Camp Chewonki offers campers a place to laugh, learn, and explore. We teach children to connect with the natural world, make deep connections to a new community of friends, and develop skills and strength within themselves.
Our campers immerse themselves in fun and educational activities focused on community building, outdoor living skills, natural history, farm and food systems, and watercraft. Additional activities include visual arts, performing arts, woodworking, and archery with opportunities for swimming, sports, and recreation during free time.
2026 Dates and Rates:
Full Session
This three-week session offers classic camp activities and progressively more challenging trip options at each grade level.
Grades: 3-8
Ages: 8-14
Dates:
- Session 1: June 28 – July 20 ($7,900)
- Session 2: July 24 – August 15 ($7,900)
Intersession
Campers can combine two sessions with a short mini-trip to the headwaters of the Kennebec river and enjoy a unique whitewater rafting and rock climbing experience!
- Intersession: July 21 – July 23 ($840)
Participants must be at least 10 years old at time of trip, and there is limited availability
Sibling Discounts!
**Sibling Discount**
If you have a sibling new to Chewonki who enrolls, you’ll receive a $250 discount on their camp tuition! It’s a great way to keep the family together while they explore, learn, and make unforgettable memories.
Activities and Schedules
Activities
At the heart of everything we do at Chewonki is our mission, and our desire to provide campers with learning in the natural world. When not out on a cabin trip, each participant takes part in a weekly rotation of activities that are at the heart of what we do.
Our daily activity schedule is built around these core elements:
- Archery
- Boating
- Community Building
- Farm
- Sports
- Outdoor living Skills
- Natural History
- Visual Arts
- Woodshop
Puffin campers travel to activities as a cabin unit with their cabin counselors and get to participate in each program area once during their session.
Cabin Trips
Each cabin or yurt group has a multi-day “cabin trip” built into their schedule. These trips gain in length and skill progression as campers return each year, including canoeing, backpacking, and ocean kayaking experiences.
Cabin Trips for 2026:
- TBD closer to the start of camp!
Our Camp Community
Building Community
From the first moment you arrive at Camp Chewonki we want you to know you are a welcome member of the community! Your cabin counselors and cabin mates will greet you at the cabin and help you get settled in. In the opening days of camp, we establish community norms & expectations through collaborative work on the challenge course and through the creation of a cabin agreement. The goal: determine who we are as a group and how we want to be as members of the group.
Each day we will think about and work on a value or trait we wish to hold up in our community. At the end of each day, cabin groups will hold an evening meeting to share out how the day went and examine how the daily theme showed up in their experience.
In addition to our work as a cabin group, we build community through shared meals, weekly gatherings, and special events. We work together to make sure everyone gets the fuel they need, both nutritionally and socially, to maximize their enjoyment of the Chewonki experience. Each week we come together around the campfire and under the pines for entertainment and reflection to enjoy each other’s company while considering what the experience, at camp and on the trail, has meant for us.
At the end of each session, we spend our final day creating a cabin plaque and reflecting on our time together. The day culminates in a special banquet filled with songs, speeches and delicious food to commemorate our summer.
Age Group Progression
Puffins – Our youngest campers begin their journey with an 11-day overnight session. It’s the perfect first step into the magic of camp life.
Owls, Herons, and Ospreys (Grades 3–8) – Campers in these groups stay for three weeks, embracing new challenges and adventures. Whether it’s a longer canoe trip, a special project, or simply more days to play and explore, this is where confidence and curiosity grow.
Loons, Canada Geese, and North Stars (Grades 8–11) – These programs are part of our Leadership Expeditions. Each step builds on skills and experiences from previous summers, preparing campers for greater independence, responsibility, and leadership.
Sample Daily Schedule
Here at Camp Chewonki the days are packed with good friends, good food, and good fun. Each day offers the opportunity to try something new, meet a new friend, and push yourself to overcome healthy challenges in camp and on the trail.
Early to Rise
The Chewonki day begins even before the peal of the wake up bell each morning. Campers can get their hands dirty on farm chores, practice their skills of identification on a birdwalk, or experience the crisp morning jolt of a Polar Bear dip at the waterfront.
7:00-7:20
Wake-up Bell & Wash-up
Audible from just about anywhere on campus, the Chewonki bell signals the official start to the day. Make sure to hop out of bed, get dressed, and tidy your area before going to wash your hands for breakfast!
7:30-8:10
Breakfast
After a food fact and a reading introducing the day’s theme, enjoy a delicious breakfast of granola and yogurt, followed by scrambled eggs and bacon.
8:10-9:00
Morning Chores and Cabin Clean-up
As a community, Chewonki believes in the power of meaningful work and collective effort. Part of being a productive community member is helping to make sure things are clean and working properly. Cabins will take turns completing chores like cleaning the bathrooms and shower houses.
9:10-10:25
Activity Period 1
Learn about how the milk you drink at breakfast started as blades of grass during the Farm & Food Systems activity.
10:35-11:50
Activity Period 2
Practice building a cooking fire and tying knots to construct a shelter for your group in Outdoor Living Skills.
