Camp

OHIO 4-H CAMPING PROGRAMS

For more information about how to attend your county's 4-H camp, contact your local OSU Extension Office.

What is 4-H Camp?

• It's youth challenging themselves on a high ropes course, braiding a friendship bracelet, swimming in a lake, learning a line dance, and becoming lifelong friends with their cabinmates.
• It's counselors leading a nature hike, knowing the words to all the songs, creating the best skits at campfire, and making a homesick camper smile.
• It's 4-H professionals training teen counselors, recruiting adult volunteers, purchasing supplies, and setting the stage for a camper's memory of the best week of the summer.
• It's camping facilities featuring hands-on outdoor education, adventure, and challenges that develop leadership, citizenship, and life skills in young people.
• Here's what Ohio 4-H Campers had to say after their camping experiences in 2022:
  • 94% indicated that they had someone to look up to at camp
  • 97% said they made a new friend at camp
  • 93% indicated that they learned something new
  • 94% said they will recommend camp to their friends
  • 97% want to return to camp next year

Check out the various statewide camping opportunities below:

State Leadership Camp: This five-day experience is the premiere leadership development opportunity available to Ohio 4-H members and focuses on the development of concrete peer leadership skills that will enable participants to have an immediate impact in their home 4-H club, county, community, or school.

Making eXtreme Counselors (MXC): MXC is an interactive and quick-paced training that offers innovative camp ideas to new and veteran camp counselors and helps prepare them to deliver a great camp program to their campers.

Sea Camp: Sea Camp invites teens to "get their feet wet" and learn about one of Ohio's most important resources - Lake Erie -  through activities held in, on, and around the water.

Shooting Sports Camps: These fun-filled learning experiences allow youth to learn about the safe, responsible, and ethical use of firearms and archery equipment, along with participating in other camping activities.

Space Adventure Camp: Space Camp is a three-day action packed camp allows youth to explore the world of flight and science through testing flying machines, conducting computer simulations, and gaining an understanding of the development of the space flight program.

Special Needs Camp: Special Needs Camp is designed with special needs youth in mind, giving them a true experience of camp while meeting their needs and letting them set their own pace for fun and success.

Forestry & Wildlife Conservation Camp: Join Ohio 4-H & Hocking College professionals at Canters Cave 4-H Camp for a weekend of learning about forestry and wildlife education, fishing, hiking, tree, climbing, ODNR careers & college opportunities and more!

4-H Center Camps: A variety of science-related overnight and day camping programs are available at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Columbus, including Camp Tech and Science Saturdays.

Counties across Ohio currently camp at 15 different camping facilities. Find out more about those locations here.

Learn more about various camping research here.