Welcome! Your Summer Starts Here.
Lake in the Woods YMCA Camps | Blairstown, Warren County, New Jersey
Get Ready for Camp Checklist!
Use this checklist to make sure everything is in order before your child's first day.
✅ Upload your camper's immunization records to their registration account
✅ Download, complete, and return the medication form to camp at least four weeks before arrival (if applicable)
✅ Arrange pharmacy pre-packaging for all medications (if applicable)
✅ Download and review your program's packing list
✅ Label all belongings with your camper's first and last name
✅ Top up your camper's Trading Post wallet
✅ Review arrival times for your program
Day Camp Arrivals and Departures
Day Campers will be dropped-off and picked-up at the Hardwick Hall Parking Lot on Golf Course Rd. Please follow signs and obey Blair Academy speed limits. Only adults on your child’s authorized pickup form may pick up your child from camp – to adjust this form, please email camp.
Please be ready to present your ID when picking up your child.
Drop off: 8:45-9 AM Hardwick Hall Parking Lot
Pick Up: 5-5:15 PM Hardwick Hall Parking Lot
Before Care: 7:30-8:45 AM (additional fee per session)
After Care: 5:15-6:00 PM (additional fee per session)
Families do not need to get out of their cars while dropping off or picking up their child(ren) for day camp unless directed to do so by the staff. If you wish to pick your child up early, please send in a note or call the office ONE HOUR prior to pick up so we may arrange to have your child ready.
Sleepaway Camp Arrivals and Departures
Sleepaway Campers Arriving By Bus:
Campers taking the bus will meet at one of our designated bus stops. Please be on time (or early!) so that we can have an on-time departure.
Additional Bus Stop information will be emailed home prior to your child's departure.
Campers Arriving by Car:
Drop Off: Mondays: 8:30-9 AM
Pick Up: Fridays: 5 PM
Location: Lakeside & Kathryn Hall Parking Area
Sleepaway Camp Packing List
Help your camper pack — it's a great way to get excited together before the big day! Download the list for your program below. Remember to label everything with your camper's first and last name.
Meet Our Staff
Leadership Staff
Chris Helmlinger
Summer Camp Director
With more than 15 years of camp leadership experience, Chris brings a passion for youth development, outdoor adventure, and community to his expanded role as Camp Director at Lake in the Woods YMCA Camps.
He began his camp career in 2008 as a Junior Counselor in Dingmans Ferry, PA, and spent more than a decade growing into leadership roles, including Day Camp Director and Executive Director.
Chris a dedicated educator and teaches 7th and 8th grade special education during the school year. His classroom experience helps him create a supportive environment where every camper can thrive.
His favorite camp activities include basketball and singing camp songs.
Counselors
At Lake in the Woods YMCA Camps we hire both local and international staff to supervise your child and give them the best summer ever at camp! All staff must complete a background check and reference check prior to being hired. Staff participate in a full week of specialized training, including child abuse prevention, conflict resolution and, of course, promoting fun! Counselors also participate in trainings during camp, like safety drills. For more information on our hiring practices and training, please contact camp!.
Many of our counselors are also certified American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguards. They lifeguard both the pool and boating activities at the lake.
Select an option below:
- Health and Safety
- Activities & Facilities
- Getting to Camp
Heath & Safety At Camp
Health at Camp
Keeping our campers and staff healthy is a priority at camp. From fixing cuts and scrapes to stopping the spread of a cold, our policies and procedures are focused on the wellbeing of all.
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Healthcare Staff
Our team of health care professionals is on site 24 hours a day for the entire summer to make sure our campers and staff are healthy and well. The treatment room is located in the dorms, and is stocked with first aid and emergency medical equipment.
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Medications
If your child takes medication, our Camp Nurse will supervise the administration of all medications. Your family doctor must include specific instructions on the camper medication form.
Please do not pack any medications in camper bags.
To improve efficiency and ensure our nurses spend more time caring for campers, Fairview Lake YMCA Camps and Lake in the Woods YMCA Camps requires all medications to be pre-packaged by a licensed pharmacy. This change allows us to streamline medication administration and reduce time spent organizing medications, ensuring campers return to their activities more quickly.
What You Need to Do
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Complete your child’s health history form (online) and include all medications they will be taking at camp.
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Complete and have a physician sign their medication form and email it to camp at least four weeks before your child’s arrival.
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Arrange for your camper’s medications to be pre-packaged by a pharmacy of your choice.
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Make sure that your child’s physician has written a prescription for all medication they will be taking, including vitamins. This will allow the filling pharmacy to include it in the packaging.
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The packaging must meet the following requirements:
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Camper’s full name
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Medication names
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Dosages
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Dispense times
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Clearly sorted by day and time
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Please send enough medication for your child’s entire stay at camp.
Finding A Pharmacy
Many local or mail-order pharmacies provide pre-packaged medication services. We recommend contacting your pharmacy to inquire about this option. Please ensure you allow enough time for the pharmacy to prepare the medications before check-in day. Most pharmacies will package both prescribed and “over-the-counter” medications together, provided you have a prescription for all of the requested medications.
What Medications Need to be Packaged?
Any medications in pill form that your child will take at camp must be packaged. Packaging should be arranged so that each package contains the exact dosage and medications needed to be taken: ie all breakfast/morning medication should be packaged together.
