Getaways That Feel Like Adult Summer Camp

While you wait for the final episodes of Yellowstone, spend the summer pretending you’re a Montana rancher at The Resort at Paws Up and waking up in one of their luxury tents perched alongside the Blackfoot River. By day, saddle up to horseback ride like a real cowboy—you can even participate in cattle driving, penning or Horse Whispering. The list of activities goes well beyond equines though, with archery, canoeing, go-karting, fly-fishing and more.

Only a 30-minute drive from Park City Mountain Resort, The Lodge at Blue Sky makes the transition from winter sport to summer fun a breeze. A nature retreat spanning 3,500 stunning acres in the Wasatch Mountain Range, it includes a working ranch and regenerative farm that guests can experience through all kinds of adventures and learning activities. There’s also wildlife tracking, clay shooting, plein-air painting and rock-climbing (in other words, no running out of things to do). Afterwards, wind down with a whiskey tasting or restorative treatment at their world-class wellness spa.

A ski chalet in the Swiss Alps, The Capra Sass-Fee, turns into a chic summer escape. Adorned in plaids and warm woods, the lodge-style accommodation gives elevated camp vibes, while the activities available include the Adventure Forest with Europe’s longest Tyrolean zip-line, tennis, scootering and, of course, all the alpine hiking one can handle. As far as leisure goes, book in for a spa treatment (they also specialize in immersive health retreats) or request a barbeque with your buddies on the mountain.

One word: Waterslides. Turkey’s Maxx Royal Kemer Resort has a lot of things, and one of them is the Aquapark with seven different types of slides. There is lots of other water to frolic in too, including a number of pools—a heated seawater pool, laguna pool, semi-Olympic pool for swimming laps—and three different beaches to choose from. Like the talent nights of yore, but better, there’s lots of live entertainment regularly scheduled, including dancers and acrobats.

Nestled in a remote cove within British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest, Nimmo Bay is a fly-in or boat-in resort of just nine cabins, so it’s easily booked out for the ultimate adult summer camp experience with your squad. Kayak, paddle board, hike, heli to a remote river or higher alpine—adventures abound here. Rejuvenating wellness too, with a floating sauna, cedar hot tubs and spa, as well as indoor and outdoor spots for doing yoga.

If you preferred city summer programs to wilderness sleep-away camp as a kid then Hotel X Toronto is your adult version in Canada’s largest metropolis. The unique hotel is like a luxury YMCA. Its 10XTO’s fitness facility features squash courts, tennis courts, Pilates studio, hot yoga studio, spin studio, table tennis, basketball, Topgolf Swing Suite and more. There’s also an indoor-outdoor rooftop pool with big views of the city and a cinema-style screening room. The hotel’s location also puts guests in walking distance of The Canadian National Exhibition, concerts at Budweiser Stage and Toronto FC games at BMO Field.

With its quaint cottages, lodges and bungalows tucked in amongst birch and balsam trees, Hidden Pond in Maine is a little reminiscent of Kellerman’s Mountain House in Dirty Dancing. While they don’t do sultry dance classes (as far as we know), they do offer tie-dye, painting and mixology. Safely practice “the lift” in the lodge pool or adults-only pool, head to beach on cruiser bikes, book in for a round of golf, whip up a floral arrangement or take a guided nature walk. Of course, also make time for s’mores around the campfire.

Another property that feels decidedly Dirty Dancing is Vermont’s Kimpton Taconic Hotel, albeit much more refined. At this 86-room New England inn, there is morning coffee and tea served in the Living Room, as well as nightly social hour from 5 to 6 p.m. Out on their Green, play lawn games or arrange an axe-throwing event with your group then settle into Adirondack chairs around your own firepit for drinks, snacks and s’mores. Get out into the Green Mountains with a Land Rover Experience and return to the seasonal pool after to cool off and share your off-roading tales.

If you never care to step foot in anything remotely cabin-y again, take your summer camp spirit to the sleek Regent Phu Quoc where the palette is all calming, elevated neutrals. The island resort in Vietnam is on the Gulf of Siam so there are all sorts of watersports, including snorkeling and kayaking. Choose the more camp-like dinghy sailing or less sporty Serenity catamaran experience where you simply sit back with a glass of Champagne and enjoy the ocean view.

Summer is the best time for an African safari and Singita Sabora Tented Camp serves up the ultimate camp experience. Its nine luxurious tents are set within the 350,000-acre Singita Grumeti wilderness reserve. Bordering Serengeti National Park, it sets you up to witness the Great Migration July through September. Go on game drives and guided walks, or get a bird’s-eye view of it all from a hot air balloon, then return for wine tastings and fireside chats.