About YMCA Camp Ernst
YMCA Camp Ernst stands out as a highly beloved summer camp, consistently earning 5-star reviews for its fun-filled, active, and challenging outdoor programs. It particularly excels at fostering personal growth and social connections, making it highly effective for shy children who learn to thrive and make new friends. Campers rave about the diverse activities, including a pool, lake activities, ropes course, giant swing, gaga pit, Burma Bridge, zip line, horse riding, and creeking. The camp is noted for its wonderful, caring staff, excellent food provisions (with evening outside food delivery options), and an environment where kids feel accepted to 'be YOU'. It also offers specific programs like 'Camp Carrol' for Military Veteran children, indicating a strong community focus and high camper loyalty.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Children seeking a fun-filled, active, and challenging outdoor summer camp experience.Shy or quiet children who need a supportive environment to make friends and gain confidence away from home.Kids who enjoy adventurous activities such as ropes courses, zip lines, horse riding, and lake activities.Families of Military Veterans looking for a dedicated and supportive camp program (Camp Carrol).Children looking for a caring environment where they feel accepted and can be themselves.
Why families love it
- Diverse and creative activities for all ages, including pool, lake, ropes course, giant swing, gaga pit, Burma Bridge, zip line, horse riding, and creeking.
- Wonderful, caring, and interactive staff and counselors who foster positive relationships.
- Exceptional at helping shy children make friends and feel comfortable, even away from home for extended periods (e.g., 6 days).
- High camper satisfaction and loyalty, with children returning for multiple years and not wanting to leave.
- Ensures children are well-fed with 'great food' and provides an option for outside food delivery in the evenings.
- Fosters an environment where campers feel a strong sense of belonging and are encouraged to 'be YOU'.
Insider tips
- Consider this camp particularly if your child is shy or quiet, as the staff is praised for helping them make friends and enjoy their time away from home.
- If your child thrives on active outdoor adventures, water activities, and challenging physical programs, this camp offers a wide variety.
- Military Veteran families should inquire specifically about the 'Camp Carrol' program.
- Expect your child to be well-fed, as the camp provides 'great food' and ensures campers 'could never starve'.
- Based on repeated positive experiences, this camp is a strong candidate for multi-year enrollment.
Good to know before you go
- No specific situations or types of children to avoid were mentioned in these overwhelmingly positive reviews.
- No specific concerns reported by parents in these reviews regarding the summer camp experience. (Note: One review was clearly for a general YMCA facility, not the camp, and contained no negative feedback.)
- Value
- No specific pricing details are provided in these reviews. However, the consistent 5-star ratings, repeated attendance over multiple years, and parents' eagerness to re-enroll suggest a high perceived value for the comprehensive experience, diverse activities, caring staff, and food provisions.
- Food
- Camp provides 'great food' ensuring children are well-fed and 'could never starve'.
- Accessibility
- No specific accessibility accommodations were mentioned in the reviews.
- Safety
- Reviews highlight 'wonderful Staff and Support personnel' who are 'great with interacting with all the kids', implying active supervision and care. Activities like ropes courses and zip lines inherently require safety protocols, though these were not explicitly detailed by reviewers.
What parents say
"AWESOME....AWESOME Fun Filled Camp. This is a great camp for you to bring your kids to. They have lots of fun and creative activities for all ages to enjoy. My girl has been to this Camp Ernst for 3 years now and is looking forward to getting back again this coming August. She goes there with the Camp Carrol, it's for the Military Veteran kids to enjoy a week of camping and connecting with new friends. Abby loves the pool, lake, ropes course, giant swing and gaga pit is probably her favorite. All the Staff and Support personnel are wonderful with interacting with all the kids. The food is grea"
6 years ago
"Today was my first day to this YMCA, I wore a necklace that had a ring on it, after sitting in the sauna for 30 ish minutes, my necklace was starting to burn my skin, so i put it in my pocket. Somehow when i came back to my locker, someone put my necklace on the island next to the lockers. I don't know who it was but i really appreciate it, that was very thoughtful."
5 months ago
"Great combination of active, challenging programs for our girls' troop - from Burma Bridge, zip line to horse riding and just "creeking"."
5 years ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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