SUMMER PROGRAMS
Settlers have the opportunity to participate in awesome Camp activities like fishing, canoeing, arts and crafts, archery, swimming, and outdoor living skills while being introduced to some awesome aspects of the Catholic life. Every evening, they have the chance to participate in larger Camp activities such as an evening Campfire with skits and songs, Capture the Flag, and more!
SETTLER SCHEDULE
SUNDAY
3:00 Campers Check-In
4:00 Cabin Group Introductions
5:30 Dinner
6:15 Camper Free Time
7:00 Campfire with Skits & Songs
7:40 Devotions/Night Meds/Bedtime Snack/Get Ready for Bed
9:00 LOAQ (Lights Out, All Quiet)
MONDAY-THURSDAY
7:30 Wake Up/Get Ready for the Day
8:00 Breakfast
8:45 Cabin Clean-Up
9:15 Morning Praise & Prayer
9:45 Camp Activities Rotation #1
10:55 Camp Activities Rotation #2
12:00 Camper Free Time
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Afternoon Rotation #1
2:15 Afternoon Rotation #2
3:15 Afternoon Rotation #3
4:15 Afternoon Rotation #4
5:15 Camper Free Time
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Evening Program
8:00 Devotions/Night Meds/Bedtime Snack/Get Ready for Bed
9:00 LOAQ (Lights Out, All Quiet)
FRIDAY (WEDNESDAY OF MINI WEEK)
8:00 Wake Up/Get Ready for the Day
8:30 Breakfast
9:15 Camp Activities Rotation #1
10:30 Camp Activities Rotation #2
12:00 Camper Free Time
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Pack Up & Clean with Cabin Group
3:00 All Camp Mass
4:00 Parent Program / Camper Program
4:15 Camper Pick-Up
The Trailblazer program has the added benefits of more program choices, later bedtimes, and more latitude in deciding what activities the cabin group should do. Trailblazers participate in a more advanced Camp experience as they access further activities like mountain biking and rock climbing. They also dive a little deeper into their Catholic faith with counselors ready to listen and guide campers through the challenges of being a middle schooler while helping them form great friendships with one another.
TRAILBLAZER SCHEDULE
SUNDAY
3:00 Campers Check-In
4:00 Cabin Group Introductions
5:30 Dinner
6:15 Camper Free Time
7:00 Campfire with Skits & Songs
7:40 Devotions/Night Meds/Bedtime Snack/Get Ready for Bed
9:30 LOAQ (Lights Out, All Quiet)
MONDAY-THURSDAY
7:30 Wake Up/Get Ready for the Day
8:00 Breakfast
8:45 Cabin Clean-Up
9:15 Morning Praise & Prayer
9:45 Camp Activities Rotation #1
10:55 Camp Activities Rotation #2
12:00 Camper Free Time
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Afternoon Rotation #1
2:15 Afternoon Rotation #2
3:15 Afternoon Rotation #3
4:15 Afternoon Rotation #4
5:15 Camper Free Time
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Evening Program
8:00 Devotions/Night Meds/Bedtime Snack/Get Ready for Bed
9:30 LOAQ (Lights Out, All Quiet)
FRIDAY (WEDNESDAY OF MINI WEEK)
8:00 Wake Up/Get Ready for the Day
8:30 Breakfast
9:15 Camp Activities Rotation #1
10:30 Camp Activities Rotation #2
12:00 Camper Free Time
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Pack Up & Clean with Cabin Group
3:00 All Camp Mass
4:00 Parent Program / Camper Program
4:15 Camper Pick-Up
The Pathfinder program provides high school campers a unique environment where they can build stronger community as adolescents and take ownership of their Christian identity. Pathfinders dive intentionally into key themes such as the Gospel message, Christian masculinity and femininity, and virtuous friendship. While having access to all of the activities included in the Settler and Trailblazer programs, they wake up later, stay up later, and participate in a number of exclusive morning activities, including team building challenges and a camp service project. Pathfinders also play an important role as role models for the younger campers.
