Universal Camping, Gilboa, NY

Nestled peacefully in the grandfathers of the Catskills are eighty rolling acres of a magical summer experience. A specialized faculty of educational professionals supervise all activities. In addition to recreation, academics, fine arts and sports, the schedule is filled with interesting workshops on forestry, backpacking, wilderness survival, frontier construction, first aid, and cooking, as well as peer counseling and creative writing. Credited academic courses are available under the auspices of Bay Ridge Preparatory School in New York City. The atmosphere is warm, positive, and professionally structured so that campers can achieve their potential and go home with fond memories.

Come visit Universal Camping!!

We have a family friendly first camper policy of open communication as needed and visitation. Children are provided with a supportive environment of careful supervision and vigilant counselors who are there to attend to their many concerns with positivityand optimism.

The sports program has met with continuous praise for being motivational, cooperative, having the thrill of individual competition, offering excellent skills training, promoting team spirit and good sportsmanship,and having such professional coaches.
The Martial Arts Program is one of the most comprehensive in the world. Black Belt instructors demonstrate the basics of the art of Tae Kwon Do as well as showing some incredible self-defense and boardbreaking exhibitions. Campers learn how to perform flying kicks and power bag work. Above all, they are taught a philosophy of self-control and judiscious restraint in the face of adversity.

If campers achieve the basic skills, they will be eligible for belt test promotions! They will be officially certified by the World Martial Arts Association, which has its headquarters in New York City.

New Construction! Several new buildings are in completion now. A beautiful, spacious log cabin dormitory has an infirmary and gorgeous views of field and forest. The new bath house has spacious shower rooms with radiant heated floors. There is a newly constructed storm shelter, game room and computer lab. A new 1000 sq ft pavilion has been completed. These are complemented by yellow pine decks for late afternoon reading and enthusiastic conversation about the day's events.

NEW: Big Swimming Pool for the summer of 2012!

A nature pond near our stream bed enhances the science program with plenty of specimens for slides and microscope. Another, much larger pond on the hillside, is reserved for canoeing and kayaking. Just across the road is the dairy farm where we obtain maple syrup and fire wood, as well as tour the barn to learn the old fashioned dairy farming practices.

Then there is the incredible back-to-nature hiking, campfire building, and singing camp songs while toasting marshmallows! In the evening, we have story readings and the goodnight song.

Give us a call anytime, take a look at our Universal Camping website, drop us an email, or come visit us in the Catskill Mountains!