Long Lake Camp for the Arts

★★★★★Dylan Berkeley

2026 will be my third summer coming to Long Lake, and I have to say that it is the closest you can get to heaven on Earth. The instruction (especially for theater and dance) is incredible, the counselors are kind and funny, the campus is gorgeous, and the people you meet here become friends for life. Before my first summer here, I felt lost and didn’t know who I was. And in just three weeks, I became an entirely new person. Long Lake has helped me grow immensely as a dancer (thank you Lina), an actress, and most importantly a person. I learned to advocate for myself, go with the flow, and appreciate even the smallest moments in life. I have met some of my closest friends here and I am so sad that I only have two more summers at Long Lake before I age out. It is my home away from home. Parents, if you have any hesitation at all about enrolling—LONG LAKE IS FANTASTIC! This place changes lives!

★★★★★Malee Sebag

My daughter started at Long Lake Camp for the Arts 3 summers ago, as a rising 7th grader. I waited until now to write a review because I wanted to be thoughtful and helpful for other families considering either here or their adjacent camp Long Lake Adventure. Her first summer was the first "real" summer after covid when parents were getting full swing back into overnight camps. Long Lake did a great job with their parents weekend showcasing all the activities the campers were into for 3 weeks: 3 musicals, 2 plays, ensemble music, pit orchestra, dance, improv, high wire/circus, Art mediums and more. The camp grounds are gorgeous and peaceful. She has built memories here, and I know will always refer to Long Lake as her happy place. When she first started, she was shy and nervous to be front of crowds and didn't join much other than instruments activites. By her 3rd summer she was in the pit, a musical, the ensemble, did art, and is so comfortable making it her second home. She's gotten private viola (and later sax for fun) lessons here, and is currently in a top Performance Art high school in NYC. However, this camp is for anyone at any level, or just to try. The specialty counselors are great and encouraging. It can be an intense 3 weeks, but if your kid is into arts/theatre arts it feels like play and there is no pressure cooker feelings. She has also met new friends/campers each year, even rising 9th grade first timers! We are a secular Jewish family, and I was concerned given the rise in antisemtism and I mentioned those concerns and the admins assured us of safety. And there was an incident of a child writing graffiti in the bathroom they informed us - the child ultimately left, thankfully. Some "negatives" are that the food can be so so. However, given how deep into the Adirondacks trucks/deliveries have to go to get there I think it's not bad (they feed your whole family on the two day parents weekend!). They have a new system where their info is updated on Campanion, including photos, but they are very slow to upload them (several days), and my child is not in very many. However, if I communicated those concerns I believe that would take them seriously and listen/improve. At this point I know she's happy and safe, so it’s not an issue. I haven't found cases of bullying or neglect. I don't know other campers personal issues, but this camp is not like some other bigger PA camps where it's very cliquey and mean kid. My child has expressed some campers can be annoying or whiny, or maybe campers don't like her for whatever reason, but that's anywhere - even in adult life. I like the smaller camp to many counselors ratio. The campers come from all over the country, and some international ones, not heavy focused in NYC kids, where I find more "stage mom" vibes. And I love that the counselors are from all over the world too: Europe, South America, Australia. And they have a high standard in who they hire. No teens, or random/non specialized counselors. Her rising 7th grade brother just completed his first summer at the Adventure side, and he too, had a stellar first camp summer (review coming there!). The admins are easy and welcoming to talk too. I've never felt dismissed. I chat with them throughout the year when I've had questions and they always get back to me right away. The camp has been around since the mid 1900's and there's a good reason: they know what they are doing! Nothing is perfect, but my daughter gives her summers a Long Lake a score 9/10 - 10/10 and counting, so that's more than enough for us. We are looking forward to her twin brothers starting in a few years, hopefully too! *My camper attends the 3rd summer session.