PATHFINDER SCHEDULE
SUNDAY
3:00 Campers Check-In
4:00 Cabin Group Introductions
5:30 Dinner
6:15 Camper Free Time
7:00 Campfire with Skits & Songs
7:45 Cabin Time/Icebreakers
9:00 Testimony
9:30 Devotions/Cabin Time
10:30 Get Ready for Bed
11:00 LOAQ (Lights Out, All Quiet)
MONDAY-THURSDAY
8:30 Wake Up/Get Ready for the Day
9:00 Breakfast
9:30 Cabin Clean-Up
10:00 Morning Praise & Prayer
10:30 Team Building #1
11:15 Team Building #2
12:00 Camper Free Time
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Afternoon Rotation #1
2:15 Afternoon Rotation #2
3:15 Afternoon Rotation #3
4:15 Afternoon Rotation #4
5:15 Camper Free Time
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Evening Program
8:30 Cabin Time
9:00 Devotions/Cabin Time
10:30 Get Ready for Bed
11:00 LOAQ (Lights Out, All Quiet)
FRIDAY
8:00 Wake Up/Get Ready for the Day
8:30 Breakfast
9:15 Camp Activities Rotation #1
10:30 Camp Activities Rotation #2
12:00 Camper Free Time
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Pack Up & Clean with Cabin Group
3:00 All Camp Mass
4:00 Parent Program / Camper Program
4:15 Camper Pick-Up
The Explorer program serves our older high school campers as they live a much more rustic experience off of main camp in an exclusive portion known as the Explorer Village. Explorers have the opportunity to experience an intentional kind of Catholic formation aimed at guiding them to Christian maturity. Explorers have the opportunity to form a strong community of their own as they creatively decide much of their own schedule and embark on exciting adventures! The program also involves many of the traditional camp activities as well as some exclusive to the Explorer experience, such as a day trip to our local Devil’s Lake State Park, group initiatives in the Explorer Village, and more! Explorers cook much of their own food, spend most of their time outside, and learn skills such as fire-building, outdoor cooking, and low impact camping.
The Leaders in Training program is a 3-week-long program that gives 12th Graders the chance to experience the Camp Gray staff community and learn valuable skills involved in being a Camp Gray counselor. LITs do not stay at Camp Gray over the weekends. They go home each week after the parent program and then return on Sunday afternoon before the next session begins.
Leaders in Training (LITs) learn practical skills such as behavior management, child development, game facilitation, team building, and faith formation. In the first week, LITs grow together in community, learning new skills from experienced staff members and observing our staff in action. The following two weeks, they get to take on leadership roles with campers under the guidance of Camp Gray counselors.
LIT participants are accepted by application. LIT applications for Summer 2027 open December 1, 2026.
Family Camp is a great time for your family to experience a fun weekend at Camp Gray focused on family time and the faith. Registration for Family Camp will happen alongside summer camp registration.
Summer Camp 2027 |
|---|
Session 1June 6 – 11 |
Session 2June 13 – 18 |
Session 3June 20 – June 25 |
Session 4 (mini week)June 27 – June 30 |
Session 5July 4 – July 9 |
Session 6July 11 – July 16 |
Session 7July 18 – July 23 |
Session 8July 25 – July 30 |
Session 9August 1 – August 6 |
Session 10 (mini week)August 8 – August 11 |
Family CampAugust 13 – August 15 |
- SETTLERS, TRAILBAZERS
- SETTLERS, TRAILBLAZERS, PATHFINDERS
- EXPLORERS
- LEADERS IN TRAINING
- FAMILY OF 4 OR LESS
- FAMILY OF 5 OR MORE
CAMPER WELLBEING
We collect information about allergies and dietary restrictions at registration. Our kitchen staff is equipped to accommodate all dietary needs!
Our CampBrain Registration system includes Health Forms where we collect all information about medications your child may need to take daily or as needed. At Sunday Check-In, we collect all medication and have parents touch base with our Health Care Professional with any notes for their administration. All medications must be brought in their original containers. We have over-the-counter medications on hand, such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc. Our medical professional for the week will be responsible for the distribution of all medication during your camper’s stay.
