America's Best Summer Camps 2024

America's Best Summer Camps 2024

Summer camp activities often become idyllic memories: canoeing, campfires and long hikes with scenic views. These experiences are formative for the children who can experience them.

The American Camp Association is a national organization serving the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps in the U.S., which collectively welcome 26 million campers. Last year, the group released a study showing that 58 percent of youth said their time at summer camp "helped them appreciate the importance of being present in the moment." In today's fast-paced world, an opportunity to experience life away from omnipresent screens and endlessly updating timelines makes the experience of summer camp even more valuable.

With so many camps nationwide, though, parents have a challenging task in picking the right one for their children. Choosing a summer camp requires aligning its offerings with the personality and interests of the camper, as well as the safety and financial concerns of the parent. To help, Newsweek has partnered with data researcher Plant-A Insights Group to present the second annual ranking of America's Best Summer Camps.

The list presents the 500 best U.S. summer camps, split into 200 day camps and 300 overnight camps. The locations are ranked based on a survey of 30,000 parents conducted in 2023 and 2024 and nearly 700,000 social media reviews on Google and Facebook. Camps were rated on criteria like selection of offered activities, accessibility, staff-to-children ratio and camp safety.

This year's edition of America's Best Summer Camps offers the most far-reaching guidance on finding the right setting for your child's summer adventure.

These rankings are intended to support parents as they research summer camp options for their children. They are informational, not prescriptive: Parents and guardians, who know their children so well, are the decision-makers.