- Top Summer Camps in Michigan for Kids (Sleepaway Camps, Day Camps, Family Camps and More)
- Overnight Summer Camps in Southeast Michigan
- Michigan Summer Camps in West Michigan
- More West Michigan Summer Camps for Kids
- Michigan Summer Camps in Northern Michigan
- Summer Camping Programs in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Top Summer Camps in Michigan for Kids (Sleepaway Camps, Day Camps, Family Camps and More)
If you’re looking for ways to provide endless hours of summer fun for your kids, don’t wait until school’s out to start your search for a summer camp in Michigan.
Michigan summer camps can provide everything from learning experiences rich with personal growth to a a simple chance to commune with nature and relish the magic of a Michigan summer.
We’ve created a list Michigan summer camps directory of some of the top camps in Michigan. These are camps that offer a variety of activities over the weeks of camp. Watch for upcoming posts on specific camps including soccer camps, dance camps, tech camps, basketball camps and more.
The Right Michigan Summer Kids Camp
You’ll find a mix of summer day camps and overnight camps, boys camps, girls camps and even family camps, from metro Detroit all the way to the far reaches of the Upper Peninsula.
No matter the type, the camps all spell out big fun and are a great way to spend summer in Michigan while fostering your child’s personal growth.
All of these camps for kids offer an opportunity for your child to learn life skills and make new friends. From new outdoor adventures to musical theater, science, arts, and crafts and more, there is no end to the opportunities for your child to have fun learning new things.
How to Find a Michigan Summer Camp
There are many youth camps in Michigan, and picking the right one for your for your child is important. You want their first sleepaway camp experience to create wonderful, lasting memories. Whether you’re looking for art camps, stem camps. sports camps, bible camp, a mini camp or a traditional camp experience for your child, chances are good that you’ll find one to match your needs in Michigan.
Be sure to check each camp website for more details, where you can learn important information to help your child feel more familiar with the camp prior to their arrival.
Like what you see? Some of the camps even offer a family camping summer program or serve as a retreat center during the off season.
Overnight Summer Camps in Southeast Michigan
Camp Ohiyesa
7300 Hickory Ridge Rd, Holly, MI 48442
Ages 4-17
Located on the shores of Fish Lake in Holly MI, YMCA Camp Ohiyesa offers day and overnight camp for children ages 4-17 from southeast Michigan and beyond. You’ll find over 300 acres of trails, woods and fields for kids to roam here. One of the top overnight camps in Michigan, the camp is run by the YMCA. The Y’s Core values of honesty, caring, respect, responsibility and inclusion take center stage at this camp in Oakland County. This Michigan YMCA camp runs from June to August.
Kids can enjoy everything from horseback riding, zip-lining and archery to swimming, canoeing, and paddle boarding. There’s a ropes course, a waterslide, and tons more sports, too, as well as a petting farm and arts and crafts. You’ll also find counselor in training programs and mini camps that run in the spring and fall, too. Be sure to check the website for other YMCA-run summer camps throughout the state of Michigan.
PRO-TIP: The YMCA operates several camps throughout Michigan including these popular camps: Ann Arbor YMCA Camp Al-Gon-Quian, a top-rated overnight camp in Burt Lake, MI; find more information here; and Camp Eberhart, 10481 Camp Eberhart Rd, Three Rivers, MI 49093. You can also find many Detroit summer camps operated by the YMCA here.
Camp Discovery and North Star Reach
1200 University Camp Dr, Pinckney, MI 48169
Camping is suspended for the 2023 summer season
Michigan Summer Camps in West Michigan
Camp Greenwood
13564 Macclain St NE, Gowen, MI 49326
Ages: 6-17 years
This faith-based summer camp north of Grand Rapids MI offers week-long summer camp experiences for boys and girls ages 9-17 as well as shorter camp experiences for kids 6-8. They also offer a family camp experience.
Camp themes range from dancing, music and fine arts to computers & science to adventure and religion and run during the months of June and July. Kids can enjoy water activities, archery, sports, arts & crafts, nature activities and more.
Camp Blodgett
10451 Lakeshore Drive, West Olive, MI 49460
Ages: 8-17 years
Located on the shores of Lake Michigan about 40 minutes west of Grand Rapids near Holland MI, Camp Blodgett offers affordable summer camps. Ottawa and Kent County youth, ages 8-13. Campers enjoy a memorable 5-day resident camps led by dedicated camp staff, hosting a wide variety of recreational activities.
