Grown-Ups Are Going Back to Camp
There's a new kind of summer getaway sweeping Canada, and it doesn't involve an all-inclusive resort or a cottage rental. It's camp — the kind with bunk beds, campfire singalongs, and lanyard crafts — but this time, it's built entirely for adults.
Interest in adult summer camps is climbing across the country, according to a recent CBC Radio feature on The Current, as more and more grown-ups seek out the kind of unstructured, screen-free fun they remember from childhood. For many, it's less about the activities themselves and more about what camp represents: a break from the relentless pull of phones, deadlines, and daily responsibilities.
The Nostalgia Factor
Campers interviewed for the CBC piece pointed to nostalgia as a major draw. Summer camp, for a lot of Canadians, is tied to some of their earliest memories of independence and friendship — s'mores by the fire, cabin gossip, first crushes, and the freedom of a day with no set schedule. As adulthood piles on more obligations, that memory becomes something people actively want to recreate.
It's not just about reliving the past, though. Adult campers say the appeal is just as much about disconnecting from the present. Between work emails, family logistics, and the constant scroll of a smartphone, many Canadians are craving a few days where none of that is reachable. Camp offers a built-in excuse to unplug — spotty cell service and all.
Making New Friends as an Adult
Making friends gets harder as we get older, and that's another reason these camps are catching on. Structured group activities — canoeing, campfire games, group meals in a mess hall — strip away the awkwardness of small talk and give adults an easy, low-pressure way to bond with strangers. Several campers described leaving with genuine new friendships, something that can be surprisingly elusive once you're past your twenties and settled into a routine of work and family.
A Trend With Legs
This isn't a one-off novelty. Camps geared toward adults have been popping up in various forms across North America for the past few years, often marketed around themes like wellness, creative retreats, or straightforward nostalgia-driven fun. The rise in interest reported by CBC suggests demand in Canada is only growing, as more people look for ways to recharge that don't involve staring at a screen from a beach chair.
For Ottawa residents eyeing a similar escape, the appeal translates easily to the region's own cottage country nearby — the Gatineau Hills, the Ottawa Valley, and the countless lakes within a short drive of the city offer plenty of ready-made settings for a camp-style weekend, whether through an organized retreat or a DIY version with friends.
Whatever the format, the message from campers is consistent: sometimes the best way to deal with grown-up life is to step away from it entirely, if only for a weekend, and go back to camp.
Source: CBC Radio, The Current
