Editor’s note: New York Family’s Camp Fairs (featuring day camps and sleepaway camps) are coming up on Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8.
They are free, child-friendly (from tots to tweens) and just a wonderful way to meet many camp directors in one convenient setting.
For more information about the upcoming Camp Fairs and to register, CLICK HERE.
When planning a family vacation, most parents dream about some ideal combo of family fun, quality couple time, unplugging, getting active, and basking in some beautiful scenery. Sound like an unreal fantasy trip? Think again and simply direct your attention to the Mount Snow Family Camp in Wet Dover, VT!
At Mount Snow Family Camp, your clan will enjoy hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, volleyball, and boating, among other activities. Make family time as adventurous or as relaxing as you’d like, as you unplug and enjoy one another’s company in the mountains of Vermont.
“Our whole deal is, in the afternoon, we don’t use cell phones. We tell parents that the most important person they need to talk to is probably right there walking with them,” says Mike Mitton, the Family Camp Director at Mount Snow. “We tried to build something that was all-inclusive—so parents don’t have to grocery shop…it’s their vacation too! Once you get up there, you really don’t need a car because our vans will take you everywhere you need to go. And our staff does a great job—they try to meet any needs that you have. Like if somebody needs diapers from the store, we take care of that for them.”
We’re excited to be currently running a giveaway of a family trip for four to Mount Snow Family Camp in honor of our annual Camp Fair series. To shine a little more light on the camp itself and just what’s in store for the lucky winner, we caught up with Mitton recently about what to expect, what’s new, and what’s totally unique at this special place!
Tell us about your background and how you came to Mount Snow.
I was in the golf industry. I played professionally for seven years and have been in the golf course management business for 25 years. I was brought in to actually build a family experience based on my experiences in the golf industry. It was fun. We took an existing lodge and we built a week-long, all-inclusive vacation for families.
If you had to describe the essence and mission of the Mount Snow Family Camp to someone unfamiliar with it, what would you say?
Really our mission was for families to actually spend time together. Our line to unplug and reconnect really simply came about when I walked into a restaurant one time and saw a family of four together but everyone was on their phones. No one talking to each other. In my generation—and I’m older—when we vacationed, we actually vacationed as families. So, with that in mind, we built a camp where—we kind of split it up—in the morning, my counselors take the kids and we mountain bike and hike and swim and that gives mom and dad some time to spend together, whether that’s yoga classes, or tennis, or playing golf. But in the afternoon, we do everything as a family. We teach you how to paddle board and canoe and take excursions to the lake, and we mountain bike together as a family.
Can families with kids of any age enjoy the experience or does Mount Snow cater to kids of a certain age range?
It’s [for] families of any age. The nice thing is, up at the mountain, we have a licensed daycare facility, so for parents who have toddlers, we have a place for them to go in the morning, with professionals, so that mom and dad can still have their quality time. But in the afternoon, everything is as a family and we’ve had kids from 7 months to 18 years.
Tell us about some of the other unique activities that families can do together.
We get to use the [ski] lifts to take them up to the top of the hill and we hike down with botanists, or we bike down. We’re in the stages of finishing up a disk golf course across the mountain…it’s fun! We actually built a sand volleyball court, so in the afternoon there may be a kickball game going, or we may play horseshoes, we do all those kinds of things. We slack-line! And we have arts and crafts programs, we have cooking classes for [parents] with our chefs.
Is the camp just offered in the summer months? Or are there all-season offerings?
That’s a great question. Right now it’s just in the summer. Our camp is a little bit different—it’s how I would like to camp—we stay in condominiums with flat-screen TVs and then we cook all the meals at the lodge. So we have breakfast there, and then lunch is usually a boxed lunch because we’re heading somewhere, and for our big dinners we eat family style. Everyone sits around a big table and we eat together. It’s fun.
What would you tell New Yorkers planning a family vacation in the Green Mountain State?
Vermont is so beautiful and there are so many things to see–whether it’s walking by a stream or watching wildlife. It really gives you an opportunity to go for walks with your family and do all kinds of activities… We even introduced horseback riding this year. We also have an excursion to an aerial park nearby in Massachusetts called Ramblewild, which was a big hit last year.
Is there anything else from Mount Snow that families should know?
Our whole deal is, in the afternoon, we don’t use cell phones. We tell parents that the most important person they need to talk to is probably right there walking with them. We tried to build something that was all-inclusive—so parents don’t have to grocery shop…it’s their vacation too! Once you get up there, you really don’t need a car because our vans will take you everywhere you need to go. And our staff does a great job—they try to meet any needs that you have. Like if somebody needs diapers from the store, we take care of that for them.
To enter our Mount Snow Family Camp giveaway, click HERE!
Family Camp at Mount Snow from Mount Snow on Vimeo.
To learn more about Mount Snow Family Camp, visit mountsnow.com/the-mountain/family-camp!
