Raquette Lake Camps are located in the center of the Adirondack Mountains

Adirondack Mountains

The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....

 in upstate New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, west of Lake George

Lake George (New York)

Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...

 and south of Lake Placid

Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....

. They are approximately 5 hours from Boston, Philadelphia, Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, and the metro New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 area. Campers come from 18 different states and 10 countries. Campers can canoe for a radius of 100 miles (160.9 km) in all directions. The majority of the adjacent land is owned by the state and is utilized as a state park.

History

The camp has been in operation since 1916, and many campers are second or third generation campers. The camps have gone through numerous ownership changes, most recently being purchased by Kathi Lapidus in 1999. A number of camp traditions go back several generations, to the 1920s, such as Senior Tribe, Junior Tribe, Saranac, and Color War or Team Week.
Senior Tribe honors a select group of the oldest members of the camp who display the Five Cardinal Virtues in every aspect of their camp and daily lives. These tribesman then have their names inscribed onto tribe skin, which hangs in the Social Hall (rebuilt in 2006). Raquette Lake Camps strives to teach children fundamental values through everyday activities, among these being Obedience, Courage, Sportsmanship, Loyalty and Honor. These five ideals are known as the Five Cardinal Virtues. Junior Tribe is formed around the same Cardinal Virtues, but focuses on teaching younger men the importance of dedication and service to camp life and tradition.
Saranac is a canoe trip that has been offered at both the Boys Camp and Girls Camp since the 1920s. Beginning from the shores of the camp, Saranac allows the 14-year-old boys and girls to venture out on a four-day, 62-mile (not 80, Eddie.) trip up through the Raquette River into Saranac Lake.
Additionally, this camp is considered by Time Magazine as "one of the most exemplary places for a young man to mature."

Facilities

Raquette Lake has 18 tennis courts, 40 sailboats, 16 wind-surfers, 24 kayaks, 60 canoes, 18 power boats (including 6 Ski Nautique water ski and wake-board boats), plus hardball diamonds, a batting cage, soccer and lacrosse fields, basketball courts, and volleyball courts. It has a fully equipped gymnastics gymnasium with three balance beams, two mini-tramps, three spring boards, two sets of uneven parallel bars, two vaulting horses, 30 mats, and a 50 foot Tumble Trak and an 80 foot springboard floor. Indoor recreational facilities include a social hall, theater, Arts and Crafts center, a jewelry-making studio, a separate ceramics facility and an 8000 square feet (743.2 m²) gymnasium. A ropes challenge course provides 27 different high and low elements, including zip lines of 200 and 350 feet, and a three-sided 40-foot climbing wall.

Staffing

There is a 2:1 camper to staff ratio and an experienced adult leads each activity with the assistance of several counselors. All staff are required to have completed their first year of college and undergo an extensive background investigation. Some staff members have served as long as twenty-five years.

Activities

There is a day trip scheduled weekly at each camp. Trips are environmentally oriented, including; white water rafting, camping, canoeing, hiking and mountain climbing. In addition, a few recreational excursions are scheduled to the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid

Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....

, the Adirondack Museum

Adirondack Museum

The Adirondack Museum, located on NY-30 in the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake in Hamilton County, New York, is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Adirondacks...

 in Blue Mountain Lake

Blue Mountain Lake, New York

Blue Mountain Lake is a rural hamlet in the Town of Indian Lake of Hamilton County, New York located at the intersection of New York Routes 28 and 30 with a population of 146 according to the 2000 United States Census. Blue Mountain Lake also refers to the lake on the banks of which the village is...

, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown

Cooperstown, New York

Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...

, Six Flags

Six Flags

Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...

 Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom in Queensbury

Queensbury, New York

Queensbury is a town in and the county seat of Warren County, New York, United States. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county. The population was 25,441 at the 2000 census. The town is named in honor of Queen Charlotte, the consort of George III of Great Britain and Ireland. It...

 and a local water park. Special trips for teens include excursions to Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

, the Berkshires, and deep-lake fishing in Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...

.

Girls Camp

The featured activities at the Girls Camp include: Arts and Crafts, Jewelry Making, Ceramics, Soccer, Basketball, Softball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Tennis, Gymnastics, Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, Canoeing, Kayaking, Swimming, Sailing, Fishing, Theatre Arts, Dance, and Ropes Course.
43.821585°N 74.651134°W

Boys Camp

The featured activities at the Boys Camp include: Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, Soccer, Flag Football, Lacrosse, Floor Hockey, Roller Hockey, Ice Hockey, Softball, Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, Archery, Weight Training, Drama, Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, Sailing with awesome British guys, Windsurfing, Radio, Ropes Challenge Course, Fishing, High Peaks Adventure, Mountain Biking, Golf, Woodworking, Photography, and Arts and Crafts.
43.834682°N 74.63297°W

Accommodations

Campers live with 6 to 16 other campers in a cabin with at least three counselors. Some older bunks as Supy the oldest bunk can have up to 30 kids. Each age group has Group Leader who reports to the Head Counselor. At Girls Camp there are showers and bathrooms in each cabin. At Boys Camp all of the younger camper bunks and most of the older camper bunks have bathrooms in the cabins. In addition, there is a new shower house with 26 showers. Each camp has a fully equipped health center with a physician and three registered nurses.

Accreditation

Raquette Lake Camps is a member of the New York State Camp Directors Association and an accredited member of the American Camping Association.