Camp Corral at Camp Gorham

Community

Choosing the right camp is an exciting process. At Camp Gorham we focus on ensuring that every camper feels at home the moment they register.  Once your camper arrives at camp, everything our staff team does revolves around making sure they have the most unforgettable experience.  Everybody plays a part within the experience for the whole camp. We gather together regularly as large groups and are able to share energy and talents with each other.

Family

Our cabins are home base for campers, both in terms of space but more importantly in terms of people. After each day, campers always come back together in their cabin and participate in Evening Embers, a chance to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences. Cabin life is designed to build new friendships in a caring supportive environment. Campers are active participants in the Camp Community taking responsibility for the cleanliness of their cabins; keeping track of their personal belongings; putting away equipment after activities; and clearing tables after meals in the dining hall. Each Camp Gorham camper is also each assigned to a “Table Family”. Your camper’s table family will be a different group of campers from their cabin group. Table families are assigned by age and gender and help to build friendships outside of the cabin group. Camp will honor one reciprocal roommate request. Each cabin is staffed with two Cabin Counselors who live in the cabin with their campers. Parents have the opportunity to meet their child’s counselors at check-in and again during pick up at the end of your camper’s session.

Neighborhood

Our Villages give campers something to be part of and proud of within the overall Gorham community. Campers are assigned a village based on age and gender. Each has a distinct identity, having specific cabins and colors assigned to them. Throughout the summer, campers have many shared experiences within their village but also aim to be the loudest and proudest within camp! Campers are encouraged to bring clothing in their village color to exhibit their pride. A Village Head is assigned to lead each Village who along with our Head of Counselors create a dynamic environment focused on 5 key elements: Safety, Friendship, Adirondack Experiences, Character Development and Fun!

Adirondack Village: Girls ages 7-12 Village Color: Green
Big Moose: Boys ages 7-12 Village Color: Red
Frontier: Girls ages 13-16 Village Color: Yellow
Lumberjack: Boys ages 13-16 Village Color: Blue

Meal Time at Camp Gorham

All meals at Camp are served family style in our dining hall; a cereal bar is available in the morning and a salad bar is available at lunch and dinner.  Campers who require special diets for medical reasons can be accommodated with advance notice; please be sure to contact us!  Staff members are assigned to the Table Families and informed of any allergies or special diets.  Fruit is always available for campers and meal times and for snacks throughout the day.  Cabins take turns being table setters for each meal to help set up the dining hall.  Prior to the meal camper’s gather together in the game zone in front of the dining hall enjoying gaga ball; basketball; carpet ball and the jumping pillow.  Just prior to the meal, campers line up in cabin groups and called up to the dining hall one group at a time.  This line up time includes our lost and found game as well as some cheers; songs; and quick role playing games!  The fun continues in the dining hall with spontaneous songs and cheers throughout the meal.

Gorham Traditions

Closing Banquet and Campfire
On the last day of each Camp Session, our campers gather together in the dining hall for a spectacular meal prepared by our professional chef. Staff members all dress for the occasion and campers are encouraged to bring a nice outfit to wear to dinner that night. Banquet sets the stage for our closing campfire with wood chip ceremony. Campers receive a bracelet at closing campfire symbolizing their specific year at camp. The Adirondacks have long been a destination for friends and families where historically people would “dress” for dinner and gather together in large dining halls for family style meals. Gorham celebrates the past of the Adirondacks with our closing banquet tradition as well as celebrating and giving thanks for the new friendships and experiences enjoyed during your camper’s session.

Golden Horseshoe
Our wonderful team of horses are expertly taken care of by our Equestrian staff but they always welcome extra help. Each morning campers help to bring the horses in from the pasture and get them fed and ready for the day. The dedicated volunteer campers who join the equestrian staff every day are awarded the Golden Horseshoe in recognition of their efforts.

Polar Bear
Each morning, with the mist in the air and Darts Lake smooth as glass, the bravest campers and cabins head down to the waterfront to participate in what Gorham Campers have been doing since 1963, the polar bear plunge! Campers who plunge into the lake every morning ar awarded the polar bear award at closing campfire but even if you only do it once one thing is for sure, no Gorham experience is complete without the polar bear plunge!