Sleepaway camp in Livingston Manor, New York
A lake, a canoe and a week without phones
Hemlock Cove is a family-run sleepaway camp on a lake in the Catskills, for ages 8 to 15. Campers stay one or two weeks, sleep in cabins with their counselors and leave their phones at home.
A day and a night
A day, and then a night
Camp runs in the same order every day, so a camper always knows what comes next.
- 017:30 a.m.
Step 1: Morning in the cabin
A bell rings, cabins make their bunks and walk to the dining hall together for breakfast.
- 029:00 a.m.
Step 2: Activity periods
Canoes, the ropes course, arts, nature and sports fill the morning and the afternoon. Campers choose a mix, and counselors help each one try something new.
- 032:00 p.m.
Step 3: The lake
Swim periods run at the dock with a lifeguard on the deck and counselors in the water. Every camper takes a swim test on the first day.
- 047:00 p.m.
Step 4: Evening program
After dinner the whole camp gathers for a night game, a talent night or songs, led by counselors.
- 058:45 p.m.
Step 5: Back to the cabin
Cabins walk back together, wash up and write letters home. A counselor stays in every cabin.
- 069:30 p.m.
Step 6: Lights out
Quiet time starts. Night staff walk the paths on a set schedule, and the health center keeps its night line open.
Summer
Eight weeks, one or two at a time
Campers come for one week or two. Every session starts on Sunday afternoon and ends on a Friday, and every week has its own theme.
- Late June
Session 1: First week
Meet your cabin, pass the swim test and learn the lake. A good first week for a camper who has never slept away.
- Ages 8 to 15
- Sunday afternoon to Friday afternoon
- Early July
Session 2: Second week
Canoe skills, a cabin picnic and a camp-wide game on the big field.
- Ages 8 to 15
- Sunday afternoon to Friday afternoon
Waitlist - Mid-July
Session 3: Weeks 3 and 4
Two weeks long enough for a cabin to become a team, with a visiting day in the middle.
- Ages 8 to 15
- Sunday afternoon to the second Friday
- Late July
Session 4: Weeks 5 and 6
A second two-week session, with the river trip for older campers.
- Ages 8 to 15
- Sunday afternoon to the second Friday
Full - Early August
Session 5: Week 7
A week of arts, nature and the talent night, closing the season's busiest stretch.
- Ages 8 to 15
- Sunday afternoon to Friday afternoon
- Mid-August
Session 6: Week 8
The last week: the camp-wide color game, a long evening program and a closing circle on the lawn.
- Ages 8 to 15
- Sunday afternoon to Friday afternoon
Waitlist
Sample sessions.
Camper to counselor
From first-year camper to counselor-in-training
Campers move up as they get older, from their first week in a cabin to working beside a counselor.
- 01
First-year camper
Ages 8 to 10SkillsFind your way around camp
Pass the swim test and wear a life jacket in every boat
Sleep away from home with a counselor in the cabin
Moving upMoves up with the cabin counselor's word at the end of the summer.
- 02
Returning camper
Ages 9 to 11SkillsChoose your own activity periods
Paddle a canoe with a partner
Help set the table for a cabin meal
Moving upMoves up with the cabin counselor's word at the end of the summer.
- 03
Senior camper
Ages 11 to 13SkillsLead a cabin game at the evening program
Steer a canoe from the stern
Plan a cabin picnic with a counselor
Moving upMoves up when a camper and the counselor agree it is time.
- 04
Trip camper
Ages 13 to 14SkillsJoin a river trip with the trip leaders
Pack and carry a trip pack
Read a map and a compass
Moving upMoves up after a summer of trips and a talk with the trip leader.
- 05
Leader in training
Ages 14 to 15SkillsHelp a younger cabin settle in at the start of a session
Lend a hand at an activity period
Learn the camp's emergency routines
Moving upMoves up after a talk with the director.
- 06
Counselor-in-training
Age 15SkillsWork beside a cabin counselor
Lead an evening program
Meet with the director each week
Moving upThe last step before a staff job, if the camper and the director both want it.
Sample levels.
Every camper moves up at their own pace, and ages are a guide.
Health center and permit
A health center on site, and who is with your camper
A nurse on duty every session, a lifeguard at the dock and a counselor in every cabin.
License
Permitted by New York State Department of Health
Children's camp permit · NY Permit # 000000
Adults to children
1 adult to 6 children
8 to 11 years
Group size: 12
1 adult to 8 children
12 to 15 years
Group size: 16
1 adult to 6 children
In the water, 8 to 15 years
Group size: 12
Capacity
120
Ages 8 years to 15 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Lifeguard training
- Medication training
Safety routines
The health center
The health center sits beside the lodge, with a nurse on duty through every session. Campers go there for a scraped knee, a fever or their daily medicine, and we call you whenever a camper has been seen for more than a bandage.
Medicine and allergies
Medicine comes to camp in its original package with your written instructions, and the nurse keeps it and gives it at set times. Tell us about allergies when you register, and we ask what we need privately.
At the lake
Swim periods run at the dock with a lifeguard on the deck and counselors in the water. Every camper takes a swim test on the first day, and every camper in a boat wears a life jacket. When a storm comes, activities move into the lodge.
Nights in the cabin
Counselors sleep in every cabin. Night staff walk the paths on a set schedule, and the health center has a night line that reaches the nurse. We practice fire and lake drills in the first days of every session.
Arrival and departure
A parent or an adult you have named signs your camper in on Sunday and out at the end of the session, and we ask for ID. We release a camper only to an adult on your list.
Mail, phones and visiting day
Phones stay home. Campers write and get letters, and families come on visiting day. If something comes up, the office calls you.
Sample details.
Dates for families
The summer, in six dates
- Applications open
Registration opens
Early January
Sessions open, and full ones start a waitlist.
- Open house
Family day at camp
Mid-May
Walk the grounds, see a cabin and meet the staff.
- Deadline
Health forms due
Early June
Sent privately, never through the forms on this site.
- First day
Arrival day
The first Sunday of each session
Families arrive in the afternoon and meet the cabin counselors.
- Event
Visiting day
The middle Sunday of a two-week session
Families spend the afternoon at camp: a picnic, the lake and the cabin.
- Event
Closing day
The last Friday of each session
Campers pack after lunch, and families pick up in the afternoon.
Sample dates.
Our camp
A camp run by the family that started it
Ora Halsey's parents ran the first summers from the lodge porch. She grew up in these cabins, and she and her staff still run camp the way her parents did: one bell, one dining hall and a counselor in every cabin.
Most of our counselors were campers here first, and the older ones remember what a first night away felt like.
Save a place for the summer
Pick your sessions online, or call the camp office and talk it through.