Camp Peregrine and Mountainside Adventures
are returning in 2023!
Online Registration opens January 31, 2023
Mohonk Preserve summer camp programs provide opportunities for children ages 7-13 to spend their summer outside enjoying the natural wonders the Shawangunk Ridge has to offer. Under the careful supervision of our dedicated and professional educators, campers will laugh, play and learn together; explore interests and abilities; and expand their understanding of themselves, each other and the natural world to which they belong.
Registering
You must have an online account through our online registration portal before you can register for any programs. Click here for a tutorial on how to set up an account.
- Some programs fill quickly. Don’t delay in registering your child!
- Registration opens for returning camp families January 24, 2023 and for the general public on January 31, 2023.
- We seek a closely balanced gender ratio for all summer programs.
- Scholarships are available! Applications are due January 11, 2023.
- Preserve members receive a discount on summer camp tuition! You must be a member prior to registering your child to be eligible for the discount. There are many other benefits to becoming a Preserve member. Click here to become a member.
Birth certificates are required for all new participants.
Registration opens January 31, 2023!
Camp Peregrine
As Peregrine falcons are known to travel widely, so will campers – wandering the forests, fields and streams of Mohonk Preserve. Through hiking expeditions, stream play, sketching, pond studies, storytelling, land art, and forest explorations, campers are encouraged to find their own unique expression and voice using nature as a medium. Creature searches, nature games, songs, and rambles in the outdoors will introduce your child to the wonders of the Shawangunk Ridge. Each day will be an adventure of exploration and discovery.
AGES: 7 to 10 years old (limit 15 campers/session)
TIME: One-week sessions, Monday through Friday, 9am-3pm
TUITION: $370 Members / $440 Non-Members
This summer we are offering three different themes repeating during the summer. Check the Camp Peregrine Session Description tab for descriptions of each camp week.
Session 1: July 10-14 – Mohonk Grows FULL
Session 2: July 17-21 – Rambles, Scrambles & More FULL
Session 3: July 24-28 – Creatures of Mohonk
Session 4: July 31-August 4 – Mohonk Grows
Session 5: August 7-11 – Rambles, Scrambles & More FULL
Session 6: August 14-18 – Creatures of Mohonk FULL
Please note: The drop-off and pick-up points vary each day for Camp Peregrine. Depending upon theme and planned activities, we rove on Mohonk Preserve or Mohonk Mountain House land. Parent packets, with map and daily locations, are provided in advance. 9am drop-off and 3pm pick-up is expected within a 15-minute window.
Mountainside Adventures
With over 8,000 acres, Mohonk Preserve lands offer unparalleled arenas for campers to explore! Mountainside Adventures allows campers to have fun while hiking to new and exciting destinations each day. Campers will focus on developing their problem-solving skills through exciting team challenges and spend their days creating their own adventures along the trails. Days will be active with quiet time at the end of each day for reflection, be it journaling in the forest or sketching within the recess of a rock crevice. Campers will get the chance to sleep out under the stars the last Thursday of their session (weather permitting).
AGES: 10 to 13 years old (limit 15 campers/session)
TIME: Choose from two summer sessions. Each session is two-weeks long with one overnight under the stars (weather permitting). Monday through Friday, 9am-3pm
TUITION: $755 Members / $825 Non-Members
Session 1: July 10-21
Session 2: July 31-August 11
Please note: The drop-off and pick-up points vary each day for Mountainside Adventures. Depending upon theme and planned activities, we rove on Mohonk Preserve or Mohonk Mountain House land. Parent packets, with map and daily locations, are provided in advance. 9am drop-off and 3pm pick-up is expected within a 15-minute window.
Mountainside Adventures Overnight
Tents
For the Mountainside Adventures overnight in 2023, our campers will be staying in tents individually unless they are siblings in the same household due to the risk of COVID exposure. Mohonk Preserve does have a limited number of tents that can be provided to campers who do not have access to one. Please let our educators know if you indicated that you could provide your camper(s) with a tent when you registered but no longer have access to one.
During the overnight, our campers will take part in evening and nighttime activities led by our instructors. In the morning, they will break down camp and take part in some games, crafts, and activities to wrap up their camp experience.
Last Day of Camp Options
As per feedback from last year from families and our instructors, Mountainside Adventures will be offering two pick up time options in 2023 on the last day. Camp families have the option of picking up their camper(s) at 12pm on the last day after a busy full night of fun camp activities. If this is not convenient or your camper wishes to stay the full day, campers have the option to be picked up at our regular end of camp time at 3pm. If your pickup time has changed since registration, please let our educators know.
A Typical Day At Camp
What should I expect a typical day in summer camp to be like for my child?
Mohonk Preserve operates six 1-week sessions and two 2-week sessions of outdoor day camps that are part of our award-winning Environmental Education Program. Our experienced, professional Lead and Environmental Educators work together with each and small group of campers while they play, hike, wade, explore, build, scramble and create.
Camp mornings begin at a Mohonk Preserve or Mohonk Mountain House access point. Educators and campers join in a morning circle to reflect about the previous day, and to discuss the current day’s adventure, snack and lunch spot, hiking terrain, activities, and expected stops. Campers are responsible for bringing their own lunch, snack, and water in a lightweight, durable daypack.
