Welcome to Pok-O-MacCready Camps
Grounded in a century of tradition, Pok-O-MacCready fosters personal growth for children by empowering them to achieve independence, create lifelong friendships, and develop a deep appreciation of the natural world in the Adirondacks and beyond.
Why we love it
- Independence and confidence
- Life-long friendships
- Ability to try new things
- Nature-based and screen-free
Good to know
- Overnight Camp
- From 6 to 16 years old
- For girls and boys
- Founded in 1905
- From 4,300 USD to 10,300 USD
- Max 210 campers
- From June to August
- English as main language
Overview
Grounded in a century of tradition, Pok-O-MacCready fosters personal growth for children by empowering them to achieve independence, create lifelong friendships, and develop a deep appreciation of the natural world in the Adirondacks and beyond.
Among the 40+ activities offered are: hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, rock climbing, kayaking, blacksmithing, mountain biking, sailing, sports, swimming, and creative arts. It's location in the Adirondack Park gives it access to hundreds of miles of trails and rivers for both day and overnight trips. Facilities available to every camper include an early 19th century working farm, an indoor rock climbing center, tennis and basketball courts, a street hockey complex, modern horse stables, ball fields, swimming and boating docks, and rustic cabins tucked into the fields and forest. A screen-free, nature-filled setting and small cabin groups promotes social growth, independence and conflict resolution.
Accommodation
Pok-O-MacCready has a variety of accomadations. Our youngest campers are housed in all-season, dormitory-style buildings with multiple rooms and ensuite bathrooms. Each room houses 6-8 campers and a counselor. Older campers move to rustic, stand-alone cabins on the edge of the forest or overlooking the lake. These cabins house 6-8 campers and a counselor. Campers walk from their cabins to a modern, shared restroom. Counselors-in-Training (15 and 16 year olds) move back into shared accomadations with ensuite restrooms.
Shared Bedrooms
Max 8 campers per room
Separate Bathrooms
Non-ensuite bathrooms
Ensuite Bathrooms
Room with ensuite bathroom
Facilities
Dining Room
Laundry
Fireplace
Arts room
Music room
Library
Lake
Tennis Court
Soccer Court
Basketball Court
Volleyball Court
Hockey Field
Horseriding Arena
Baseball field
Archery
Activities
We operate under a challange-by-choice philosophy in which we give campers the information required to make their own selection of activities. After trying an activity, they have the option of switching to something different. The only mandatory activities are all-camp games and activities designed for specific age-groups. All-camp events include theme-based capture-the-flag, dodgeball, Broadway Musical Night, Swim and Boat Carnival, The Pok-O-Palooza Music and Folk Festival, camp-wide scavenger hunt and relay races, Greek Feast, and many more.
Class activities include:
Day Hikes and Rock-climbing trips
Overnight Hikes
Horseback Riding
Blacksmithing (ages 12 and up)
Archery
Pottery
Swimming
Sailing
Rock-Climbing
Fishing
Tennis
Volleyball
Street Hockey
Soccer
Basketball
Baseball
Ultimate Frisbee
Theater
Arts and Crafts
Mountain Biking
Forest Fun
Canoe
Homesteading (Gardening and Baking)
Kayak
Creative Writing
Disc Golf
Camp Craft
Academic Courses
Tutoring as needed.
Video
Reviews
How to get to there
Address: Pok-O-MacCready Camps, 1391 Reber Rd N, Willsboro, NY 12996, United States
Closest Airport: Montreal or Burlington
Airport Pickup: Yes
Things to know
Cancellation Policy
Deposits are refundable until April 1st. Tuition is refundable until June 1st. All payments are refundable in case of a COVID-related cancellation.
Covid Measures
Families are asked to assess campers prior to their arrival at camp. If they are showing signs of any contagious sickness, they should stay home until they have recovered. They may come to camp once they are symptom free. Campers who show symptoms of sickness at camp will be assessed and monitored by the health staff and local physicians. If their condition is severe enough, we will ask families to pick them up, but most campers return to the program after a day or two in the health office. Months running
Health & Safety
Pok-O has three Registered Nurses on staff, with either school or emergency room experience. They work under doctor's orders from a local physician, and work closely with the local Department of Health. We maintain multiple AEDs on site, and are within a 10 minute drive of the Emergency Rescue Squad. There are two hospitals within 30 minutes of camp. Every staff member receives CPR training, and 60% of staff are Wilderness First Aid certified.
Staff & Student Ratio
3 : 1
Contact Pok-O-MacCready Camps
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The greatest camp on earth! My brother went there in the 70s. I went there in the 80s. My sons went there in the 2010s. People talk about Pok-O spirit and it is real. The sense of community, caring, support and bonding is incredible, but the proof is in the unlimited fun everyone has there. Pok-O is in one of the most beautiful spots in the US, gives kids access to the best of the best in outdoor experience in the Adirondacks, and lets kids gain amazing confidence in themselves as they grow up and learn to be independent. My first counselor from 1981 still works there: a sign of the life-long hold it can have on people, and the wonder of the place. It’s both magical and real. Not many places are like that!
Camp is a place where I feel like I belong. At camp, I feel like I am accepted and loved.
In a world that seems more and more prescribed, camp is a necessary gift that we can give our children so that they may learn independence, gain confidence and have fun playing and challenging themselves individually and as a group. Pok-O does an incredible job setting the stage for just that sort of development and growth. I could not be happier that [she] has found the Pok-O community to be a home away from home to make new friends and try new things.
A truly unique and life enriching experience. I went with my siblings and cousins in the 80s and 90s, and now my daughter and my nieces and nephews are regular campers that spend the non-summer seasons excited to get back there. I most appreciate Pok-o as the place I connected with nature and grew through independence among new experiences and new people. Campers get to participate in extremely inventive and unique games and social activities that have lasted for decades. Plus there are zillions of classes spread out over the waterfront, the rock climbing facility, sports (hockey mainly) courts and fields, crafting facilities, and riding rings. Most importantly, the staff cares deeply about the kids, and they have infused the whole camp with the same warm, friendly and welcoming vibe for as long as I’ve known the place.
This really is “The Greatest Camp in the Universe”. I spent 10 amazing summers here as both a camper and a staff member. I was able to take part in a huge variety of activities: horseback riding; swimming; sailing; hiking; pottery and many more. It provided a safe, engaging environment to learn life-long skills and make life-long friends. A truly one-in-a-million place.