The Completely Unofficial Guide to Summer Camps

Depending on your own personal experience, the words summer camp bring back a flood of youthful memories. For most what is remembered is swimming in cool lakes, sitting around warm campfires, walking nature trails and making lifelong friends.

Tell us about your favorite summer camp, then or now. Leave a Comment for this story.

For others the experience is remembered differently. It begins with a tearful goodbye as your parents disappear into the sunset. Then there is the top bunk (short-sheeted), the shared showers, the mosquitoes and other crawlies, and the red-headed bully with the hormone imbalance.

If you were not particularly athletic you might find yourself traded to another team—plus two really good players to make up for the supposed handicap.

If you were fortune you found a fast friend who shared some of your concerns about surviving the full term. You shared your stash of Tootsie Rolls and Fizzies, told forbidden jokes and shared your deepest secrets.

Summer camp has been the beginning of more than one lifelong friendship. For regular campers who returned to the same camp each year, this was especially true.

Films with summer camp themes, like 1979’s “Meatballs” starring Bill Murray, and 1993’s “Indian Summer,” remain popular reruns on television and as video rentals.

Texoma’s Summer Camps

Summer is long when the kids are bored and camp can not only keep them busy, but it can be a valuable social experience. On the other hand, the kids get an adventure, the parents get a break.

With something as big and wet and exciting as Lake Texoma, North Texas kids have a variety of choices when it comes to getting back to nature.

One of the most unusual is All Saints Camp. Operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, All Saints is one of many summer camps on Lake Texoma, but its mission “to develop leadership skills and a sense of stewardship to all of God’s people and creations” sets it apart. Not just for Episcopalians, All Saints offers year-round education, retreat and conference-facilities, and activities for families, businesses and schools.

The core of the All Saints experience is their Jolt Program, which incorporates a challenge course for campers designed to build confidence and instill trust in one’s self and in others. The course includes high ropes, low ropes, zip line and a repel tower.

“Bringing forth life and giving growth” (Isaiah 55:10) is at the top of the All Saints Website and is the root of the camp’s philosophy. “I’ve been to other camps where the priority is making sure the kids have fun. We do that, but we do so much more. We want them to go back to their churches, and lives, and be leaders in the faith,” explained Jonah Porter, youth minister and summer-staffer at All Saints Camp.

All Saints offers week-long summer camps in June and July, for graduates of first through twelfth grades. All camp sessions are co-educational, with emphasis on building a Christian community. Activities include canoeing, kayaking, swimming, pontoon-boating, nature-trail hiking, archery, volleyball, basketball, and more. Prices depend on the camper’s age. A full list of available dates and pricing is available on the camp’s website.

There are a number of high-quality camps to choose from on Lake Texoma. A few are exclusive to their affiliation, but most are open to the public.

All Saints Camp
on Lake Texoma
www.allsaintstexoma.org
(903) 786-3148

Camp James Ray/Boy Scouts of America
on Lake Texoma
www.circle10.org
(903) 786-2591

Camp Rocky Point/Girl Scouts of NE Texas
1124 Hanna Dr., Denison
www.gsnetx.org
(972) 349-2471

Straight Arrow Camp
on Lake Texoma
www.straightarrowcamp.org
(469) 951-1758

Prothro Center
on Lake Texoma
www.prothrocenter.org
(903) 786-2141

Grayson Baptist Association
on Lake Texoma
www.graysonbaptist.com
(903) 868-9361

Lake Texoma Baptist Resort
on Lake Texoma (Okla. side)
www.ltrbrm.com
(580) 924-7919

Texoma Youth Camp
on Lake Texoma
www.texomayouthcamp.com
(812) 228-5330

EDITOR’S NOTE: Texoma Living! does not portray this listing as complete. If a Texoma area summer camp has been omitted from this listing, please send information directly to editor@texomaliving.com and we will add the information to this website.