We strive to provide our campers with a healthy balance of fun and skill-building. Our top priority is ensuring that each girl has the freedom, support and encouragement to explore whatever interests her in a safe, supportive environment. We provide individual attention to each camper so that she can learn in a way that is progressive and age-appropriate, free from external pressures or unreachable expectations. For us, it is not about being the best or most experienced, but about the process of growing as a person through growing our skills.

At Berkshire Lake Arts Camp, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive community for all campers and staff. We welcome all girls, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, ability, identity or religious beliefs.

Our camp leadership is experienced and trained in supporting all types families’ individual needs and concerns. Please reach out to us to discuss your child’s specific circumstances - we welcome partnering with you to create a successful experience for them based on their individual needs. We strive to be as inclusive as possible and welcome all, but there may be some limitations to what we can accommodate. Please reach out to our Director Mandi at (413) 233-4950 or Mandi@berkshirelakeartscamp.com so we can start a conversation and see if our camp is the right fit for your child.

We are located in The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, along the shores of beautiful Lake Ashmere in the town of Hinsdale. We are about 3 hours from the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area and 2.5 hours from Boston.

Health and safety is our top concern. We have a registered nurse on-site 24 hours a day. Our head nurse thoroughly reviews each girl’s health history before the start of each session. During the session, our head nurse oversees all of our campers’ and staff’s health care and administration of all medications. In the event of an injury or illness, girls will be taken to the health lodge, at any time. Whenever possible, we seek to treat girls on site, but our medical staff are also well-educated on identifying concerns that require more advanced care off site.

Our closest hospital is the Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, MA, about a 20 minute drive from camp. There is also an urgent care in Pittsfield for smaller concerns.

Berkshire Lake Arts Camp complies with all regulations from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and we are licensed with our local Board of Health annually.
All staff are background checked annually, and proper certifications are in place for areas such as lifeguarding, archery, food service, CPR and first aid.
Thorough emergency procedures are in place and rehearsed each summer.

Our food service is focused on preparing meals that are nutritious and delicious, with something for everyone. There is plenty of fresh produce, protein sources and whole grains, balanced with universal favorites like pancakes, chicken nuggets and pizza. In addition to our main hot meal, a salad bar is provided at lunch and dinner, along with alternatives for those who might need it (vegetarian, gluten free, etc). If your girl has a dietary restriction or allergy, we encourage you to reach out to us ahead of her session so we can discuss her particular needs and be prepared to partner with you on accommodating her - most often, the accommodation is a substitute that is similar to the main meal (rather than a completely different option) so that those girls with dietary needs still feel included.

Girls love getting snail mail while at camp, and we encourage our girls to write home about the experiences they’re having as well. Additionally, families can use our online system to send one-way emails that we print and hand out to girls daily during mail call. We do not allow packages.

Due to the short nature of our sessions and how immersive the camp community is, we do not do phone calls home and instead encourage use of posted mail and email for updates. The photos we post during the session are also a great way to see how your child is doing in place of phone calls! Families can also call and speak to staff at any time for an update and peace of mind without interrupting the girl’s experience.

We believe that unplugging at camp is extremely important for our campers! Today, more than ever, it is vital to make face-to-face connections, and the absence of technology at camp allows more room for these connections and relationships to grow. For that reason, we do not permit cell phones, tablets, ereaders, and portable electronic gaming devices at camp (or any other screen/internet capable devices). However, we do allow basic MP3 players that do not have internet capabilities such as iPod shuffles or Nanos so girls can listen to music in their bunks.

We also ask that you do not send your child to camp with any plug-in devices such as hair dryers, straighteners or curlers, or electric fans.

Missing home while at camp is a totally normal and natural occurrence - it simply means we have something we love about home to miss, and that’s a completely understandable thing! For this reason, our staff are trained to expect these feelings and become well-versed in supporting each girl’s specific needs with the care and compassion she deserves. Leadership staff are also always available to jump in and provide additional support, too.

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