From the moment you enter the front gates, a sense of calm takes over.
A traditional sleep away camp in a beautiful setting, Walden is what you remember summer camp being, with the promise of bright new memories to come.
Walden is… the feeling of calm when you drive through our gates, the smell of the forest after the rain, the smiles on returning campers’ faces, the deep breath you take before you plunge into the cool open lake, a time for friendships, adventures and places to explore. Walden is all these things and more.
Are you ready to begin your Walden experience?
Walden is all about its campers. A traditional overnight camp for kids, ages 7 – 16, Walden offers the best of both worlds — the classic, loved summer camp of the past, adapted to the needs of today’s children and parents. Campers enjoy a balanced mix of sports, arts & crafts, and music, all in a beautiful lakeside setting. Our back to basics approach — screen-free, no phones, no internet — lets campers connect with nature and themselves.
Kids have the support of Walden’s unique cabin system, giving campers the security of family and the confidence to make new friendships and develop independence. Most of all Walden campers have fun, making memories to last beyond the summer. Most of our counsellors are former campers themselves, and go on to send their own children to Camp Walden – it’s an experience that lasts a lifetime.
Click through for a glimpse into a day in the life of a Waldener. →
7:45-8:15AM
Wake Up!
At 7:45 am every morning, the wakeup music plays across camp for campers and staff to start their day. A member of our head staff gets on the microphone to announce birthdays and the weather! The countdown to breakfast begins! Good morning Camp Walden; there are 30 minutes until breakfast!
8:15-8:45AM
Breakfast
The Dining Hall is huge with plaques and history on the walls! Every cabin has their own table for every meal. Enjoy cereal, fruit, breads, and a homemade, healthy, and hot main course like pancakes for breakfast… in your PJ’s!
8:45-9:45AM
Cabin Cleanup
You’re a big kid now so you’ve got responsibilities. Before activity periods can begin, cabinmates will work together to make their beds and sweep the cabin, get dressed for the day and prepare for cabin inspection. We will teach you these skills, but feel free to practice at home!
9:45-10:45AM
First Period
The music will play to indicate that 1st period is about to begin. An amazing schedule has been created specially for your cabin. During 1st period, every cabin group experiences one of our many activities together with their cabin group.
11:00-12:00pm
Second Period
2nd period is another activity together with your cabin group! Every activity period is a full hour giving you the opportunity to learn new skills and time for free play!
12:15-1:00pm
Lunch
Lunch is full of amazing options! In addition to fruit, sandwiches and cereal, which are always available, you’ll enjoy homemade soups, a colourful salad bar, and of course the main course of the day! The music plays and campers cheer, dance, and sing! Lunchtime is a time to see your siblings and cousins and embrace the spirit of Camp Walden.
1:15-2:00pm
Rest Hour
After all that activity and a full belly, it’s nice to hang out in your cabin and tell jokes, read a book, write letters home or take a nap. During rest hour you get to do what you want to do. This wonderful feeling of freedom is what makes overnight camp, and in particular Walden, a special place for kids as they grow older.
2:15-3:15pm
3rd Period
Time to get moving into 3rd period – another activity that is enjoyed together with your cabin group! This is the warmest time of day so wear your hats!
3:30-4:30pm
4th Period
4th period is yet another activity together with your cabin group. Challenge yourself to achieve something at your activity that you have never tried before!
4:30-4:45pm
Mid-afternoon Snack
All that playing and you’ve worked up an appetite! Just before 5th period you’ll make a stop at the tuck shop and grab a mid-afternoon snack, which is always a selection of fruit! Fill up your water bottle and you’re on your way!
4:45-5:30pm
5th Period
During 5th period all the activities are open and you choose the one you want to go to! Attend the same activity, or try something different, with a friend or on your own — the camp is yours to explore! Younger campers, your counsellors will come with you and help you find your way.
5:30-6:15pm
Siesta
Siesta is the brief time in between 5th period and dinner – the perfect time to take a shower and change your clothes! Every unit village has its own shower houses – one labelled boys and one labelled girls. Showers are individual white plastic stalls with private shower curtains and warm running water.
6:15-7:15pm
Dinner
Dinner at Walden is quieter than lunch. Dinner is not only a time to be nourished, but also a time for cabins to sharing funny stories or special things that happened during the day. Dinnertime is family time.
7:30-9:15pm
Evening Programs
Evening programs, like capture the flag and airbands, are large group events for your whole unit. Many evening programs involve the whole camp! Trust us… you WILL be ready for bed after this hour of activity!
10:15-10:30pm
Evening Snack
The evening snack is a hearty snack leaving you feeling satisfied and ready for a restful night. Homemade and prepared by our kitchen staff – it is a healthy and yummy way to end the day. Tuesdays are “pop and chips” night (this one is not so healthy!), which is always a hit!
10:15-10:30pm
Lights Out for Colours
It’s been a long day, now it’s time for lights out. Our counsellors will make sure everyone is happy, say goodnight, and shut the lights, but before they do, the on duty staff member will introduce themselves and make sure everyone knows they are safe. Sleep tight… for tomorrow is another wonderful Walden day! Colours go to sleep at 9:15pm, Comics at 9:45pm, Zodiacs at 10:15pm and Seekers at 10:45pm.