Camp Gray has a storm shelter which meets the requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Should any dangerous weather conditions arise (such as a tornado warning or severe thunderstorm warning), our storm shelter is large enough to hold all campers and staff. Additionally, our staff is well trained to follow our emergency procedures in these situations, giving priority to the physical and emotional care of your children.
For many kids, Summer Camp is the first big experience away from home. While this is a very exciting experience, it can also cause homesickness. Our counselors are trained to help children through homesickness. They work to help them feel safe and well cared for while away from home. In the event that your child’s homesickness is negatively affecting their camp experience, we will be in touch to make a plan of action to help your child enjoy their week.
While your child is at Camp, we always have a medical professional onsite to care for any injuries or sickness that may occur. Should your child experience sickness or injury, we will let you know immediately and maintain close communication with you.
CHECK IN / CHECK OUT
Sunday Check-In is at 3:00 PM. We encourage the following arrival times:
- Settlers (Grades 2-5) | 3:00 – 3:20
- Trailblazers (Grades 6-8) | 3:20 – 3:40
- Pathfinders and Explorers (Grades 9-12) | 3:40 – 4:00
You will be greeted in the Camp Gray driveway, and learn your camper’s cabin and counselor’s name! From there, our Staff will direct you to parking, and you will head to your camper’s cabin. If you have multiple campers, you’ll be able to stop into each cabin to get settled and meet your camper’s counselor. From there, you will head to our dining hall to complete a brief health screening, meet with our Kitchen Staff if your camper has any allergies or dietary restrictions, meet with the nurse if your camper has any medications or notes for the nurse to be aware of, and add money into your canteen store account if you haven’t previously done so. From there, you will head back to the cabin to sign out, and say goodbye!
Pick-Up happens on Fridays of Full Weeks and Wednesdays of Mini Weeks. Pick-Up begins with our Parent Program at 4:00 PM.
We encourage families to arrive between 3:45 – 3:55 to have time to park and make their way to the Parent Program. This 15-minute-long program includes an introduction to the mission of Camp Gray and a brief recap of the week. After this, parents sign out their children and head to the gym to pick up their belongings.
Yes! If another adult is picking up your child from Camp, we will need written permission denoting your approval. You can do this by filling out a permission slip at Sunday Check-In or by communicating your permission to our Registrar via email at bigfun@campgray.com. They will also need to know who will be picking up your child from Camp at the end of the week. Please ensure the one dropping off your child has all necessary information for any medications, allergies, or dietary restrictions and that your health forms have been completed in advance.
Fridays are very busy at Camp Gray! If you need to pick up your child early, we ask that you would call the Camp Gray Office before Friday to arrange a pick up time. Friday early pick-ups can be scheduled for anytime between 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM with our Registrar. We will have early pick-ups at the Office ready for you to sign them out at the designated time.
CAMPER EXPERIENCE
Camp Gray is a joyfully Catholic Summer Camp. We are proud of this identity and do our best to ensure that everyone who comes to Camp Gray has a positive experience with the Catholic Church. In the summer, they will witness this impact through our staff members who are joyfully living out their Catholic faith. Each morning, campers will attend Morning Praise and Prayer, a time where they learn about some aspect of the Catholic life together in their age groups. With their cabin groups before bed, they are led through nightly Devotionals, times of intentional prayer and faith discussions planned by their counselors. Along with this, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered almost every day by our summer chaplain. On the last day of each session, all campers and counselors attend Mass together, and it is made optional every other day.
Camp Gray staff are required to follow the supervision guidelines of the American Camp Association (ACA). Under these requirements, a camper is never permitted to be alone with a Camp Gray staff member, and a Camp Gray staff member cannot supervise more than 8 campers alone (10 if they are high schoolers). While campers will rotate through activities and parts of the day with different staff members, campers are not left unattended at any point throughout the day.
Every camper is put into a cabin group with 1 head counselor, 1-2 co-counselors, and up to 9 other campers.
It is awesome for campers share the Camp Gray experience with friends and family! If your camper is attending Camp with a friend or family member of the same week, program, and gender, we do our best to accommodate 1-2 cabin buddy requests if the request has been made by both parties. Buddy Requests can be made online at the time of Registration, or you can email bigfun@campgray.com to add them at a later time.
