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GET AWAY FROM IT ALL AND BACK TO NATURE
Since 1887, Trail Blazers has been a leader in environmental science, experiential education, and outdoor fun. Located on 1000 acres in the Kittatinny Mountains, the natural scenery of Trail Blazers is breathtaking. Forest trails, rangy vistas, and s’mores over the campfire are just a few of the highlights. In addition, Lake Mashipacong sits right in the center of our property. Our site is surrounded by another 25000 acres of protected state forest. A family stay at Trail Blazers is truly getting back to nature.
Family camp
Isn’t it time to get back to the fresh air of the outdoors? Family Camp offers a chance for you and your family to explore our 1000 acres. Every morning, you’ll wake up to the birds singing and the sun burning off the morning fog around the lake. Every night, you’ll watch fireflies dance and star twinkle. The kids can run and play, the parents can sit back and relax, and everyone can enjoy everything nature has to offer.
Wildlife is definitely a part of the adventure at Trail Blazers. During your stay, you may see some unusual birds, wild turkeys, foxes, raccoons, and possibly even a black bear!
Our Family Camp guests stay in our smallcamps. Each smallcamp has multiple hogans, our traditional canvas shelters, along with an outhouse and a campfire circle.
Please note- Trail Blazers does not have cabins. Our rustic site does not have the capacity to handle campers and other kinds of recreational vehicles (RVs).
The waterfront bathhouses will be available for showers and indoor plumbing.
While each small camp has a fire site, cooking is not permitted for safety reasons. Meals will be prepared and served from the Great Hall. In addition, we have two outdoor cook sites available for your use.
At Trail Blazers, getting back to nature also includes getting back to hearty, healthy, home-cooked meals. We will provide three meals a day, fresh from the camp kitchen.
For breakfast, we will feature hot breakfast service each morning.
For lunch, meals will be prepared and served in the Great Hall, or can be packed out for you to take with you and have your lunch anywhere you choose.
For dinner, meals will be in or around the Great Hall with socially distanced bubbles for each family. Dinner will be packed up and a contactless delivery will be dropped at your dining area. Alternatively, you can also take out your meal and eat around the Great Lawn or one of our picnic tables.
Of course, we will have plenty of s’mores supplies for an after dinner treat!
Lake Mashipacong is an incredible sight. Along with the surrounding forests, you will find many moments to be worthy of an Instagram post. Of course, we want you to capture memories, but we encourage you to unplug and enjoy nature.
Our smallcamps do not have electricity. We have all spent a lot of time inside over the past few months. Come join us and take the opportunity to get away from the endless Zoom meetings and online classrooms. Close the laptop and get back outside!
Trail Blazers Family Camp will be offering two reservation options, a weekday package & a weekend package.
Weekday Package: Arrival after 3pm on Monday and departure by Noon on Friday
Weekend Package: Arrival after 3pm on Friday and departure by Noon on Sunday
Family Camp Dates for 2022!
Four Night Stay: Monday, August 29th-Friday, Sept 2nd
Three Day Labor Day Weekend Package: Friday, September 2nd – Monday, September 5th
(Arrival after 3pm on Friday and departure by Noon on Monday)
As with all of the Trail Blazers programs, it is our mission to make them accessible for all. With that in mind, our rates are set to a self-selecting sliding scale based on income. Package rates are listed below.
If you cannot access our registration system online, please contact our registration team to enroll over the phone or to schedule an in-person appointment.
Family Camp Rates for 2021
Four Night Stay – $750 for a family of 3, Additional family members are $250 per person
Labor Day Weekend – $600 for a family of 3, Additional family members are $150 per person
FIRST THINGS FIRST: BEARS
You cannot have any open food in your camp. Food, even in sealed containers or pre-wrapped, WILL attract bears to your camp. Family campers may keep an airtight cooler in their smallcamp for snacks or drinks.
Toiletries also attract bears. Any soap, toothpaste, etc. should be locked in the green & yellow “ bear box” that we will provide. This is the most important rule of Family Camp!
Some items you may want to bring to camp:
There are NO PETS allowed at Family Camp.
Due to COVID-19 concerns, guests will be required to bring their own linens for their visit. Also, we recommend bringing hand sanitizer
These are the terms and conditions for your stay at Trail Blazers Family Camp.
Each family will be required to sign our Family Camp Waiver in order to participate.
Updated Family Camp Waiver for 2022 is coming soon!
This is our Family Camp Guest Rules guide. Download for a preview of your visit.
Updated Family Camp Guest Rules for 2022 are coming soon!
What Our Family Say
“We have just returned home from our Trail Blazers family camping experience and our hearts, minds, souls… and stomachs have been filled. It’s hard to put into words what we have just experienced. It was so powerful to escape the trappings of the modern world and retreat into the 1,000 acres surrounding Lake Mashipacong.” ~ Family Camp Guest, 2020
“Our Trail Blazers weekend was perfect. We weren’t exactly sure what to expect, but I’m so glad we decided to do this. I knew we had made the right decision when my daughter asked when we were coming back!” ~ Parent, 2020