★Renee Miller

I am writing this review with great care, and with one clear intention: to prevent other families, especially those with masking neurodivergent children, from unknowingly placing their child in an unsafe environment. Our daughter attended Long Lake for two consecutive summers. The first year was positive enough that we felt comfortable returning. The second year was profoundly harmful. The contrast between those two experiences was not just jarring, it revealed a deeper structural danger that I believe parents deserve to understand fully. To us, this camp presented a split reality. On the surface, it presented a warm, affirming, arts-centered experience led by talented theater directors, music teachers, and dance instructors. Our daughter loved her arts instructors deeply. She felt seen, valued, and encouraged by them, and those relationships mattered to her immensely. That is precisely what made the situation so dangerous. In a sleepaway setting, where parents do not have daily access to their children, strong emotional bonds with beloved staff can keep children silent about harm occurring elsewhere. In our daughter’s case, her love for the arts program and the adults who led it caused her to endure mistreatment quietly, rather than risk losing the one part of camp where she felt safe and appreciated. The counseling staff, unit leadership, medical staff, and top administration operated very differently from the arts faculty. Once our daughter became entangled in a typical, sibling-like dynamic with a good friend who shares similar sensitivities and communication styles, one that included frequent bickering, she was subjected to weeks of heightened surveillance. She became the scapegoat in her bunk. The other child frequently reported concerns to counselors, while our daughter, fearful of getting in trouble or losing friendships, did not. As a highly masked autistic child, she absorbed blame silently rather than risk social fallout. Staff heard only one narrative, and rather than questioning that imbalance, they treated her silence as evidence of guilt and bullying. Our daughter is autistic (Level 1). We were transparent about this in the application process. She struggles with social pragmatics, anxiety, and fear of misinterpretation. She masks heavily, works overtime to appear “normal,” and is deeply motivated to be liked and to stay out of trouble. This results in significant internal stress and exhaustion, and she requires small amounts of daily alone time to regulate. We were explicitly assured by the camp that they were skilled and experienced in supporting neurodivergent campers. They told us that they have many autistic campers that return each year. In practice, that assurance proved hollow, and in hindsight, I wonder how isolated or supported those campers really are. At one point, when we asked whether our daughter was receiving the alone time she needed to reset, the unit lead forced her to sit alone on a bench with a used old tattered notebook for her “feelings.” This was framed as regulation, but experienced as punishment and isolation. When we asked for staff to truly listen to our daughter’s perspective, she was instead talked at and pressured into agreeing that she was a “bully.” Our daughter is not, and has never been, a bully. She is a child who over-accepts responsibility in moments of confusion because she assumes she has misunderstood something. She apologizes reflexively. She is extremely open to feedback and will readily change behavior if something is explained to her. Her autistic traits, like singing to herself, talking aloud, impulsivity, difficulty with personal space, and rigidity around rules can irritate peers, and she is often tattled on. But she is not intentionally mean. Nevertheless, she was repeatedly labeled as such by adults in authority.

★★★★★Cynthia Sherwood

My daughter just completed her 3rd summer at Long Lake Camp of the Arts. She has really grown as a person as well as an artist over these 3 summers. She has grown in confidence and skill through her work in musical theater in roles of increasing significance with the support of excellent theater and music directors. In addition, she has developed brand new skills in circus and ceramics, both of which she had no previous exposure. The choices afforded the campers allow them to take risks, learn new things, and discover new talents. Perhaps most important of all, at camp she has “found her people” amongst her fellow campers who are like-minded creative, fun, playful and supportive friends who also love to pour themselves into abundant artistic opportunities offered at camp. I highly recommend Long Lake Camp of the Arts to families looking for a deep and meaningful arts camp experience for their child.

★★★★★Jennifer Penn

Long Lake Camp of the Arts is outstanding! My daughter looks forward to camp the entire year! I can’t believe her growth in the 6 weeks she spends at the camp. She has had acting class, singing lessons, song writing, circus and improv. She has also learned how to play several instruments. She has made lasting friendships from people from all over the world. The staff is amazing! My daughter has cried a few times because next summer will be her last year. She loves it so much that she plans on becoming a camp counselor!