Enrollment Updates

We are always excited to share updates related to Chestnut Lake Camp’s preparations and forecasts for the upcoming summer. Please feel free to bookmark this page and click back at any time to review any updated information.

PRIMARY CONTACTS

Sending prospective family leads: Please contact our Engagement Director, Shara Crane
Questions regarding sessions, availability, tours, etc.: Please contact our Engagement Director, Shara Crane
Other questions: Please contact Owners/Directors, Aaron Selkow or Ann Selkow

ENROLLMENT TRENDS

Chestnut Lake is currently trending with its highest camper retention rates in its history. Retention in our largest sessions is now tracking slightly higher than 92%.
Second Session enrollment is currently ahead of any previous year. The Second Session traditionally has enrollment continuing through the spring, while the First Session is nearly closed for the 2026 season.
We are projecting enrollment (including all Divisions) of 435 campers in the First Session, and 350-375 campers in the Second Session (this will represent the highest enrollment in our history).
We are on track to see the usual 25-30% of our campers (overall) enrolled for the 7-week session, with the rest staying for only 4 weeks or 3 weeks. This will be approximately 110-115 campers.
Traditionally, we allow First Session campers to extend to the Full Summer (the decision can be made with the support of their parents during the session). In 2025, there were approximately 15 campers who extended from First Session to Full Summer, for example. We are currently tracking Full Summer (7-week) enrollment at a higher rate than in recent years, and our Second Session enrollment is higher than ever before. This means that we may have limited capacity for a 4-week camper to extend into Full Summer (7 weeks) in 2026.
We are opening a new cabin building again this year. This one will be on Girls Campus, with two cabins inside, allowing us to extend our Girls Divisions to at least 3 cabins per Division.
While we are seeing strong enrollment of first-time campers in our youngest Divisions (rising 3rd/4th/5th), we do continue to see new campers joining us in the rising 6th/7th groups (with very limited new campers in rising 8th grade).

CURRENT AVAILABILITY

First Session/Full Summer (all grades listed are for September 2026):

3rd-4th Grade Girls | VERY LIMITED
5th Grade Girls | VERY LIMITED
6th Grade Girls | VERY LIMITED
7th Grade Girls | VERY LIMITED
8th Grade Girls | VERY LIMITED
3rd-4th Grade Boys | LIMITED
5th Grade Boys | VERY LIMITED
6th Grade Boys | VERY LIMITED
7th Grade Boys | VERY LIMITED
8th Grade Boys | VERY LIMITED
For 9th Grade Girls/Boys, please contact camp.

Second Session (all grades listed are for September 2024)

Discovery Girls/Boys (2nd-4th Grade) | LIMITED
3rd-4th Grade Girls | LIMITED
5th Grade Girls | LIMITED
6th Grade Girls | VERY LIMITED
7th Grade Girls | VERY LIMITED
8th Grade Girls | VERY LIMITED
3rd-4th Grade Boys | LIMITED
5th Grade Boys | LIMITED
6th Grade Boys | VERY LIMITED
7th Grade Boys | LIMITED
8th Grade Boys | VERY LIMITED
For 9th Grade Girls/Boys, please contact camp.

ON-SITE TOURS

Chestnut Lake’s Directors are happy to host tours on-site in Beach Lake, PA, throughout the year, including the fall, winter, and spring. Our facilities are beautiful and we value the time we spend with families to allow them to see the camp, ask questions, and connect with the unique culture and community that are the hallmark of our camp. Tours typically are scheduled for 2 hours, can be arranged for weekends or occasionally for weekdays, and we usually need at least one week’s notice to fit visits into our schedule. Please contact our Engagement Director, Shara Crane, if you have a client who will need a tour scheduled.

ZOOM MEETINGS

Aaron Selkow, Chestnut’s Director, conducts Zoom meetings with parents and prospective campers regularly. These meetings can be scheduled on weekdays and weekends at various times. Please contact Aaron Selkow if you would like us to reach out to a client to schedule a Zoom meeting, or you can share Aaron’s Calendly link to allow them to schedule a meeting on their own.

ZOOM MEET-UPS, SPRING FLING & PERSONAL CONNECTIONS

We believe it can be helpful for first-time families to have a chance to orient themselves and their children to camp before their first summer, and we offer various options to do so.

Beginning in January/February, we start holding online Zoom Meet-Up meetings (for 45-60 minutes) by gender/grade group (we call those, “Divisions”) and sessions to allow new and returning campers to see each other while enjoying a hosted meeting with members of our summer staff to help make introductions, share news, and get campers excited about the summer.
On June 7, 2026, we will hold our annual Spring Fling event at camp for all first-time campers and their parents (11 AM to 3 PM). This is a very special opportunity for children and adults to be matched up with others in their respective groups and to enjoy a full and fulfilling day at camp.
At any time, our team will be happy to connect prospective and/or new camp families to others who are already part of the Chestnut Lake community. Please contact our Engagement Director, Shara Crane, to help initiate outreach for introductions.

CHESTNUT RESOURCES

If you or your clients are looking for information about Chestnut Lake Camp, please consider our Chestnut Essentials pages (accessible through the “Current Families” section of our website) and our Camp Handbook for enrolled families.