We know you have camp questions, and we have answers!
Good news! Camp registration is entirely online – saving everyone time and paper, and a few trees in the process. On each camp description page, find the link that says “Register Now!” You will be redirected to our registration portal in Active Network. Simply fill out the forms, submit your payment, and you will get instant confirmation through your email. Be sure to set up an account to make future registrations even easier.
During the registration process, you will see the option to add registration protection and Active Refund from Active Network, which can protect you for refund needs outside of the Baltimore Woods Nature Center refund policy. This is a third-party purchase and is NOT required as part of camp registration. This purchase is also NOT directly associated with Baltimore Woods Nature Center and may not be refundable.
Camper medical information, including vaccination records, must be updated every year, as per NYS law. Baltimore Woods does not keep medical records from year to year. Medical forms are included in the online registration process. Vaccination records do need to be submitted annually via official documentation from the physician’s office. You can upload a copy directly into Active Network (click here for instructions), or ask your doctor’s office to fax the records to 315-673-3671. Records should be submitted at least 14 days before your camper’s first session. Campers without adequate vaccination documentation will not be admitted to camp.
Summer Nature Day Camp at Baltimore Woods has been run and managed by Baltimore Woods for more than three decades. The Camp Director, Assistant Health Director, and all counselors are certified in First-Aid, AED, and CPR. Local emergency response teams have maps of the complete nature preserve. The Camp Director and health personnel remain in or near the main office throughout the day and are able to contact each counselor via walkie-talkie and/or cell phone. During Summer Camp, the main office is open from 8am to 4:30pm.
Summer Nature Adventure Day Camp is for children entering grades K-8 in the fall; children must be 5 years old before their first camp session. Nature’s Little Explorers ½ day camp is for 4 or 5 year olds; children must be 4 by July 1st. Voyager Camp is for children entering grades 5-8 in the fall; children must be 10 by their first session. High school students are encouraged to become Teen Volunteers. Click here for more information about that program.
Camp hours run from 9am to 3pm for Classic and Voyager Camps. Nature’s Little Explorer’s Camp runs from 9am – noon. After Care is available from 3pm-4:30pm for campers in Classic and Voyager Camps.
Each camp session is five days long, running Monday through Friday. There are eight weeks of camp sessions beginning in early July.
$305 per session for Classic Camps. $315 per session for Voyager Camps. $170 per session for Nature’s Little Explorers Camps.
Multiple week and multiple child discounts ($5) are automatically applied when you register. Discounts apply beginning with the second child and/or the second week.
Campers are grouped primarily by grade level. This ensures that campers with similar maturity, physical abilities, and educational levels are grouped together, which helps our counselors plan age-appropriate activities, lessons, and hikes. Groupings typically are: Kindergarten and First graders, Second and Third graders, Fourth and Fifth graders, and Sixth through Eighth graders.
Friend requests are subject to available space within a group, and cannot be guaranteed. Campers wishing to be grouped together must be in the same grade (or within the grade groupings listed in the previous question). Due to the difficulty of arranging the most balanced camp groups, campers can only request one friend with which to be placed, and both campers must request one another.
A full packing list for NLE half day campers can be downloaded here.
A full packing list for full day campers can be downloaded here.
In general, each camper should bring:
- Their own food (including snack) and drink for the day
- At least one or two bottles (not glass) of water each day
- A sturdy backpack. They cannot use hand-held packs or lunch boxes. Campers’ hands and arms will get too tired and they need their arms for balance when walking through woods and along streams.
- A hat (highly recommended for July weeks when the deer flies are most abundant)
- Long pants for walking through heavy brush
- Sneakers or hiking boots (no open-toed sandals)
- Rain jacket
- A book to read or journal to write in during quiet rest times.
If your child needs to take medications while at camp, or needs to carry emergency meds, be sure to include this information on your registration forms so we can contact you before camp to make sure everything is in order.
All medications, prescription, emergency, and OTC will be checked in with the Assistant Health Director on Monday morning during drop-off. They will ensure that your accompanying paperwork is complete (see below) and that your camper has access to their medication when needed.
Campers must be able to self-administer medications taken during camp. Health department regulations prohibit us from administering medications to campers under non-emergency conditions.
