Summer Camps for the Whole Family

For a summer vacation that combines the outdoor appeal of camping (without having to load the gear and pitch a tent), the comforts of a cottage, lots of activities for everyone and someone else doing the cooking, consider one of these New England options. They’re like summer camp, but for the whole family and with no forced schedule. At all these, kids will find plenty of playmates and swim buddies.

Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake

A lunch cook-out by the shore, Migis Resort, Sebago Lake Maine © Stillman Rogers

Log cottages sit under tall pines along the shore of Sebago Lake, Maine’s second-largest and the deepest (316 feet) lake at 12 miles long with about 105 miles of shoreline. Migis Lodge guests can use the resort’s canoes, kayaks, sail boats (from Sunfish to fiberglass 18-footers), row boats, power and pontoon boats. Waterskiing and wakeboarding are also available with lessons. There are two golden sand beaches and lawns for sunbathing, tennis courts, a fitness center and a wood-fired sauna. Cottages are decorated in a rustic country style, with big stone fireplaces and firewood provided. There are also rooms in the main lodge. Migis is an all-included resort, with all meals included in the room rate. The menu combines family favorites with more innovative choices; breakfasts include entrees like eggs Benedict and lunch can be in the dining room or at the daily barbecue and picnic on the lake shore. Campfires and ‘smores are part of the evening routine.

Loon Mountain Resort, Lincoln, New Hampshire © Stillman Rogers

Purity Spring in the White Mountains

Lodgings at northern New Hampshire’s Purity Spring, a laid-back lakeside resort where some families have returned each summer for three and four generations, come in a range of choices. There are the homey comforts of the century-old inn, cozy cottages, luxury rooms overlooking Purity Lake, condos and modest lodge rooms and suites. Wherever guests stay, they are welcome to use all the facilities and join all the activities: the full-sized swimming pool, fitness center, kayaks, canoes, water skiing, hiking trails, mountain biking. Some suites and all cottages have kitchenettes, but the dining room and tavern serve family-pleasing meals, so hardly anyone bothers cooking (several packages include meals).

Ludlow, Okemo Mountain Resort © Stillman Rogers

Quimby Country, in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom

Like Purity Spring, Quimby Country has hosted family vacations in the rustic lakeside cottages for more than a century, so they know a thing or two about it. Families can play together or parents can spend time reading in a porch rocker while counselors take the kids on a hike or a picnic or to play games or learn crafts — it’s all included. Bike, swim, learn to fish; kayaks, paddleboards and boats are all there for guests to use. The 19 cottages vary in size, with as many as four bedrooms; some have kitchenettes, but all-inclusive plans are the most popular. After all, it’s everyone’s vacation.