Walden is a family run camp with an over 50 year history. Co-owners Sol and Jennifer Birenbaum and Sari and Howie Grossinger bring decades of camping experience as well as training as educators to help campers have the best possible summer. Our own children are part of the Walden family, spending the summers growing up at Camp Walden.
Our leadership team is here to ensure that every child’s camp experience is happy and fun.
Camp Walden is located east of Bancroft, Ontario. Stretching out over 750 acres, Walden offers a postcard view of the beauty of Canadian summers. We have two private lakes for swimming, sailing and canoeing surrounded by woodlands.
Our spacious, well-ventilated cabins complete the picture of the ideal place to spend the summer. While camp is also a time of activity, the calm of the lake and the quiet of the forest offer children a chance to catch their breaths after a busy school year and learn to appreciate the renewing power of nature.
Beautiful sunsets end each Walden day making way for the fun activities of evening programs.
A private lake ensures that no neighbours or onlookers disturb an evening ski lesson.
The moment before the kids arrive – camp is ready for all afternoon waterfronts!
While we are so proud of our activities and facilities, one of the most beautiful features of camp is the relationships formed during travel time from one activity to another.
The Den is the gathering space where the camp gathers on the first and last night of the summer.
47 Spacious and well-ventilated cabins form 5 villages in a circle around camp. Campers are grouped by gender and these cabins sit side-by-side.
Safety and Fun! Which size are you?
Walden celebrates the athletic, artistic, and intellectual campers.
Far away from the sounds of the city, 750 acres of woodlands and hiking trails surround main camp.
An active waterfront includes a variety of water sports!
And the seasons, they go ‘round and ‘round…
The heart of the Walden Experience in the creation of tightly bonded cabin families.
Located in Southern Ontario’s Haliburton Highlands, Walden nights have skies filled with stars.
More than just the fuel a camper needs, mealtimes are a time for kids to make healthy choices and enjoy the camaraderie of family style meals. Like any family, our kitchen team works hard to put the very best on our tables. We have something for every camper to enjoy.
There are some foods that no summer camp should be without. Whether it’s BBQ or grilled cheese or taco night, or hearty soups and delicious salads, we have the kid-friendly foods you remember from camp, all made from nutritious ingredients. Our chefs and kitchen staff strive to bring campers a variety of healthy and tasty meals, along with fun treats.
Picky eater? That’s not a problem! There’s always something to choose from at mealtimes. In addition to the main meal, breakfasts offer yogurt, cold cereal and hard-boiled eggs; lunch includes a choose your own salad bar, and there’s always fresh fruit on hand. Family style platters give campers the chance to try as little or as much as they like.
We are prepared to accommodate special dietary requirements including, but not limited to, vegetarian, lactose-free, and Kosher. Walden is a Nut Aware camp and does not serve any foods containing peanuts. Talk to us about making your child’s mealtimes safe and stress-free.
The energy in the Dining Hall is contagious, with campers singing, cheering, and laughing as they enjoy their meals. The meals themselves are a highlight of the day, with a wide variety of options to suit every taste and dietary preference. Whether you’re sitting with your cabin group or joining a new set of friends, family style meals at Camp Walden are a truly special experience that foster a sense of community and belonging.
Walden strives for a fun and wide balance of activities, so that there’s something for every camper’s taste and skills. Four 1-hour periods each day take cabin groups through a rotating series of activities, on land and water, while a fifth period allows campers to choose their own activity. Our top facilities and trained counsellors allow campers to develop new skills in sports and the arts.
Waterfront: Swimming every day, Waterskiing, Wakeboarding, Canoeing, Kayaking, Sailing, and Inflatables make up our waterfront programs!
Sports: Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, Football, Floor/Roller Hockey, Volleyball, Fitness, Dance, Yoga, and many more sports make up our athletics programs!
Arts: Ceramics, Arts & Crafts, Music, Jewellery, Video, and Theatre are the available arts activities!
Outdoor Adventures: Climbing Wall, Low Ropes, Zip Line, Campcraft, Gardening, Archery, Bikes, and Fishing are our amazing outdoor adventure activities!
Canoe Tripping: Camp Walden’s tripping programs provide campers with a unique experience of a lifetime – one where they are together with the group they live with each day at camp in a setting that cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world!
Evening Programs: Friday Night Service, The Camp Social, Plays, Sing Songs, The Burning of the W and so many more evening programs bring units and the camp together in evening time!
All Day Special Events: Colour Wars, Walden Games, Swim Marathon, Waldenstock, and Field Trips are just a few of the amazing all day events at Walden!
Like a tree growing steadily over the years, Camp Walden started from a small seed of an idea — an idea first planted by Ted Cole.
Walden is about more than a summer holiday.
It’s about the moments, the ones that make up the memories of your life. Big moments, like sleeping away from home for the first time, or shooting an arrow into the bull’s-eye. And little moments too, like two friends sitting on the dock, talking about their day. It’s the shy child who finds her voice during a sing-song. The returning camper who realizes he can help a younger child learn how to paddle a canoe. It’s these moments that make your children into the adults they’re on their way to becoming.
Being a part of Walden is being a part of a family. We hope you will join us.
New to Walden? Have a look at our Information Sessions or find out about our Discovery Programs.
Already registered? Make sure to fill out our Spring Registration Form so we have all of your up-to-date information.