Camp Blodgett’s experiences include physical activities like swimming, hiking and biking, but we also ensure that campers are exposed to learning opportunities with activities that may be new to them such as archery, canoeing, and workshops on a variety of topics to keep their minds active and growing.
YMCA Family Camp Pinewoods
4230 Obenauf Rd, Twin Lake, MI 49457
Ages: Family Camp
Located just west of Muskegon, the YMCA’s Pine woods camp offers family camping opportunities from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Grab your family (or friends!) and head out for a hike on one of our beautiful trails, plunge into Echo Lake, conquer the 40-foot climbing tower, hit your mark at archery, fly down the zip line, play a game on the ball field, or just enjoy the quiet beauty of the Manistee National Forest.
Accommodations run from rustic to deluxe, with bunkhouses, a full, lodge-style cabin, or even a yurt providing overnight lodging for your family. There’s a dining hall serving three well-balanced meals each day including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, and a camp store has fun souvenirs and items you may have left behind.
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
300 E Crystal Lake Rd, Twin Lake, MI 49457
Ages: Grades 5-12
Located in the Huron Manistee National Forest, this internationally recognized summer school of the arts offers fine arts education for campers in grades 5 -12. Programs in music, art, dance, and drama are offered all summer long, as is an international exchange program that offers campers an opportunity to travel to Europe.
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp also offers adult camps, please check the website for more information.
Camp Newaygo
5333 S. Centerline Road, Newaygo, MI 49337
Ages: 7-17 years
You’ll find a variety of camping options here ranging from girls overnight camps to co-ed day camps, family camps and even “Mom and Me” camping opportunities at Camp Newaygo in Newaygo
County Michigan.
Cam Newaygo is located in the Huron Manistee National Forest on the shores of pretty Pickerel Lake. With more than 30 activities to choose from including archery, water skiing, paddle boarding and team sports to horseback riding, synchronized swimming, pottery and gymnastics, there is something for everyone here.
Indian Trails Camp
O-1859 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49531
IKUS Life Enrichment Services helps individuals with disabilities to discover their potential, experience greater freedom, learn new skills, and have fun in a safe environment. Ultimately, IKUS gives clients the tools they need to make every day another best day.
ITC provides overnight residential camping experiences in a beautiful, adaptive, and barrier-free natural setting. Most sessions are based on a traditional camp program, while other sessions provide a more specialized approach focusing on specific needs and the abilities of our campers
IKUS serves individuals from five years old to eighty-plus. Check the summer camp website for more information.
Camp Miniwanca, an American Youth Foundation camp
8845 W Garfield Rd., Shelby, MI 4945
Ages: Grades 3-12
Set on 360 wooded acres and a mile of private Lake Michigan shoreline, Camp Minwanca offers campers in grades 3-12 a variety of one-to-six programs in a beautiful natural setting. From leadership programs for older campers to adventure camps, your camper can choose from fun activities like swimming, pottery and yoga to theater, ropers courses and woodshop.
Camp Miniwanca focuses on inclusivity. Camp Miniwanca honors and welcomes campers and staff of all gender identities, including transgender and gender-expansive individuals.
More West Michigan Summer Camps for Kids
Camp Manitou-lin
1095 N Briggs Rd, Middleville, MI 49333
Ages: 4- 17 years
Located south of Grand Rapids, this YMCA-operated camp is set on the shores of Barlow Lake in west Michigan. You’ll find a wide range of camping opportunities for campers ages 4 to 17 years. Day camps, overnight camps, family camps are available, as well as a horse camp for the equestrian minded. This YMCA camp has been operating for over 100 years.
Lake of the Woods & Greenwoods Camps
84600 47 1/2 St, Decatur, MI 49045
Ages: 6-15 years
Located in Van Buren County in southwest Michigan, you find two camps here. Lake of the Woods camp for girls and Camp Greenwood for boys both offer two-, four- and eight-week sessions for boys and girls ages 6 to 15. With more than 50 activities to choose from ranging from sailing, swimming and horseback riding to performing arts and team sports, there is a lot to do here.
There’s also a retreat and nature center available for larger groups in mid-August through September.
Circle Pines Center
8650 Mullen Rd, Delton, MI 49046
Ages: 7-17 years
Located south of Grand Rapids, Circle Pines Center teaches peace, social justice, and environmental stewardship through cooperation in work, education, and recreation. They offer a co-ed residential camp for ages 7-17.
