About YMCA Camp Clearwater
YMCA Camp Clearwater is a highly-rated, long-standing summer day camp known for offering a wide array of traditional outdoor activities and fostering a fun-filled experience for children of many ages. It boasts a beautiful natural setting with a pond and walking trails, an indoor sheltered area for inclement weather, and a dedicated, amazing staff. However, prospective visitors must be acutely aware of significant traffic safety concerns around the camp entrance and on the adjacent public road, as well as the presence of snakes in wooded areas.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Children looking for a traditional, fun-filled summer day camp experience with a focus on outdoor activities.Families seeking a camp with a strong community feel and a history of positive experiences.Parents wanting a variety of structured activities balanced with opportunities for outdoor play.Kids who enjoy games, crafts, and nature exploration in a supervised setting.Caters to 'kids of many ages,' suggesting a broad appeal from elementary to potentially middle school, given the range of activities like archery, BB guns, and boating.
Why families love it
- Fun-filled summer day camp experience with diverse activities including games, singing, archery, boating, team building, canoing, shooting BB guns, gaga ball, arts & crafts, swimming, and field games.
- Great and amazing staff/counselors who ensure kids have a blast.
- Indoor sheltered area available for days with bad weather.
- Features a nice pond with walking trails, bathroom facilities, a simple playground, and a pavilion/amphitheater.
- Strong legacy and positive reputation, with multi-generational attendance (parents who went as children now send their own kids).
- Wide variety of engaging activities: archery, boating, team building, canoing, shooting BB guns, gaga ball, arts & crafts, swimming, and field games.
Insider tips
- Pack a lunch and bring a water bottle, as this is expected for the day camp.
- ALWAYS remember to look both ways when pulling out of or turning into the camp entrance, as drivers frequently do not, and traffic on the neighborhood hill can be unexpected.
- Exercise extreme caution if walking along Clearwater Lake Road due to the absence of sidewalks and speeding parent traffic, particularly during camp season.
- Be aware of your surroundings for snakes when in wooded areas.
Good to know before you go
- Parents or pedestrians who are not prepared to be extremely vigilant about traffic safety around the camp's entrance and on the adjacent public road.
- Families highly sensitive to wildlife such as snakes in natural environments, particularly in wooded areas.
- Those who prefer a highly urban or completely indoor entertainment venue, as this camp is focused on outdoors.
- Significant traffic safety issues at the camp entrance/exit: drivers (specifically parents of campers) are reported to rarely look both ways when pulling in or out, posing a hazard in a neighborhood with frequent, unexpected vehicle traffic.
- No sidewalks on Clearwater Lake Road, making walking dangerous, especially during camp season due to parents of campers frequently exceeding safe speed limits.
- Crowds
- No specific crowd numbers mentioned, but during 'camp season,' the adjacent Clearwater Lake Road experiences high vehicle traffic from parents, suggesting high activity during operational hours.
- Value
- Pricing information is not available from the reviews. The value proposition appears to be strong based on the diverse activities, quality of staff, and the overall positive experience reported by multiple generations of campers.
- Food
- Outside food is allowed and expected; parents are advised to 'Pack a lunch and bring a water bottle.'
- Accessibility
- Bathroom facilities are mentioned. No other specific accessibility accommodations are detailed in the reviews.
- Safety
- The camp has a locked gate and is surrounded by a barbed wire fence.
What parents say
"Great location for family and friends to experience the great outdoors."
2 years ago
"Great summer day camp for kids of many ages! Kids will enjoy there experience. Fun filled days! Games,singing, archery,boating, team building and great staff. There is an indoor sheltered area for days of not so good weather. Pack a lunch and bring a water bottle and enjoy!!!"
7 years ago
"Nice pond with walking trails and bathroom facilities. Also has a simple playground and archery set up, as well as pavilion and ?ampitheater. Locked gate. Surrounded by barbed wire fence. Plenty of snakes, so always be aware while you're in the woods! However, people pulling into and out of the can't RARELY LOOK both ways. This camp is located in a neighborhood with vehicles frequently coming down the hill and NOT expecting to be pulled in front of. ALWAYS remember to look both ways when pulling out or turning into the camp. People also walk along Clearwater Lake Rd, where there are no sidew"
4 years ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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