News
2022 Virtual Info Session Dates
Join us for a zoom session to meet one of our Camp Directors and learn more about our programs!
OVERNIGHT CAMP INFO SESSIONS
Thursday, January 20 at 7:00 pm EST
Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 pm EST
Monday, February 28 at 7:00 pm EST
Thursday, March 17 at 7:00 pm EST
Tuesday, March 29 at 7:00 pm EST
BOLD & GOLD INFO SESSIONS
Monday, January 24 at 7:00 pm EST
Tuesday, February 15 at 7:00 pm EST
Tuesday, March 1 at 7:00 pm EST
Wednesday, March 30 at 7:00 pm EST
Register Here: https://forms.gle/XX52RcNbzSkJUysYA
Book your winter getaway at Camp Hi-Rock!
Book your winter getaway at Camp Hi-Rock!
This winter you can escape to YMCA Camp Hi-Rock for a private Berkshires retreat in our beautiful, lakeside lodge with your family. Take in stunning views on hikes around the Hi-Rock Reserve and then warm up in front of your very own fireplace. Weekend trips or longer are available in Parker Seeley Lodge, which includes 8 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, two large sitting porches overlooking the lake, a small kitchen, library, and large common room with fireplace. The lodge sleeps 30. $550 per night, for up to 10 people, each additional person $50/night.
Please contact Heather Neaz-Nibur, heather@camphirock.org with questions or to reserve the lodge. Photos of the lodge and additional information about Camp Hi-Rock are available at http://camphirock.org/camps/group-camping-retreats/.
Early Bird Registration Open Now Until December 31, 2021!
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
- Guarantee your child’s summer camp enrollment in 2022*
- $50 camp store credit
- Free early bird t-shirt
BOLD & GOLD EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
- Register by December 31, 2021 to reserve your camper’s space, BOLD & GOLD trip spaces are limited.
- Early registrants will also receive a FREE BOLD & GOLD t-shirt!
Dates & Rates
BOLD & GOLD Wilderness Expedition Information
Registration Information
Fall Volunteer Work Day
FALL VOLUNTEER WORK DAY:
November 6, 2021
Please join us for a great day with fellow Hi-Rockers getting camp ready for winter, tackling some important camp improvement projects and catching up with our Hi-Rock friends. Projects will be available for all skill levels.
Saturday meals (lunch: 12pm and dinner: 6pm) will be provided.
Due to current Covid concerns, we will require all participants to be fully vaccinated.
TO REGISTER:
Once you have clicked the above link, you will be able to create a profile and request any additional information. Once your profile is created, you will be directed to the events dashboard and you will be able to complete your group registration request.
(If you have attended a Camp Hi-Rock event since 2015, i.e. Family Camp, Fall Family Fun Weekend, etc., you already have a profile on the Events Dashboard)
Once you have clicked the above link, you will be able to log in with your email address. Please click “What’s my password” to reset your password if needed. You will be sent an email with details for how to log in.
New for registration this year: You will be asked to complete a group participant information questionnaire for each participant during registration in lieu of completing a paper form prior to or on arrival. Please have the insurance information for each participant ready.
We’ll do our best to have some indoor projects but there will surely be work to do outside. Please bring warm clothes. We promise to have lots of tea, hot chocolate and cider!
Hope to see you here!
YMCA Camp Hi-Rock Staff & Volunteers
Celebrate Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries.
Wilderness First Responder Training Information and Registration
Wilderness First Responder Training Course
Course Dates:
June 5-12, 2021 at YMCA Camp Hi-Rock
Course Description:
Wilderness First Responder is the industry standard in Wilderness Medicine, ideal for anyone working professionally as an outdoor leader or responsible for the care of groups in the backcountry. This course is a 72-hour 8-day event combining classroom learning, hands-on skills training, and practical scenarios.
Location:
Camp Hi-Rock is nestled among 1,000 acres in the Berkshire’s Southern Taconic Mountain Range, surrounded by conservation forest, and centered around our pristine, private, ninety-acre lake.
Room & Board:
Room and Board are included in the course cost. Lodging is provided in our wooden camp cabins with separate shared bathroom facilities. Meal service is included and we offer well-balanced, family-friendly meals. Vegetarian meals are available and we can accommodate specific dietary requests with advance notice.
Cost:
$895 per participant. Participants must be 18 years or older.
Questions:
Please email Barbara Nibur at barbie@camphirock.org.
Registration Information:
Register Online:
To register online, please click here to create an account with our online registration system. Once you receive log in details, you will be able to register under the “Group Registration” tab.
Paper Registration:
To print and mail the registration form, please download the WFR Training Registration Form and mail the completed form to:
YMCA Camp Hi-Rock
ATTN: WFR Registration
544 East Street
Mount Washington, MA 01258
Virtual Info Session Registration
Please join us for one of our virtual information sessions with our Camp Directors!
If you would like to join one of our info sessions, please register at the link provided below for each info session.
Tuesday, April 27 – 6-7 pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtdeytrz0pGd3dTgHmkrq0gUS_fxIaBxks
Saturday, May 8 – 10:30-11:30 am
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYoceCrrzkoG9SbtCxxKCTGjmIsDWUwFySe
Monday, May 10 – 8-9 am
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkceiuqT4jE9f028Cu3l6kWglN8DtumGmT
Wednesday, May 12 – 5-6 pm
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvduqoqD0qGtY3uYlTR3Rgj8wod__qX-WM
Summer 2021 Update- 2/18/2021
Dear Hi-Rock Families,
This is the letter so many of you have been waiting for. It is the first step in getting our camp family back where we belong – on top of our favorite mountain, jumping into our favorite lake, hiking along our favorite trails and wishing upon our favorite stars. Today is the day we are opening registration for overnight summer camp 2021!
