Lake Valley Camp
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Lake Valley Camp offers a highly engaging and diverse 2-week summer camp experience focused on outdoor adventures, creative activities, and fostering strong social connections. Campers enjoy a significant degree of freedom in choosing activities, excellent food, and a supportive environment, all within a recently upgraded facility. It also provides a unique opportunity for families with financial needs through a qualifying free program.
Key Highlights
- ✓Camp session lasts 2 weeks.
- ✓Wide array of activities: trail rides with horses, night hikes (at 9 PM with 'nature Thomas'), swimming classes, archery, gardening, canoeing, and soccer.
- ✓Food is described as 'awesome' and snacks are always supplied.
- ✓Camp-wide movie nights are held in the dining hall.
- ✓Special events include talent shows and birthday celebrations in July with ice cream and cake.
- ✓Campers have free time to sign up for additional activities, often with friends.
- ✓Strong emphasis on social development, enabling campers to meet new people and form relationships.
- ✓Facilities feature a 'new/reimagined space', indicating recent upgrades or good maintenance.
- ✓Offers a 'free program' for qualifying families, enhancing accessibility.
Standout Features
- ⭐Diverse and engaging activity schedule, including unique offerings like night hikes and horse riding.
- ⭐High-quality food and readily available snacks for campers.
- ⭐Flexibility for campers to choose activities during free time, fostering independence.
- ⭐Robust social environment that encourages making new friends and building relationships.
- ⭐Celebratory atmosphere with special events like talent shows and birthday parties.
- ⭐Recently updated facilities provide a modern and pleasant environment.
- ⭐Availability of a 'free program' for qualifying families.
- ⭐Camp provides materials for campers to send letters home and receive replies.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Check the camp's official website for a full list of activities and program details, especially for the 'LT Program'.
- →If your child's birthday is in July, they can look forward to a camp-wide celebration with ice cream and cake.
- →Inquire about the 'free program' qualification if financial assistance is a consideration.
- →Encourage your child to utilize the free time to sign up for activities that align with their interests or to join friends.
- →Be aware that the camp provides materials for written communication with campers.
Price & Value
The camp offers significant value through its diverse activities, 'awesome' food, and social opportunities. A key financial highlight is the availability of a 'free program' for qualifying families, making it accessible to a broader demographic. No specific full price is mentioned, but the 'free program' indicates a commitment to affordability for some.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accessibility accommodations (e.g., for physical disabilities or sensory needs) are mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Food is provided and described as 'awesome'. Snacks are always supplied by the camp.
- •No explicit mention of outside food being allowed or prohibited, but the camp's provision of food and snacks suggests it is comprehensive.
🚗Parking Info
- •No information about parking facilities or drop-off/pick-up procedures is mentioned in the reviews.
👥Crowd Levels
- •No information regarding crowd levels or busy times is mentioned in the reviews.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Staff supervision is implied for activities, specifically 'night hikes at 9 at night with nature Thomas'. No other explicit safety measures like wristbands or first aid stations are detailed in these reviews.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Families seeking very short camp durations (as the primary session mentioned is 2 weeks).
- • Children who prefer a highly structured environment with no camper-chosen activities.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Lake Valley Camp Resident Program
Duration: 11 day/10 night
A transformative outdoor experience that promotes independence, love of nature, creativity, and teamwork.
Includes:
- •swimming
- •canoeing
- •horseback riding
- •team sports
- •teambuilding
- •archery
- •gardening
- •cooking
- •outdoor exploration
- •campouts
- •creative arts
- •performing arts
- •practical life skills
- •campfires
- •singing
- •daily reflection
- •strengthening friendships
- •community building
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Lake Valley Camp Tours for Alumni and Partners
During camp season, Monday through Friday, between 9:30am-3:30pm (while camp programming is in session). Not available during Staff Orientation or special staff days.
Tours to share in the camp experience. Requires scheduling at least one week in advance. Not available for parents/guardians of current campers.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Camp strives to provide a safe and transformative outdoor experience.
- • Visitors are permitted to take pictures of camp scenery, but not pictures that include campers (minors, identity protection duty) or adult staff without their permission.
- • Visitors must stay with the staff member leading the tour during their time in camp.
📅Booking Policy
- • Registration is open for PEAK programs.
- • Participants must live in the City of Milwaukee to qualify for PEAK programs (which include Lake Valley Camp).
- • To schedule a camp tour, call the Office Coordinator at (608) 872-2392 x221 at least one week in advance. Walk-ins will be accommodated if a staff person is available, otherwise rescheduling will be required.
- • The application window for the 'Step Up, Stand Out (SUSO)' event for the Leaders in Training program is December 1, 2025 – January 5, 2026.
🚗Parking Information
- • For tours, park in the circle in front of the Dining Hall.
What People Say
What's Great
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 4 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Zhakaria Murphy-Smith
5 years agoLake Valley Camp and a very fun experience. It lasts 2 weeks and your camper will love every second of it. It is filled with activities that range from Going on trail rides with horses to going on hikes at 9 at night with nature Thomas. I am a current participant of this caml and next year I will be participating in the LT Program next year. Check out the website for more
Scott Damian
5 years agoHi my name is Amiracle and lake valley is so much fun we get to be free and the food is awesome.We do swimming classes archery gardening riding horses cannoing and socer.And we always watch movies as a camp in the dining hall and they always supplie snacks. And we have a talent show when they celebrate kids birthday in July we have ice cream and cake its just such a great experience and during free time you can sighn up for an activity to do if your freings doing it and you usually like that activity and you aloud ro send paper and stuff if you want them to write you back but they provied that stuff already I hope you sighn your kids up!!!!!!!!😍😍😍😍😄😄😄😀😀😀😊😊😊😇😇😇😎😎😎
Aydon Blake
3 years agoIt is really fun and you can meet people you didn't know before that's how I met my girlfriend zyaire
Geoff G
3 years agoNew/reimagined space is amazing. Great people with a great mission.
Ivelisse Rodriguez
6 years agoBring your kids your family best camp for families free program if you qualify also