Each day is unique. Our travels take us through fields and forests, in and around ponds and streams, past cliff-side boulders, and up on ridges. Campers may build debris shelters, study stream creatures, create unique land art, cool off in rushing brooks, and rock scramble.
Campers come prepared with rain-gear each day, as we do hike in rainy weather. However, engaging indoor activities are always available if the educators switch locations and utilize one of our sheltered teaching spaces. Safety is our first priority. Pick up and drop off locations are subject to change due to inclement weather such as thunderstorms. Parents are notified in advance via email, about any changes in the schedule by 6pm the night before.
Each session ends with a closing ceremony that highlights the adventures, challenges, and exciting new realms that were explored. Parents and siblings are invited to attend.
Camp Peregrine is for children aged 7-10. Campers explore different themes each week with creative hands-on learning and fun in the outdoors. This program is enhanced by special days where parents are invited to join us for a closing ceremony.
Mountainside Adventures is for children aged 10-13. In addition to longer hikes and group challenges and initiatives, the campers may experience one exciting overnight under the stars during the second week of the session (weather permitting).
Why don’t you offer more sessions to serve more children?
Our camps are popular, in part, because of the small group size. Our Peregrine and Mountainside Adventure sessions are capped at 15 campers each in 2023. All camps require provisions for indoor accommodations in the event of thunderstorms, high winds, or other severe summer weather. The Preserve has limited indoor space at our Visitor Center and Brook Farm House, and all rooms are in full use throughout the summer months. Typically, we offer 6 sessions of Camp Peregrine, and 2 two-week sessions of Mountainside Adventures.
Why is early registration offered for returning campers?
Returning campers are given a one-week window to register before the general registration opens. This allows us to foster a deeper relationship with campers and their families.
Why can’t siblings and friends be guaranteed registration in the same camp session?
Our online registration operates on a first come, first serve basis, and some sessions fill quickly. Also, our camps seek a closely balanced gender ratio. It is impossible for us to guarantee spots for siblings and friend pairs, but we encourage you to plan ahead and register early. Once a camp session is full, we encourage you to use the wait-list.
Do you have scholarships available?
Yes. The Mohonk Preserve is committed to serving children, regardless of their ability to pay. Scholarship applications are available online and must be received by the deadline. Scholarship recipients will be notified prior to registration. Incomplete and late applications are not eligible.
The deadline for scholarship applications is January 11th, 2023.
Where does the camp meet each day?
Camp Peregrine and Mountainside Adventures rove on Mohonk Preserve and Mohonk Mountain House land. In order to optimize the camper experience, and explore the treasures of the ridge, drop-off and pick-up points vary each day depending on theme and activity. Parents are given a detailed schedule in advance and provided with a map (including an online, customized Google map).
What are the hours of your camps?
Our Camp Peregrine and Mountainside Adventures programs run from 9am-3pm, plus one overnight for Mountainside Adventures (weather permitting). Because of the unique nature of this program, we are not able to offer before or after care. Drop off and pick up must be within a 15-minute grace period.
What happens if I register my child and our plans change? Can I get a refund?
Refund Policy
Partial refunds (tuition cost minus a $75 processing fee) will be available if cancellations occur prior to February 7, 2023.
A 50% refund of tuition minus a $75 processing fee will be available prior to February 14, 2023.
Tuition is non-refundable after February 14, 2023.
Tuition and the enrollment fee are required at the time of registration. Please plan accordingly before registering.
Camp Peregrine
As Peregrine Falcons are known to travel widely, so will campers – wandering the forests, fields, and streams of Mohonk Preserve. Through hiking expeditions, stream play, sketching, pond studies, storytelling, land art, and forest explorations, campers are encouraged to find their own unique expression and voice using nature as a medium. Creature searches, nature games, songs, and rambles in the outdoors will introduce your child to the wonders of the Shawangunk Ridge. Each day will be an adventure of exploration and discovery.
Note: Camp Peregrine will offer three identical camp theme weeks during our 2023 summer session with identical activities and hikes.
Mohonk Grows
July 10th-14th & July 31st-August 4th
Spend the week hiking, exploring, and learning about the diversity of all things that grow on the ridge. From brightly colored flowers of the fields to the tall and mighty oaks of the forest – and don’t forget about those mosses on the rocks! We will explore it all. Throw in a visit to the stream and pond and we have the recipe for a perfect week of summer camp!
Rambles, Scrambles & More
July 17th-21st & August 7th-11th
Have an experienced hiker who loves the challenge of rock scrambling and enjoys hiking to some of our “secret” spots – this camp week is for you! Join us for a week of exploring the Preserve’s trails and favorite rock scrambles like Bonticou Crag and Rock Rift, while learning about the natural world around them. Campers attending this week should have experience with similar terrain and longer day hikes. Scrambles are weather permitting.
Creatures of Mohonk
July 24th-28th & August 14th-18th
Spend a week of hiking and exploring the ridge in search of the creatures that call Mohonk Preserve home! We will sweep for butterflies and dragonflies in the fields, scoop for invertebrates in the stream, search for signs of squirrels and deer in the forest, listen for frog calls in the pond, and look for birds in every habitat.
Scholarships
Mohonk Preserve is committed to serving families regardless of their economic status.
Completed scholarship applications and Consent and Release Forms must be received by January 11, 2023 to be considered.
Click here for the 2023 Scholarship Application
Click here for the 2023 Health Consent and Photo Release Form
Banner photo by Renée Zernitsky