Vitamins and supplements in pill form must also be included in the package. Please speak with your pharmacist to include these.
Medications that are not in pill form (ie liquids, inhalers, injectables, epi-pens) do not need to be packaged and should arrive at camp in their original packaging.
Our health center keeps common medications in stock for our nurses to distribute as needed. Please indicate that your child can take these medications on their health history form. Do not package these medications with your child’s prescriptions.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we implement this process, which allows our nurses to focus more on camper care. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
International Campers: Please contact our office to discuss medication packaging options.
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Immunizations
All campers are required to submit a record of their immunizations prior to attending camp. Please upload a copy of their immunization record to their registration account.
Please contact our office if you are unable to provide a current immunization record.
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What if my child gets sick at camp?
Children should arrive at camp in good health. They must be fever free for 24 hours prior to their arrival at camp. If your child is ill or experiencing symptoms of a communicable disease, please contact camp to discuss next steps.
If your child becomes ill at camp (fever, GI upset, suspicious rashes) you are required to pick up your child. Children may return to camp when they have been symptom free for 24 hours. Camp personnel will contact you or other designated emergency contact if your child requires the services of a physician. It is the family’s responsibility to schedule an appointment and transport your child to a physician of your choice.Please select emergency contacts that will be willing and able to pick up your child or make medical decisions on your behalf.
Safety First, Splash Second!
At Lake in the Woods YMCA Camps, water safety is our top priority. Our pool and waterfront is supervised by certified American Red Cross Lifeguards, and we have a Water Safety Instructor on-site to ensure best practices are always in place. All campers complete a swim test and are placed in swim levels that match their ability.
Life jackets (PFDs) are required for all boating activities, and no one is allowed in the the pool or on the lake without a lifeguard present. Our in-house American Red Cross Instructors regularly train and update our lifeguards to keep everyone safe and confident in the water—because at camp, fun and safety always go hand in hand.
Mental Health
The mental health of our campers and staff is just as important to us as their physical health. It is paramount that parents and guardians disclose mental health difficulties and management plans with the health care team here at camp.
To support the emotional and behavioral health of your children, all camp staff receive training that helps them understand the diverse needs of youth and respond to those needs with compassion.
Our Mental Health Specialists are available to assist camp staff in providing emotional and behavioral support for all youth at our camps by offering activities intended to promote social and emotional well-being, as well as by partnering with camp staff to respond to campers who are having individual struggles social or behavioral challenges. They are also available to provide families with resources and referrals to address individual needs upon request.
Getting to Camp
Day Camp Directions from NJ-94
- Turn onto Park St.
- Turn Left onto Golf Course Rd.
- Turn left into Hardwick Hall Parking Lot (follow signs for drop off)
Driving Directions to dorms from I-80
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Take I-80 to Exit 4, Route 94 North towards Blairstown
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Follow Route 94 North for 8.2 miles.
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Turn Left onto Park St.
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Turn left onto Millbrook Gate Rd. Drive slowly as you are now on the Blair Academy Campus!
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Follow Millbrook Gate Rd. Straight onto Academy Dr.
- Kathryn Hall and Lakeside Hall will be on your right!
Facilities
Both Day Camp and Sleepaway Camp have full use of the Blair Academy facilities, which include:
Archery Range
Art Studio
Basketball Courts
Gymnasium
Ceramics Studio
Indoor and Outdoor Tennis Courts
Execuive Golf Course
Indoor Pool
Fitness Studio
Private Lake and Waterfront
Theater
Turf Fields
*Computer lab use is reserved for our B.E.A.R. Camp participants.
Activities at Camp
There are so many great activities at camp, beyond what is listed below! Each summer our staff bring new games, new sports and new experiences to camp.
Acting
Archery
Badminton
Basketball
Campfire
Canoeing
Ceramics
Crafts
Fashion Design
Fishing
Fitness
GaGa Ball
Golf
Group Games
Improv
Jewlery Making
Musical Theater
Nature Exploration
Pickleball
Robotics
Rocketry
Set Design
Soccer
Stage Crew
Swim Lessons
Swimming
Tennis
Tie-Dye
Accreditation
American Camp Association
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ACA Accreditation means that we care enough to undergo a thorough a voluntary (up to 300 standards) review of our operation — from staff qualifications and training to emergency management.
American Camp Association collaborates with experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth-serving agencies to assure that current practices at Lake in the Woods reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation.
>>Learn more about ACA Accreditation
Praesidium
Praesidium Accreditation is a standardized, consistent, and objective process that allows organizations to publicly demonstrate their commitment to abuse prevention.
The Praesidium Accreditation Standards for Consumer Serving Organizations© are informed by thousands of root cause analyses, continuous scientific research and over three decades of field experience with more than 4,000 organizations that serve children, youths, and vulnerable persons. Anchored by the Safety Equation, these Standards provide a framework to help organizations focus their efforts where we know it makes the greatest impact.
Y For All Financial Assistance
The YMCA provides financial assistance to those who may require help covering the costs of camp. Our Y for All Fund plays a crucial role in keeping the Y accessible for children, adults, and families who need support. By offering financial assistance, the Y ensures that all individuals and families can participate in Y programs and services, regardless of their financial circumstances.