Pok-O-MacCready is more than just a summer camp – we’re a year round community. We offer opportunities for current campers and alumni alike to reconnect with each other and rebuild their Adirondack sense of place throughout the year.
School Group Programs
September – October
During the early fall we open our doors for day and overnight school trips. If your child enjoyed their time at summer camp, consider suggesting Pok-O to their school administrator as the perfect place for a beginning-of-the-year bonding experience. Typical school group activities include team building, rock climbing, high peaks hikes, and boating on Long Pond. You can learn more about our School Group Programs.
Fall Friends Weekend / Pond Sprint
Second Weekend of October
Fall Friends Weekend is meant to act as a gathering space for friends and families of Pok-O-MacCready Camps. We will offer limited activity options on camp, including the Crux Climbing Gym re-opening party, open boating, and various hike/race options as part of the Pond Sprint, a fundraiser for the Adirondack Scholarship Foundation and Long Pond Conservancy. Free play areas, including hockey, basketball, tennis, and kickball will be available at all times. Traditionally, some families have chosen to go off camp to experience local attractions such as the North Country Cheese Tour or foliage hikes in the High Peaks. Please feel free to spend as much time on camp as you desire, or ask us for suggestions! SIGN UP HERE!
Ski Week
December 27 – January 1
Our flagship off-season program. Campers, both new and returning, travel to camp to connect face-to-face with their summer friends and experience the magic of the Adirondacks in winter. Ski across the frozen pond, go tubing at Blue Boar’s Ski Bowl, summit a local mountain on snow shoes, and spend up to four days downhill skiing or boarding at Whiteface, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. There are also opportunities for a few current summer staff to work, and all current staff are invited to visit. Get more details. SIGN UP HERE!
Pok-O-WEST
Spring Break
Pok-O-WEST: (Wilderness Expedition Seeking Transformation) is an eight day journey by foot and on rappel through the heart of the Southwest’s desert. Campers will focus on leadership development and self-reflection as they practice essential outdoor living skills while sleeping under the stars, cooking backcountry delicacies, and rappelling into slot canyons. Exact location and timing will be dependent on spring break timing. This course will be led by Dave Durant, who has taught 150 courses for the National Outdoor Leadership School, the Wilderness Medicine Institute, Kroka Expeditions, St. Lawrence University, and the Chadwick School. Dave is particularly excited to share his passion for outdoor desert living, as well as to have an extended period to train potential trip leaders for Pok-O-MacCready. Graduates of Pok-O-WEST will be well equipped to lead their families and peers on extended trips in austere and beautiful environments around the world.
Spring Alumni Weekends
April – May
These four weekends vary slightly each year and offer informal opportunities for alumni of all generations to visit our New York camp and help prepare camp for another amazing summer. You’re welcome to stay overnight, and breakfasts and lunches are provided. Typical projects include landscaping, painting cabins, and firewood production, but we can always find projects that utilize your special skill set.
Patch Sprint
Last Weekend of May
The Patch Sprint, a grueling half-marathon or challenging hike, is a vital fundraiser for the Adirondack Scholarship Foundation, typically raising more than $10,000 for need-based scholarships. Racers include alumni, current staff, community members, and campers accompanied by a parent/guardian. Younger campers may also run the Kindersprint, a 1.2 mile dash up Pok-O-Moonshine Mountain. If you aren’t a runner, there are plenty of opportunities for volunteers on race day! Participants are welcome to stay on camp, and there are many opportunities to socialize and celebrate, as well as a day of volunteer projects. This event fills every year, so be sure to register early.
Camp Reunions!
Third Weekend of August, Every 5th Year:
Mark your calendars: our next reunion will be the 120th, in August of 2025. All alumni are invited to join us at camp for up to four nights. Activities include boating, swimming, the Pok-O-Closed volleyball tournament, Pok-O-Palooza, a high peaks hike, and the Reunion Banquet. Reunion is a great way to reconnect with your childhood friends, and introduce your children to our special New York summer camp.