The Adult Summer Camp Trend Is Peak Nostalgia-Maxxing

The smell of campfire smoke, the feeling of dewy grass under your feet, the blinking of fireflies against the night sky. All these things transport you straight back to summer camp. To a time before cellphones felt like an appendage, and when days were spent beading bracelets and swimming instead of glued to a desk. In the age of “nostalgia-maxxing,” the loneliness epidemic, and the desire to unplug, adult summer camps are becoming a way to remedy all three.

“Adult summer camp is having a moment because people our age are craving the kind of connection and simplicity that used to happen naturally when we were younger,” says Emma Topp, head of social at EF Ultimate Break. “Summer camp was one of the few places where you showed up not knowing anyone, and by the end of the week, you had inside jokes, traditions, and a whole new group of friends. As adults, those environments are harder to come by.”

This adult vacation trend is particularly popular among Gen Z and millennial women looking to make friends and build bonds. Combine that with the benefits of being in nature while channeling some of your favorite childhood memories, and just like when you were a kid, traditional sleepaway camp may become your yearly ritual.

The Zoe Report rounded up five summer camp experiences — sans bunk beds — for adults to channel the wonder and joy of summers spent surrounded by the great outdoors and new BFFs.

Club Getaway: Connecticut

New England shines in the summer, and so do its camps. Marketed as an “escape for your inner child,” Club Getaway in Kent, Connecticut, is an all-inclusive blast from the past. There are a whopping 50-plus activities you can choose from, spread across its 300 wooded acres. Straight out of the ’90s, campers can tie-dye T-shirts, zipline through the canopies, participate in the “crazy Olympics,” and jump around on the lake’s inflatable water park. There are also dozens of adult-centric options like paint and sips, mixology classes, and themed parties. The only thing that doesn’t mirror your childhood camp experience is the cabins. The rustic, knotty-wood accommodations include memory foam mattresses, air conditioning, and daily housekeeping.

EF’s Camp Ultimate: Switzerland

As the top tour operator for Gen Z and millennials, EF tends to be on top of the trends. Enter Camp Ultimate. Taking place in the Swiss Alps, this brand-new summer camp experience is replacing mac n’ cheese with Swiss cheese tastings and bug juice with locally made wine. Don’t worry, this weeklong summer camp also hits on peak nostalgia with activities like s’mores by the campfire, ziplining through treetops, and splashing in the lake. Campers spend two nights by the picturesque lake in Lausanne and four nights in a Swiss chalet tucked among the alpine forest of Engelberg. Things get a bit more adult with hikes to mountain cheese houses and verdant vineyards, Swiss chocolate workshops, morning yoga, mountain-view barbecues, and stargazing sessions.

Camp Château: France

Created specifically for women, Camp Château offers croissants and camaraderie in the French countryside. Owned and operated by a cooperative of hundreds of women, this all-inclusive summer camp allows you to choose between staying at its 800-year-old castle or 19th century farmhouse. With its design to give women some R&R, reading by the pool and sipping on French wine is encouraged. As part of the experience, campers are allotted four to eight electives per day, including flower pressing, candlemaking, French cooking classes, horseback riding, hiking, journaling, kayaking, badminton and much more. And at the end of the day, gather around for a three- to four-course French meal, brimming with local wine and all the freshly baked French bread you can devour.

Camp Social: Pennsylvania

On the border of New York and Pennsylvania, up to 300 women gather for the three-day, all-inclusive summer camp that is Camp Social. With 99% of campers coming solo, it’s all about socializing (it’s literally in the name) with women of all ages and leaving with more friends than when you arrived. During the day, it’s total freedom. Campers can do morning yoga, Pilates, meditation, and journaling. Then, they can make friendship bracelets, vision boards, or tie-dye T-shirts, as well as trying archery, pickleball, or canoeing. At night, things are known to get a bit wild with DJ sets, outdoor movie nights, cocktail hours, and dinners that end with dancing on tables. One caveat: You will be bunking in the same cabin with multiple women you’ve never met, so coming with an open mind is key.

Cabot Citrus Farms: Florida

Things get fancy schmancy at this new summer camp experience. Golf has long been the main draw at Cabot Citrus Farms, but this resort in Florida’s Nature Coast has just unveiled a Camp Cabot package. This two-night escape swaps a wooden cabin for a bright and breezy two- or four-bedroom cottage to share with your closest friends. Campers can go bass fishing on the resort’s private lake, partake in a round or two of golf at its world-class courses, or try their hand at axe-throwing and clay shooting. After a day of activities, sit down for a smoked BBQ dinner, paired with bourbon, cigars, and s’mores around a glowing fire pit.