You will need:
- The medication (camps are not allowed to supply medications to campers)
- A signed permission slip giving your consent for the medication to be taken while at camp.
- Doctor’s written orders (instructions for how/when to take the medication)
- Accompanying information for prescriptions meds (see below)
All medications, prescription and over the counter must include written orders from your child’s doctor and your child must be able to self-administer it. Written orders from the doctor must include the camper’s name and date of birth. Pharmacy labels are not a substitute for written orders.
Prescription medications must be labeled with:
- Camper’s name
- Date prescription was filled
- Expiration date
- Directions for use
- Precautions
- Storage requirements
- Dispensing pharmacy name and address
- Name of the prescribing physician
Bring all medications and accompanying documentation in a waterproof bag (ziplock style is good) labeled with your camper’s name. Medications will be kept locked up on site throughout the week unless other arrangements are made.
Please get in touch with us as soon as possible if you have medication concerns so we can make a plan. Email [email protected] or call 315-673-1350.
Absolutely – and it is a good idea. It is best to put these things on in the morning before coming to camp and campers can reapply as needed throughout the day. Half-day campers will not likely need to reapply since they are only here for a few hours.
Health Department regulations consider both insect repellent and sunscreen to be medications, so they have some special rules:
- All insect repellent and sunscreen bottles need to be clearly labeled with the camper’s name.
- Parents need to sign a permission form for their campers to carry and use these products at camp. This form can be filled out online in your Active Parent Account or we can do it during check in on the first day of camp. Filling it out online ahead of time will speed up your check-in process.
Camp is “on” even if it rains. There are all kinds of creatures and plants that become visible in the rain so the campers should be prepared to go hiking in the rain. Counselors bring along rain flys for the hikes, if needed, and groups can rotate through sheltered activity areas, too. During a dangerous thunder and lightning storm, campers will seek shelter in the Interpretive Center, log cabin, or deep woods.
The camp counselors are highly qualified adults. They enjoy working with children, being outdoors and staying active. Most are certified teachers (BS/MS degrees) with years of experience working with children. Others have years of experience as camp counselors or environmental educators. Each must go through an interview process including verification of their references, background checks, and camp staff training. In addition, all names and addresses are submitted to the County Health Department.
Each counselor is equipped with a walkie-talkie so they can stay in touch with all the other counselors and the main office at all times. Each counselor is supplied with a small first-aid kit and is certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED use.
Typically during summer nature day camp, each counselor works with a group of no more than 10 children similar in age and physical abilities. When possible, one or more Teen Volunteers (TVs) are assigned to a group. TVs are former campers running in age from 14-18 who volunteer to help counselors and share their experiences with the next generation of campers.
Campers spend the entire day outside immersed in nature. A typical day may consist of nature games/lessons, hiking and exploring (looking for snakes, catching frogs, finding salamanders, etc.), and adventure! Our counselors are constantly on the lookout for teachable moments and open to opportunities that may arise for imaginative play and camper-led discovery. Counselors coordinate their daily schedule to make sure groups can rotate to camper-favorite areas during the week. With over 25 camp spots, there’s always something new to find.
Yes, the activities are geared to the age groups. Each age group will travel to different destinations on the preserve, engaging in different games and activities each day that are geared toward the group’s interests and ability levels. Our counselors have access to a variety of field equipment (nets, bug jars, field guides, binoculars) and are always ready to help campers learn about their discoveries. When hiking, children ages 5 & 6 will hike about a mile each day as they go about exploring the fields, woods, pond and streams. Older children hike faster and farther, and may put in 3-4 miles in a day. The Nature’s Little Explorers program for 4 and 5 year olds hike just under a mile on a typical day.
Approximately 75-80 percent of our campers return. Many of our campers become Teen Volunteers and even Counselors. Parents who were campers at Baltimore Woods as children now send their own children to have the same great nature experience. Camp has become a true multigenerational family experience.
The Baltimore Woods Summer Nature Day Camp program is licensed, as required by the NYS Department of Health. The program will be inspected twice this summer and inspection reports are on file at: Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, John H. Mulroy Civic Center, 12th Floor, 421 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 13202, Telephone: (315) 435-6617
Cancellations for any reason must be made prior to two weeks before your registered session to receive a refund. All refunds will be charged a $50 non-refundable deposit. Within the two weeks prior to your session, refunds will only be given for documented medical or family emergencies. Once a session has started or your child arrives at camp, a refund will not be given. Missed or unused days during a camp session will not be given a refund.
