Gainesville is a small town located in Central Florida. During the summer months, the temperate Florida climate offers an excellent opportunity for those in the Gainesville area to spend the days outside enjoying an array of activities. For teens, this means no shortage of fun, educational and friendly summer camps in the surrounding areas.
Camp Crystal Lake is located just north of Gainesville on the banks of several lakes and spread out over more than 100 acres of scenic forest and fields. The camp is open for several multi-week sessions each summer.
Each session is open to nearly 200 kids and teens. Activities are held each day in a coed fashion throughout the campground area. Campers are separated into male and female cabins arranged around the scenic lakeside.
The camp bills itself as an excellent way for campers to learn helpful life skills through the various classes and activities offered, as well as a great chance to meet new people over the course the camp sessions.
6724 Camp Crystal Road
Starke, FL 32091
352-475-1414
campcrystal.com/index.asp
The Jordan Glen Summer Camp has been held each summer for more than 30 years and caters to young teens looking to experience an array of activities in a comfortable and modern environment. Sessions run three weeks, but there's also an option for campers to stay straight through two sessions to maximize their exposure to all the activities offered.
The campground itself spreads across 20 acres of Florida countryside just outside downtown Gainesville. Modern amenities and activities available to campers include a swimming pool, air-conditioned social center featuring games and group activity rooms and several outdoor athletic fields. Additional off-site field trips are also arranged throughout the camp sessions for the older teen campers.
12425 SW 154th St.
Archer, FL 32618
352-495-2728
jordanglen.org/Camp/Camp
This summer camp is offered in the heart of Gainesville by the University of Florida, the main campus of which is spread out through the downtown area. The camp is a summer camp in the strictest sense in that it's open to teens and held across several sessions throughout the summer, however, the focus is less on outdoor activities and more on community services and preparation for the future.
Campers complete community service activities as well as learning courses designed to count toward college credit. Additional activities include guest speakers in the evening as well as awards banquets and off-site trips to local restaurants and sporting events. To further enhance the college preparation aspect of the camp, all campers spend the session in the university's actual dorms on campus.
P.O. Box 117168
Gainesville, FL 32611
352-273-0332
ufyoungentrepreneurs.org
