YMCA Camp Kern Summer Camp

YMCA Camp Kern Summer Camp includes a wide range of activities such as archery, canoeing, kayaking, swimming in the pool, and lake play with stand-up paddleboards and splash games. Campers take part in nature hikes, creek exploration, wilderness skills like fire building and shelter making, environmental education, bug hunts, and animal encounters with camp farm animals, as well as star gazing and astronomy. The program also offers a climbing wall, high ropes course, zip lines, team-building low ropes, trust falls and group challenges, gaga ball, basketball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, camp-wide capture the flag, counselor hunt, scavenger hunts, skit night, improv games, talent shows, lip sync battles, campfire songs and storytelling, opening and closing campfires, cabin challenge nights, themed dance parties, all-camp games, glow night, night hikes, s’mores and reflections, village games, camp out/cook out night, big game, underseige, camp dance, arts and crafts such as tie-dye, nature art, face painting, friendship bracelets, and camp journaling.

• Ages: 7–14 years old
• Schedule: Residential/Overnight Camp, Sunday–Friday
• Price: Super-Weekend Stayover cost: $120 per camper; Trail Ride cost: $30 per camper; River Rafting cost: $30 per camper

YMCA Camp Kern Summer Camp offers several village-based overnight options, including Frontier Village for ages 7–9, Explorer Village for ages 9–11, Adventure Village for ages 11–13, and Pioneer Village for ages 13–14. The program also includes Kern F.C. soccer-focused traditional camp for ages 9–11 and 11–13, horse programs for beginners through advanced equestrians with activities such as trail rides, ring work, and horse care, and options like trail ride and river rafting. A Super-Weekend Stayover add-on includes weekend lodging, daily meals, laundry service, and a day trip to King’s Island with transportation and a meal and drink plan at the park.

YMCA Camp Kern Summer Camp is part of YMCA Camp Kern, which features cabins, activity areas, trails, a pool, a lake, a climbing wall, high ropes course, zip lines, Circle K Ranch, an indoor riding arena, camp farm animals, a 55-foot-high climbing tower, more than 5 miles of hiking trails, and is home to over 60 horses. Ozone Zipline Adventures at Camp Kern is open to the public and for group bookings, and the camp also runs family camp programs with family weekend retreats, themed events, and seasonal celebrations, as well as outdoor education programs that partner with schools.

Camp Kern has been creating summer memories since 1910 and is described as one of the oldest continually operating YMCA camps in the United States, and it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a proud part of the YMCA of Greater Dayton. The camp states a mission that life-changing growth happens when people disconnect from the noise of daily life and connect with nature, each other, and themselves, and it notes a guest-first philosophy with safety as a top priority and a stated non-discrimination policy reflecting a commitment to diversity and inclusion. One parent shared that their child Elizabeth showed noticeable growth in one week and asked to return before leaving the parking lot, and another parent reported that their kids loved Camp Kern and were still talking about it two weeks later.

Last updated December 15, 2025.