We are excited for another summer of camp, where our promise to parents is to return your child at the end of the day “tired, happy, and dirty”!
Chester Bowl Camps are based on a philosophy of nature play, positive social interaction with peers, teen mentors, and adult staff, and immersion in nature. We see campers thrive in an environment where they are given age-appropriate amounts of choice, responsibility, and risk. A typical day may include unstructured play time on the playground, group games and activities with both the full group and smaller groups, arts and crafts, hiking through Chester on the way to a local field trip, fort building, making boats from natural materials, playing in the creek, smiling, laughing, making new friends, and asking “do I really need to go home now?” at the end of the day.
Camp is Monday through Thursday, June 8 through August 13, and campers are signed up by the week. Campers can be dropped off starting at 8am and must be picked up before 5pm each day. There are no early drop-off or late pick-up options at Chester Bowl. Parents are required to adhere to the camp drop-off & pick-up times and there will be no exceptions made to the times listed above.
Campers must be between 6 years old (or have completed kindergarten) and 12 years old at the start of camp in order to attend. We have found that campers that can hike at least 2 miles are successful at camp.
Camp is usually offered at three locations within Chester Park. We are anticipating remodeling the Thom Storm Chalet (Middle Chester) this summer which means we will not be able to use the Middle or Upper Chester locations during camp. We are currently working towards securing a second camp locations for summer 2026.
Lower Chester- located at 1417 E. 5th Street, Lower Chester Park is an awesome resource for our camp. Aside from awesome hiking trails, a great swimming hole, and being a short hike away from Upper Chester, Lower Chester has a paved hockey rink perfect for skateboarding, biking, and scootering. Campers can come with their helmets and wheeled devices to take advantage of the rink.
TBD Camp Location- MORE INFO COMING SOON!
Middle Chester- CLOSED in 2026, RETURNING 2027
Upper Chester- CLOSED in 2026, RETURNING 2027
Parent Handbook: Parents are required to read through our parent handbook before sending their kiddos to camp. This not only will inform families about camp but will ensure that campers and parents are aware of our expectations for behavior. To view the parent handbook follow this link!
REGISTRATION TIMELINE & AVAILABILITY
Scholarship registration is open though March 2 (see link below) and closes prior to registration opening. Families will be notified of their award amount prior to registering. After scholarships are awarded there will likely be no available scholarship funding available for late comers.
Registration will open for returning families mid-March. Returning families will have a few days to select camper spots before the link is posted on this page for new families to register.
COSTS, REFUNDS, & SCHOLARSHIPS
Costs: Each week of camp costs $210 per camper and there is one-time $75 family registration fee.
Payments: Parents can choose to pay in full or enroll in a payment plan which will split your total cost into thirds. The first charge will happen they day you register, the second, April 1, the third May 1. All summer camp fees are due May 1 and campers with unpaid balances will be removed from registration. Parents can pay with e-checks, credit, or debit cards.
Refunds: Tuition is based on registration, not attendance, and camp must be paid in full by May 1. You can cancel weeks and receive a partial refund (there is a $20 fee applied for each week of camp being canceled) up until May 1. After that date, if you cancel you will not be eligible for refunds.
Scholarships: Scholarship registration is open now until March 2, 2026. Follow this link to register for a potential scholarship!
This summer we are awarding $35,580 in scholarships! Scholarship funding was raised through Fall Fest gate donations, an annual silent auction and raffle, the November Warren Miller film screening, donations from individuals and businesses, and through generous grants of $10,000 from Essentia Health Community Contributions and $5,000 from the Boreal Waters Community Foundation’s Wetherby Fund.
SUMMER CADET PROGRAM
We will be offering the Summer Cadet Program, a teen volunteer opportunity, again this summer for those that have completed 7th grade up through those who are 15 years old. We also have a new Year-Round Cadet program where teens who are headed into 7th grade next fall can spend the year learning leadership skills, job readiness skills, and become leaders in their community. Find out all of the details here: https://www.chesterbowl.org/uncategorized/the-new-year-round-cadet-program/
QUESTIONS
Getting registered for camp can be challenging especially for new families. If you have questions about camp, registration, or anything else please email sam@chesterbowl.org.
