I grew up attending Woodland Christian Camp in western Georgia as a kid. As an adult, I volunteered as a counselor at Woodland and later at North Georgia Christian Camp. I have plenty of memories of those weeks of camp that I cherish.
But would I want to relive those experiences at my age? Not on your life.
Some young adults are seeking to relive that summer camp experience as adults. And, as much as I don’t like saying it, the ones who are trying to relive their youth are the exact people you’d expect.
The Wall Street Journal ran a feature in August — though it didn’t come to my attention until this week — about the “adult summer camp” phenomenon. This will come as little shock, but many of these camps cater to single women who have a hard time making friends.
Overnight camp has long been a way for kids to disconnect, play and make the kind of friends that stick with you for life. To Camp Social’s founder, Liv Schreiber, it seemed only natural that, in a world where more people are connecting via social media and work can be remote, grown-ups would be looking for the same experience.
“I built Camp Social for the adult friendship gap,” said Schreiber, who is 28, lives in New York and founded the camp in 2023. “I created what I wished existed. We’re expected to figure out friendships without a blueprint.”
“Camp directors say that in the past, campers would come with large friend groups,” the WSJ continues. “But these days new campers are arriving solo. Schreiber said 92% of attendees at Camp Social come alone.”
These camps may fill a “friendship gap,” but they come with a hefty price tag. Yay capitalism!
At Camp Social, creating chemistry is everything: campers are divided by age, which range from 20s to 60s, into bunks of eight to 10. Each is staffed with a trained counselor who serves as a camp concierge and bonding facilitator—they are even tasked with coming up with a bunk cheer. During the day, campers create their own schedules from a buffet of traditional activities including boating, archery, ropes course, bracelet making, waterfront, tie-dye and tennis. But there are adult embellishments too: paint-and-sip and a mixology class are on the schedule.
It costs $883.51 for two nights and three days. The camp has been profitable since the first summer, in part because the cost of operations are offset by brand partnerships, Schreiber said.
I’m not knocking solo travel; I’ve done it before. I’m also not knocking women wanting to bond with other women. What blows my mind is that these people are willing to plunk down $900 to relive youth and build friendships that they can’t otherwise cultivate organically.
On Tuesday’s Breakpoint podcast, John Stonestreet put it this way:
For the many who have happy memories of going to summer camp, or maybe just watching “The Parent Trap” too many times, the appeal is understandable. The 1998 film “Indian Summer” portrayed a group of adults hoping to relive the childhood joy of summer camp. What is driving today’s real-life adults back to camp, however, is more than nostalgia. It’s loneliness.
Loneliness. It’s not difficult to wonder if these women are the same types of women who turn their back on family over politics, who won’t date certain men because of “toxic masculinity,” and who shut out anyone else whose views don’t fall in lockstep with theirs. I realize that I’m painting with a broad brush here, but we all know the type.
But here’s the thing: there are places to find community.
My goodness. How sad is this? Just go to a church. https://t.co/OjCP4zCln9
— Anthony Bradley (@drantbradley) August 26, 2025
As a single man, I’m blessed to have a close family — both in terms of relationship and proximity. But I also find community within my church family, not just on Sunday mornings but also in the teams I serve with, my small group, and my men’s group that meets for breakfast once a month and texts each other throughout the month.
I have other friends, too, including the large group of people I tailgate with on football Saturdays. Some of those amazing friends were the ones I traveled with to Tennessee a couple of weekends ago.
Related: A Bulldog in Big Orange Country: Knoxville Weekend Tales
Community is all around us. Unless we isolate ourselves, it isn’t hard to find. We don’t need to chase our youthful experiences or plunk down nearly a grand to experience a few days of community.
In some ways, I feel sorry for the “adult summer camp” crowd. At the same time, I can’t help but think that they’ve brought this on themselves.