Parents can self-cancel registrations until June 1st. Log in to your Active Parent Portal to access this feature. Cancellation requests after June 1st should be submitted in writing via email, directed to [email protected].
If you need to change sessions there is a $20 Session Swapping fee per camper per swap.
Refunds will be issued to the credit card or bank account used for registration. Families have the option of keeping the refund as a credit in their Active account to be used toward a future camp registration.During the registration process, you will see the option to add registration protection and Active Refund from Active Network, which can protect you for refund needs outside of the Baltimore Woods Nature Center refund policy. This is a third-party purchase and is NOT required as part of camp registration. This purchase is also NOT directly associated with Baltimore Woods Nature Center and may not be refundable.
Yes! Campers are encouraged to come back throughout the summer. It is a good idea to spread return sessions across the weeks. Due to limited space and our desire to keep campers engaged while they are here, we strongly recommend not coming for more than three weeks each summer. This allows other families to benefit from the experience, as well.
Yes, camp sessions that are full will show “waitlist only” next to the session or tuition name. There is no fee for signing up on the waitlists. We will notify families on the waitlist when openings are available.
We believe that all children should have access to nature and want to do everything in our capabilities to make sure your child has an enjoyable experience at camp. Please give us a call at 315-673-1350 before registering so we can discuss your child’s needs and make a plan together to ensure your child has a great week. If you are considering our camp and it is at all possible, please reach out for this discussion prior to camp registration opening so we can plan for the best possible experience.
Portable toilets will be available at the upper parking lot, the lower parking lot, and the “Miami Beach” area on the north end of the preserve. Portable toilets and restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly once daily.
If your child is unfamiliar or uncomfortable using portable toilets, we encourage you to bring your child to Baltimore Woods before summer camp begins to become familiarized with these facilities – it can go a long way toward reducing anxiety and accidents at camp.
Though not as active during the hot dry summer weeks, ticks are common everywhere in Central New York and we encourage families to take precautions. Camp groups will conduct regular tick checks throughout the day. Additionally, families should do daily and thorough tick checks when you get home, putting clothes directly in the wash and hot dryer, wearing long pants and tucking in your socks, and using effective insect repellent on clothing. For more details on tick bite prevention, visit the CDC’s helpful webpage.
We recommend that parents apply insect repellent prior to arrival at camp. Campers wishing to carry and apply repellent while at camp need to have a signed permission form (received as an attachment to registration confirmation emails).
Per NYS Department of Health rules for children’s camps, all campers and staff will undergo a health screening on their first day of camp. This will include questions regarding recent exposures to communicable diseases, recent or current diagnoses of communicable illnesses, and recent or current symptoms of illness in the two weeks leading up to your first day of camp. This first-day screening will include the use of a digital no-touch thermometer. Campers who have taken fever-reducing medication within 24 hours of coming to camp will not be admitted.
On Tuesdays – Fridays we will ask for any updates or changes to your child’s health, including new symptoms. These check-ins may use a digital thermometer if your child appears ill or has been exposed to a communicable illness anytime during the camp week (either at camp or at home).
If your child has been in contact with someone, or has a diagnoses or symptoms of a communicable illness (such as COVID-19, flu, colds, stomach bug, pink eye, measles, polio, strep throat, RSV, etc), please do not bring them to camp and give us a call to speak with our on-site Assistant Health Director to discuss options and next steps.
It may be necessary for Baltimore Woods Nature Center to implement certain safety precautions and protocols consistent with guidance offered from the Centers for Disease Control, the New York State Department of Health and other public health agencies. If necessary, these measures may include physical distancing, daily health screenings, temperature checks, masking and other measures designed to provide protection against transmission of communicable illnesses.
Campers will be provided a mask if a situation should arise when they need to wear one (for example, if someone else in their group develops symptoms or tests positive during the camp week). Any camper wishing to wear a mask even when not required will be supported in doing so.
For more details on our communicable diseases at camp policies and procedures, download our plan here.