12:10-12:50
Lunch
Refuel at the midday meal with a fresh salad or a hearty bowl of soup filled with ingredients from Chewonki’s Salt Marsh Farm.
12:50-1:00
Offerings for Choice Period
Gather outside for announcements about the Natural History Mystery, choice period offerings, and general swim.
1:00-2:00
Rest Hour
Take a nap, read a book, write a letter home. It is important to take time to catch your breath, rehydrate, and reapply sunscreen on the hot summer days at Chewonki. Even when the sky is filled with clouds, it’s still important to prevent a sunburn that can get in the way of enjoying camp to the fullest.
2:00-2:10
Passing Period
2:10-3:25
Activity Period 3
Join a team sport game, head to the archery range, or jump into an art class.
3:25-3:40
Afternoon Snack!
3:40-4:30
Choice Period
Where else would you want to be in the middle of July, but the coast of Maine? Head down to the waterfront for a swim, chill out with a board game, join a mini-activity, or work on a craft project.
4:50-5:50
Shower Hour/Free time
Get cleaned up and relax before dinner. Write a postcard, or play a game with friends.
6:00-6:50
Dinner
Enjoy a comforting evening meal of stuffed shells and garlic bread before savoring a chocolate chip cookie.
7:00-8:00
Evening Activity
Evening activity options rotate throughout the session, and include bunk nights, group games with your age group, or all-camp activities like campfire or Dinosaurs!
8:00-8:30
Evening Meeting & Wash-up
So much has happened today! What have you learned? Take a moment to gather with your cabin to share your highs, your lows, and your hopes for tomorrow. Once the Evening Meeting is over, it’s time to brush your teeth!
8:30
Lights Out
Enjoy a cabin read-a-loud or use your headlamp to catch up on summer reading. Don’t stay up too late though. You and your cabinmates need sleep because tomorrow will be just as busy and fun-filled as today was!
9:00
Osprey Lights Out
Ospreys, the oldest Chewonki campers, enjoy a little extra down time at the end of the day, but everyone needs to get to bed to ensure they have the energy to fully enjoy tomorrow.
Special Activities
Three times a session we have “Chewonki Day,” which is our day for rest and reflection. In the morning, we hold Community Reflection to meet as a whole community and reflect on a Chewonki value together. Cabins do a “bead ceremony” to share their gratitudes for one another. In the afternoon, campers participate in service projects and in the evening we play the Chewonki classic game, Rocks!
Twice a session campers participate in Excursion Day to explore Mid-Coast Maine! Excursion Day activities may include a trip to Popham Beach State Park, going on a local hike, exploring nearby salt marshes, and more.
A couple of times a session, the entire camp community come together for an all Chewonki evening activity like our beloved Carnival.
Eat, Sleep, Explore!
Meals
We aim to provide participants with food that is delicious, nutritious, and sustainably sourced, ideally from our own working farm. Farmers work closely with our kitchen, sharing a philosophy and mission to ensure that the food served at Chewonki fuels the busy bodies and minds of our participants, while simultaneously being yummy! Meals always include options to accommodate those with dietary restrictions.
Campers sit by cabin group with their counselors and activity counselors. Campers select their meal from a buffet served by staff ensuring they get a full plate and are always able to go back for seconds! The meal closes with community announcements, including a Natural History Mystery.
Cabins and Yurts at Chewonki
Our cabins and yurts house 6 to 10 participants and are furnished with bunk beds, bookshelves, and storage space under the beds. Bathrooms and showers are located nearby. Cabins serve as a place of sanctuary during rest hour and in the evenings, where books, journals, games, and instruments are often shared.
When campers enroll, they may choose to join the Eastside cabins (for female campers) or the Westside cabins (for male campers). Non-binary and gender-fluid campers are welcome to select whichever cabin group feels like the best fit. Every cabin has private changing areas and is staffed by at least two counselors.
Cabin groups work together to set community guidelines, make group decisions, and keep their space clean and welcoming. These shared responsibilities, combined with time spent playing and relaxing together, help foster lasting friendships and memories.
Cabin Counselors provide daily structure and support, guiding each group through routines like Evening Meeting, where campers reflect on the day and look ahead to tomorrow. Many cabins are also paired with a cabin buddy—a support staff member who serves as an additional mentor and role model.
Campus
Camp Chewonki is located on Chewonki Neck, a 400-acre peninsula located on the shoreline of Midcoast Maine. The land supports a diverse array of ecosystems including fields, forests, rocky coast, salt marsh, ponds, and farmland – a rich tapestry for experiential learning.
So many things to see and do!
It’s hard to pack all the excitement of a Chewonki experience into a short webpage, so we encourage you to reach out to our team for a phone call, or to schedule a tour in the off season.
We hope to see you at camp next summer!
Countdown to Camp Chewonki!
Questions? Please Contact Us!
- Direct Line: (207) 656-1065
- In-season Camp Office: (207) 656-1170
- Camp Office Email: camp@chewonki.org
