Summer camp is no longer only for schoolchildren. One million adults nationwide went to camp in 2012, according to the American Camp Association, and the statistic represents a changing demographic for the camp industry.
One of the nation’s newest adult summer camps is called Camp No Counselors, and it is holding a camp at Vashon’s Camp Burton this August. It is the first time in the camp’s three years of existence that Seattle-area adults can participate. The camp offers traditional camp activities such as swimming, archery and canoeing, along with adult activities like nightly theme parties, an open bar and meals cooked by a professional chef.
Camp Burton Director Michele Rutschow said the company reached out to her and will be renting the camp from Aug. 24 to 27.
“We actually wanted to do our own grown-up camp, but weren’t quite ready,” she said. “They (Camp No Counselors) approached us and we thought we’d be able to watch and kind of see how it’s done.”
She continued to say she is excited to have Camp Burton host the camp.
Camp No Counselors Founder Adam Tichauer said that the company stumbled upon Camp Burton while doing “extensive research to find the most beautiful camps across North America.”
Camp No Counselors began in 2013 when Tichauer rented a camp in upstate New York and invited his friends for a weekend to recharge with no cell phones. Word spread and more people joined. Tichauer quit his job in 2014, appeared on the television show “Shark Tank” and said the camp has been growing “over 100 percent” each year since then.
There are 80 spaces remaining for Camp No Counselors at Camp Burton, Aug. 24-27. All-inclusive tickets range in price from $525 to $599.
For more information, see campnocounselors.com.