Combining traditional summer camp activities like swimming, theater, and sports with cooperative work projects, critical thinking and social justice, there are also family program offered here, too.
Camp Kidwell
39000 1st Ave, Bloomingdale Michigan 49026
Ages: 4-16 years
Located on 150 acres on the shores of scenic Eagle Lake in southwest Michigan, Camp Kidwell offers both overnight and day camps for kids ages 4- 16. Camp activities range from swimming, archery, arts and crafts, drama, canoeing, nature exploration, horseback riding to sports, games, campfires, singing, and much more.
Sherman Lake Summer Camp
6225 N 39th St, Augusta, MI 49012
Ages: 4-17 years
Located in Southwest Michigan, Sherman Lake Camp puts honesty, caring, respect and responsibility into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. You’ll find a summer day camp, overnight camp, a family camp, and a horse came here.
The camp is situated on 365 acres of wooded and waterfront property, with facilities that include cabins, a dining hall, a waterfront, a climbing tower, a ropes course, and more. In addition to summer camp programs, Sherman Lake YMCA Camp also hosts retreats and events for schools, churches, and other organizations throughout the year.
Grace Adventures
2100 N Ridge Rd, Mears, MI 49436
Michigan Summer Camps in Northern Michigan
Camp Walden
5607 S River Rd, Cheboygan, MI 49721
Ages: 7-16 years
Located on the shores of Long Lake in northern Michigan, this family-owned camp offers sleepaway camp experiences for kids with and age range of 7 -16. Choose from range of sessions including the full seven-week program, two weeks, mini sessions and more.
There is a lot to do at this Cheboygan camp, with more than 50 different activities and a “camper-choice” program for children with a wide variety of interests: land and water sports, visual and performing arts, nature and tripping, horseback riding as well as media (newspaper, radio, video, darkroom photography).
Kids can learn everything from podcasting to lacrosse; from sailing to ceramics surrounded by northern Michigan’s beauty.
Crystalaire Adventures and Camp Carvela
33 Bass Lake Rd, Traverse City, MI 49685
Camp Lookout
1310 Beuna Rd, Frankfort Michigan 49635
Ages: 7-17 years
These two northern Michigan camps and additional trip program offer an amazing variety of camping experiences from day camps to overnight camp to overnight camping adventures in Michigan wilderness spots.
Your kids can choose to visit Isle Royale National Park, the Manitou Islands, and those are just some of the available adventures. Camping experiences for kids ages from 7-17 are unique, featuring programming created with input from the campers themselves.
You won’t find movie nights or computer labs here. What you will find are a mix of games and sports, special events, skits, dramatic, talent and music activities, focused on fostering active, involved, and individual participation from campers.
Interlochen Center for the Arts (Interlochen Arts Camp)
4000 J Maddy Pkwy, Interlochen, MI 49643
Ages: Grades 3-12
Open to students who are entering grades 3-12, and it offers a variety of programs in the arts including music, theater, dance, creative writing, visual arts, and more.
The camp is located near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and it attracts talented young artists from all over the world. The program runs for several weeks during the summer, and students can work with world-renowned artists and educators, as well as participate in performances and exhibitions.
Lake Ann Camp and Retreat Center
18400 Maple Street, Lake Ann, MI 49650
Age: Grades 4-12
This Christian camp in northern Michigan offers six camp experiences for campers in Grade 4-12. You’ll also find retreats, speakers and more.
Summer Camping Programs in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Boy Scouts Camp Hiawatha
e6350 Doe Lake Rd, Munising, MI 49862
Ages: 7-16 years
Camp Hiawatha is 800 acres and encircles Bunting Lake, a 60 acre lake in the middle of Hiawatha National Forest in the heart of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, between the towns of Munising and Chatham. Close by are many trails and waterways including the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, The North Country Trail, Grand Island, and the Au Train River.
Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp
138 Fortune Lake Camp Rd, Crystal Falls, MI 49920L
Located in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula, this Christian-based overnight camp offers programs for youth ages 5-18. Activities include swimming, canoeing, hiking, Bible study, and more.
Interested in being featured in our guide to the TOP Michigan Summer Camps? Use the form below to contact us!
There are over 1,000 Michigan summer camps for kids in Michigan, They include overnight (or sleepaway) camps, day camps, family camps and more.
More Things to Do With Kids in Michigan in Summer
