemi universe, hanging with old friends and new, enjoying the outdoors, and creating memories... it's truly special. "

- Pemi Alum/Pemi Dad

Activities & Programming

  • Tennis 
  • Canoeing on Lower Baker and/or a day trip on the Connecticut River
  • Kayaking
  • Water skiing
  • Archery
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Biking (bring your own for local trips)
  • Swimming—lifeguard on duty at specified hours
  • Basketball
  • Beach volleyball
  • Mountain trips 
  • Nature activities, including elected staffed walkabouts and programs
  • Campfire 
  • Overnight at Pemi Hill Shelter by special arrangement (sleeping bags required)
  • Kids-only activities (e.g. “art-chery”)
  • Adults-only activities (e.g. sip-and-paint)
  • Many more fun activities!

Meals

  • Meals are enjoyed in the Messhall or at picnic tables on the beach.
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Local farm to table! 
  • Tom Ciglar’s homemade breads
  • Happy hour snacks and beverages (beer, wine, sodas, seltzer)
  • Boxed lunches available for eating at Flat Rock, Pine Forest, or on a hike
  • Ice cream trips!

"It's a fabulous family camp, with very welcoming and friendly staff, plenty of programs to choose from, and a beautiful lake. An amazing amount of personal attention by the staff, and a wonderful introduction to camping for first-timers as well. "

- Pemi First-Timer

Rates

"This was the best vacation week we had this year as a family. Compared to Disney World, which cost 3 times more, this had way better value-for-money. It’s in the intangibles - the spirit of Pemi, the inclusive community, the friendly staff. Those are aspects you can’t put a price on!"

- Pemi Alum

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is welcome to attend Family Camp?

Anyone who wants to join us for a fun and wholesome week (or partial week) at camp! Past (and returning) attendees include alumni and their families, current campers and their families, families with prospective campers, and folks brand new to the Pemi family.

Is Family Camp just for families?

Nope – any group of any size is welcome. Some attendees come solo; some come as a couple or a pair of friends; some come as a group of friends; some come as a family. Come on your own, or bring friends and loved ones along.

What’s the food like at Family Camp?

We serve three hearty, well-rounded meals a day, plus snacks. Expect full breakfasts (pancakes, eggs, cereal, oatmeal, fruit, etc.), fresh lunches (wraps, stir fries, tacos & salad, etc.), and delicious dinners from scratch (pizza, beef stew, grilled chicken and veggies, etc.). Enjoy most of your meals in the Mess Hall, capped off with singing camp songs. We provide bagged lunches for adventurers, snacks and beverages for happy hour-ers, and cookouts on the beach when the weather is right.

What if someone in my party has a food allergy/sensitivity?

You can tell us about allergies and food sensitivities directly on the registration form, and feel free to be in touch with Dan ([email protected]) regarding your needs. Our chefs handle a variety of special requirements during the summer when we serve a community of 250, though please understand that Family Camp menus are prepared with the entire community in mind, and our chefs are not short-order cooks.

Is there WiFi at camp?

While we encourage everyone to enjoy some “unplugged” time at camp, we know that the outside world is demanding of our attention. We have WiFi in several communal locations at camp, with plenty of space if you need to set up for work.

How much activity programming is there?

We are very proud of our wide program (nature, sports/games, trips, arts & crafts, archery, water sports, etc.). Many of our staff are professional educators during the school year. We have multiple staffed activities every morning and afternoon. If you opt into everything, you’ll be busy! You can also enjoy our facilities on your own time, and take as much alone time as you need to read that book on the beach.

I saw that some of the cabins don’t have bathrooms. What are the bathroom facilities like?

While some of our accommodations have their own bathroom (see descriptions under “Rates,” above), most do not. We have several public bathroom facilities (toilets, showers, sinks) throughout camp. You’re never more than a couple minutes’ walk from running water, and we set up portable toilets for the more remote parts of camp property (e.g. by the basketball courts). If you’d like us to provide a portable toilet solely for your use (at your cabin), we can do that, too (see “Rates” for the additional cost).

What is the daily schedule like?

Hearty souls gather for a(n optional) polar bear dip in the lake at 7:30, followed by breakfast, which is open from 8-9am. In the morning and afternoon, we have open programming in several areas (e.g. archery, waterskiing, nature, arts & crafts, etc.); we also provide well-staffed “kids’ only” programming to give parents some well-deserved time to themselves. We can run group hiking trips, or give you a range of recommendations for local hiking/canoeing adventures. If you’re staying around camp, lunch is at noon. Happy hour (cool beverages and snacks – on us – on the beach) is at 4:30, and dinner is at 6pm. Evening events range from wiffle ball to campfire, paint & sip to a musical jam session.

What should we bring? Is there a packing list?

Check out our packing list here.

What is your cancellation policy?

As with our regular camper sessions, a substantial portion of Pemi’s expenses will be incurred prior to participants’ arrival. The following policies assure that Pemi is here to serve our campers for many summers to come.

  • Bookings canceled at least 45 days before the start of the stay will receive a full refund 
  • Bookings canceled at least 30 days before the start of the stay will receive a 50% refund
  • If a family member develops symptoms of COVID-19 prior to arrival, thank you for canceling your reservation—we will refund your family’s payment in full
  • In the event that Family Camp is canceled or closed while in session by mandate of local, state, or federal authorities, you may request a prorated refund for each of the days you were not able to attend. E.g., closure prior to your arrival = 100% refund; closure after 3 days of the 6-day reservation = 50% refund

How can I sign up, and what does the registration process look like?

Registration will open in late 2023. If you have questions before then, email Dan at [email protected]. Once you’ve registered and selected your accommodation option, the rest will be easy: payment (online or via check), an optional health questionnaire (to share with our health staff), and a simple waiver.

"I've loved being able to return to Pemi and especially to bring my daughter and see her thrive with her new friends. We can't wait to do it again next summer."

- Pemi Alum

Register for 2024!

Feel free to email Dan Reed ([email protected]) with any questions about Family Camp!

Register Now