Don’t pack your trunk just yet! There are still many questions to be answered about this summer. We are awaiting revised guidance from the state which will hopefully allow overnight camps in Massachusetts to open. We are also continuing to monitor the coronavirus situation and working with camping professionals, medical experts, our local board of health, YMCA leadership and our board of managers to determine how and when we may open safely. But we are very hopeful and optimistic that there will be a way for us to reunite at our home away from home and we’re putting things in place to make that possible. Now is the time to reserve your spot and start dreaming about campfires, cabin chats and candlelight ceremonies.
We know some things will be different. Side hugs will become air hugs. The dining hall will become a collection of dining tents. We’ll be spreading out across our 1,000 acres like we have never spread out before. While things will be rearranged and reimagined, the most important parts will remain. We’ll be back together making friends, feeling the love of our Hi-Rock family, growing, thinking, laughing and learning together. And there will be no video screens in sight!
We’ll be keeping in close touch between now and summer to provide updates about what we know and how our plans are shaping up. As we have all learned, the impact of the coronavirus and measures we need to take to protect our community are ever-changing and hard to predict. We’ve prepared a frequently asked questions section on our website with up to date information about some of the key questions you might have right now. We’ll also host regularly scheduled family Zoom calls to answer your questions along the way. The first of these calls will be Monday, March 1, at 7:00 PM EST.
We know our camp plans will incorporate risk reduction recommendations from the CDC, the American Camp Association, the Association of Camp Nursing, and Environmental Health and Engineering Associates, along with adhering to guidance from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the MA Department of Public Health, our local board of health and our consulting pediatricians. These plans will include but not be limited to requiring all campers and staff to wear masks, treating cabin groups as distinct cohorts who will maintain social distance from other groups, adding handwashing and sanitizing stations and increased surface sanitization, daily health screenings, and pre-camp testing. We are working on fine-tuning details of other plans including testing during camp and pre-camp quarantines and will make those details available to families over the coming weeks. We anticipate needing to reduce capacity and we are capping registration at 50%, for now. If we need to limit capacity further, campers will retain their spot on a first come, first served basis. We do not anticipate providing transportation to or from camp this summer and we have eliminated one-week sessions to limit the frequency with which new campers enter the camp population.
Please note that any campers who experience COVID-related symptoms or who test positive while at camp will be isolated immediately and will need to be picked up and cared for by their parents or guardians until criteria for return to camp are met. This summer, families must ensure that they will be in a position to pick up their campers at any point in their stay.
As with 2020, there is no financial risk involved in registering for camp at this time given the uncertainties that remain. All payments and deposits will be refunded in the case that camp does not operate or a camper is withdrawn due to coronavirus concerns.
Please reach out with any questions you may have. We look forward to working closely with you between now and summer to get our campers back to camp and the outdoors.
Big Hi-Rock love to you all,
The Hi-Rock Team
2021 Summer Camp FAQs
2021 SUMMER CAMP FAQs
Updated 2/16/2021
Will there be camp this summer?
We are looking forward to welcoming campers back to Hi-Rock and are optimistic that camp will be open for the summer of 2021, but recognize that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and state regulations will necessitate changes to our program and potentially program availability. We will update this page and notify enrolled families via email of any changes as information becomes available.
When will you notify families if camp is canceled for 2021?
Due to the changing nature of the pandemic, Massachusetts guidelines for overnight camps may not be released until as late as March 2021, or later. We anticipate delaying formal decisions on the nature and type of programs we will offer until after these guidelines have been released. In addition to state guidelines, we will be closely monitoring recommendations from the CDC, the American Camp Association, the Association of Camp Nursing, and Environmental Health and Engineering Associates, our local board of health, and our consulting pediatricians as we make decisions about summer 2021. The safety of our campers, staff, and volunteers is our top priority. We understand the burden this uncertainty places on families and ask for your continued patience and understanding.
If camp is canceled or a child cannot attend, will families be eligible for refunds?
There is no financial risk to registering for camp now. If new policies, regulations or concerns related to COVID-19 prevent a child from attending camp their family will be eligible for a full refund.
What additional safety measures will be in place this summer in light of COVID-19?
Creating a safe environment for our campers, staff, and volunteers is our top priority.
We are prepared to adjust our operating procedures to reduce the risk of virus transmission. Changes will include but not be limited to requiring all campers and staff to wear masks, treating cabin groups as distinct cohorts who will maintain social distance from other groups, adding handwashing and sanitizing stations and increased surface sanitization, daily health screenings, and pre-camp testing. We currently plan to limit capacity to 50%, we have eliminated one-week sessions to reduce the frequency with which new campers enter the camp population and we do not anticipate providing transportation to or from camp. We are working on fine-tuning details of other plans including testing during camp and pre-camp quarantines and will make those details available to families over the coming weeks.
Hi-Rock Named One of the Best Camps for Teenagers
We are excited to share that we have been named one of the best camps for teenagers in the country by Summer Camp Hub! Check out the article we are featured in here: https://summercamphub.