The great trade-off when it comes to a much-needed escape from the city to immerse yourself in nature is that sometimes nature is, to put it delicately, a little boring. There is nothing boring about Club Getaway. This 300-acre camp located in Kent, Connecticut offers the best of both worlds. It has a beautiful natural setting, nestled between picturesque forested hills with ample hiking trails and the cool waters of Leonard Pond, and so many fun activities that it may be impossible to try them all in one weekend.
Open from May through October, the camp hosts kids during the weeks and adults on weekends. If you’re looking to give an adult summer camp a go, this is not an option where you will feel like you have missed out on anything. Across the camp’s main campus, you’ll be able to try your hand at a rock climbing wall, a huge aerial park ropes course, a multi-part zip line through the forest and a “sky-cycle” where you pilot a bicycle along a thin wire high in the air. Tennis lessons, softball, volleyball and basketball are also options for those not looking to throw a wrench in their fitness routines.
When it comes to the water, there are plenty of ways to spend your leisure time as well. Campers can swim, experience a water obstacle course, take out kayaks and canoes and even go water skiing behind a speedboat. If you’re in the mood for an outing, there are boozy hikes and bicycle rides. Traditional activities like arts and crafts and “crazy olympics” can also be a part of your day, so you can leave feeling like you’ve had an authentic camp experience. And these are all just the “choose-your-own adventure” parts of the camp.
Meals are included in a camp stay with plenty of live entertainment and interactive games for all campers taking place during lunch and dinner. The food is surprisingly good with options like salmon, prime rib and steak and wine is included with dinner. Additional drinks cost extra or you can buy a “cheers package” which gives you unlimited drinks all weekend long. (You’ll find that almost everyone goes in on the all-inclusive drinks package.) The crowd is very open and welcoming and it’s easy to make new friends. (It is camp after all!)
The highlight of an adult summer camp weekend at Club Getaway, however, has to be the themed happy hours and nighttime parties that the camp goes all out for. Campers don costumes inspired by cartoons or famous nostalgic films and then experience themed dinners and late-night parties in the lakeside boathouse that truly surprise you with their high level of production and live performance. When it eventually comes time to hit the hay, the cabins offer private lodging with rustic decorations, AC, memory foam mattresses and private bathrooms. Many also provide views of the surrounding forest and nearby lake.
Big weekends at Club Getaway include Memorial Day Weekend and fall finale in October. Iconic director John Waters also often hosts annual themed camps at the venue in September and there are specific themed weekends all summer long. More details on this year’s offering can be found on the camp’s website.