
08/09/2022
By Dana Cohen
Maryland’s Oldest Sleep Away Camps
Since its inception, summer camp has been an escape for kids in the United States, beginning in the 1870s and 1880s when the first sleep away summer camps were formed. Much like today, sleep away camp was an escape from modern (industrialized) society and a chance for children to experience nature and life outdoors. The first documented sleep away camp was said to be founded in 1861 in Connecticut, but Maryland is also home to sleep away camps that have been serving families for close to a century – or more.