Camp Gnarly NYC

I remember the first time I reached out to Carol and Gabrielle the two founders of Camp Gnarly. I was immediately impressed by their unique offerings. Carol a parent, who relates to the concerns and challenges of finding the right summer camp for your child. Gabrielle an enthusiastic spirit with a zeal for creating memorable experiences. They offered all the things, a full eventful day of play, door to door transportation and weekly swim instruction. Our family signed up for all 6 weeks. Now, I’d be remiss not to mention some of the challenges. Transportation was a bust week one, I spoke with both founders and they miraculously managed to iron out most kinks by week 2. I always felt like my feedback was considered and appreciated. I remain amazed at how open Carol and Gabrielle were to critiques and how quickly they were able to turn things around. Camp Gnarly is what I would call a self directed - child led day camp. They offer electives and special programming that the children get to choose. My children had swim instruction 4 days a week, enjoyed activities like rock climbing, parkour, horse back riding, paddle boarding and fishing to name a few!! It doesn’t end there folks… on Fridays after their outdoor excursion, the children were treated to a bouncy house and summer time favorites like snow cones and cotton candy. My children loved everyday at camp, from making new friends and trying out activities they would have never thought to explore. The camp counselors were great and attentive to my children’s needs. It was also great to see a neighborhood camp employ so many young people who displayed a real passion to offer the best camp experience to the children in their care. My children are already asking about next year. Thank you to everyone who helped make summer 2021 a memorable one. Way to go Camp Gnarly - a true Brooklyn gem.

This was my daughter’s 1st day camp experience and she had an amazing time. Registration was seamless and all of the staff were professional, knowledgeable, and kind. The activities offered by the camp were unique and fun. She made so many new friends. In her words, “ This is the best camp ever and I’m coming back next year.” To all of the staff at Camp Gnarly, thank you for all of your hard work, dedication, and for keeping my daughter safe. This was such a memorable summer. I look forward to seeing you all next summer!

After trying a few different summer camps, we have finally found the best one after spending one summer at Camp Gnarly. The ability to pick up and drop off children in the morning or afternoon, the extended hours, and the excellent counselors were all very welcomed. The abundance of wonderful activities your child can select from during the camp, though, is its best feature. They put a lot of effort into customizing your visit for your child (s). Additionally, it is considerably less expensive than other camps we had looked into. They had outings on Fridays and swam four days a week, which I found to be wonderful. I sincerely suggest this camp.

Camp Gnarly was an awesome experience for our kids. The activities are fun and varied, but the real stars of the show are the incredible counselors, all vibrant, positive, fun young people who made our kids feel special and uplifted. Both of our kids can be reticent to try new things and the counselors helped them find their way to participating, and respected when they wanted to sit some things out.

Camp Gnarly is the best day camp there is! My son had the best time with all of the loving caring counselors and twice a week field trips. I cannot stress enough how excited he was everyday to go to Camp Gnarly. We’re so excited to return for next summer!