The Nature Place Day Camp
The Nature Place Day Camp, 285 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977
About
The Nature Place Day Camp offers nature exploration, hiking, camping skills, swimming in a pool that looks like a pond, archery, cooperative games, woodworking, organic gardening, cooking, and the arts. Campers also take part in high ropes, African dance and drumming, West African dance, mucking in a stream, singing every morning, making art in nature, dancing, and an overnight family camping experience.
• Ages: 4–16 years old
• Schedule: Campers join for 4, 5, or 6 weeks.
The Nature Place Day Camp is a nature-oriented, outdoor, non-competitive, unplugged and media-free summer day camp with small numbers of campers and an unhurried schedule. It is family-run, family-owned and operated, and is an all-gender camp with a non-competitive philosophy and no awards given at camp. Nature is the center of the program rather than having a separate nature center. The camp describes its mission as providing an inclusive and representative space where campers can find their place in nature, embrace their unique selves, grow relationships and new life skills, build resilience, and be inspired throughout. The Nature Place Day Camp is a nature-oriented summer day camp in New York established in 1985.
Many staff members are previous Nature Place campers, some are teachers, some are in college, and a few are graduating from high school. Staff training includes workshops on conflict resolution, bullying, anti-racism, safety (physical and emotional), sustainability, ensuring a positive environment for LGBTQ+ campers and staff, and setting and maintaining the proper verbal environment at camp. Jason Samuel is the Director and Owner of The Nature Place and lives with his wife Katie and their son in Nyack, NY.
The Nature Place works closely with the Rockland Pride Center to continually evolve awareness around gender, inclusion, and camp culture. The Nature Place Day Camp has a 4.9 rating based on 59 reviews powered by Google. In testimonials, parents describe campers unplugging, slowing down, and connecting with friends and nature, and mention activities such as singing every morning, making art in nature, mucking in a stream, dancing, hiking, woodworking with tools like saws, hammers, nails, and sandpaper, African dance and drumming where every child uses a drum, swimming in a pool that looks like a pond, and an overnight family camping experience. Parents also describe the camp as non-competitive and wilderness focused, note that their children made friends and learned about the outdoors and plants, and mention frequent and clear communication from the camp and a feeling of being part of an extended family.
Last updated July 29, 2026.
• Ages: 4–16 years old
• Schedule: Campers join for 4, 5, or 6 weeks.
The Nature Place Day Camp is a nature-oriented, outdoor, non-competitive, unplugged and media-free summer day camp with small numbers of campers and an unhurried schedule. It is family-run, family-owned and operated, and is an all-gender camp with a non-competitive philosophy and no awards given at camp. Nature is the center of the program rather than having a separate nature center. The camp describes its mission as providing an inclusive and representative space where campers can find their place in nature, embrace their unique selves, grow relationships and new life skills, build resilience, and be inspired throughout. The Nature Place Day Camp is a nature-oriented summer day camp in New York established in 1985.
Many staff members are previous Nature Place campers, some are teachers, some are in college, and a few are graduating from high school. Staff training includes workshops on conflict resolution, bullying, anti-racism, safety (physical and emotional), sustainability, ensuring a positive environment for LGBTQ+ campers and staff, and setting and maintaining the proper verbal environment at camp. Jason Samuel is the Director and Owner of The Nature Place and lives with his wife Katie and their son in Nyack, NY.
The Nature Place works closely with the Rockland Pride Center to continually evolve awareness around gender, inclusion, and camp culture. The Nature Place Day Camp has a 4.9 rating based on 59 reviews powered by Google. In testimonials, parents describe campers unplugging, slowing down, and connecting with friends and nature, and mention activities such as singing every morning, making art in nature, mucking in a stream, dancing, hiking, woodworking with tools like saws, hammers, nails, and sandpaper, African dance and drumming where every child uses a drum, swimming in a pool that looks like a pond, and an overnight family camping experience. Parents also describe the camp as non-competitive and wilderness focused, note that their children made friends and learned about the outdoors and plants, and mention frequent and clear communication from the camp and a feeling of being part of an extended family.
Last updated July 29, 2026.
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