Buddy requests are only for placing campers in the same cabin. If your child has a friend that is of the opposite gender or different age group, they will be able to see each other and spend time together multiple different times in the day but cannot be placed in the same cabin.
Yes! Each day, we have Free Time in the schedule, which brings all of Main Camp together for time to play in a supervised area. This combines all ages and genders, and is a great time for friends and family members in different cabins to spend time together. Additionally, many of our evening activities include mingling between the different age group programs.
A great way to communicate with your camper throughout the week is with our Email Service. This service enables you to communicate with your camper daily, rather than waiting for letters to get mailed home.
Our email service works as follows:
- You send 1 email to your camper daily, Monday-Thursday, by 11 AM (if multiple family members would like to send messages to your camper, please compile them into one single email). Send your email to dailyemail@campgray.com.
- We will print your email, and your camper will have a chance to read the email and reply after lunch
- Your camper will write or draw you a message on pre-addressed papers we give their counselors
- In the afternoon, your camper’s message is scanned and sent to your email
If you have any questions, contact our Registrar in the office!
Yes, your camper is welcome to send letters home and receive letters during their time at Camp! If your camper is planning to write home, please send your camper with pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelopes, as this best equips the letters to make it home!
You are welcome to send letters and packages to your camper while they are Camp Gray at the following:
Camp Gray
Attn: Camper Name (+Counselor Name if you have it!)
E10213 Shady Lane Road
Reedsburg, WI 53959
Please note that we are a peanut and tree nut free facility – if sending a care package to your camper, please ensure that any food is peanut and nut free. Thank you!
Yes! We post pictures daily for families to keep up with the happenings of Camp! You will receive a link to the folder, along with the password to access the photos, via email as your session of camp approaches.
PACKING / PREP / ATTIRE
Our goal is to maintain a safe, respectful, and fun environment where everyone can enjoy Camp. Clothing must not be see-through or excessively revealing. Shirts must fully cover the chest, stomach, and back. Tank tops are permitted for warm weather, but please ensure that the straps of the tank tops are at least 3” (three fingers) width, cover all undergarments, and have armpit holes that do not expose the chest. Shorts and skirts must provide appropriate coverage and reach at least mid-thigh. Campers should avoid biker shorts and leggings.
Campers should also avoid clothing with messaging contrary to Catholic teaching, offensive, provocative, and inappropriate language and images, including references to politics, drugs, alcohol, violence, or sexual content.
We ask that males have swim trunk shorts that extend at least past mid thigh, and that females have one piece bathing suits or tankinis that fully cover their midriff.
Your child may like to bring a journal, or a book, for winding down before bed, along with a flashlight. It is helpful to have your child’s items labeled for the week!
Each week, all of Camp is split into the red or blue team for the Cassidy Games – a week long competition of Mini Games and a big relay race at the end of the week. Your Camper will find out if they are on the Red or Blue team on Sunday night, which is why we ask you to pack both red and blue shirts. There are two nights that your camper will want to wear their team color, so we encourage 2 blue shirts and 2 red shirts for packing. These shirts do not need to be blank, or anything special – just a show of team spirit!
Your camper will have a chance to visit the Canteen Store daily with their cabin (Monday-Friday) to pick up an ice cream/frozen treat (our only food option in the store), and then will also be given a time to shop the rest of what the store has to offer. Ice Cream Treats are $2-$3 dollars, and our other items in the store range in price. We have T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats which can range from $15-$40 per item; water bottles and mugs for $15-$20; smaller items such as rubber bracelets, dog tags, stuffed animals, and sunglasses for $4-$15. We suggest $15 – $50 in your canteen account for the week, based on what is best for your family. Our Canteen Store is also open on Sundays and Fridays for you to shop together as a family!
You can access your camper’s canteen account during the week and track their spending and add money remotely, if you’d like. You can also call the office at Camp and we can help you add money to your camper’s account over the phone. The Canteen Store is open on Fridays after the Parent Program/Pick Up to be able to spend leftover money in your camper’s account. At the end of the week, any money still left in canteen accounts is donated into our Scholarship Account to assist families with camper fees for next year.
