Time at a quality summer camp makes a difference in children's lives.
The magic of
a great summer camp.
Our inclusive summer sleep away camp features distinctive programs for children ages 8 to 14, as well as teen programs for ages 14-17. Depending on personal interest, HVC is an arts camp, a horse camp, an adventure camp, a performing arts camp, a nature camp, a water camp, a sports camp, and much more. Or it can be all of these!
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Hidden Valley's roots are in the movement of progressive camps and schools that embrace experiential learning, tolerance, inclusion, and holistic education. Over the years, we have built on this history with a commitment to distinction and professionalism, a deep sensitivity to individual needs, and group life. Our diverse, non-competitive community nurtures individual growth and independence in a structured yet un-pressured atmosphere.
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Our days together are devoted to the following values: acceptance, regardless of race, gender, religion, or background; independence to choose one's daily activities and to be who you really are; responsibility to one's community and peers; creativity in all dimensions of the daily experience at camp.
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For years parents have told us that their children come home from HVC more independent and confident. They feel free from the pressures, expectations, and routines of school and home. With the support of professional staff and experienced leadership, children find new and expanded personal strengths.
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Q: What is your favorite thing about Hidden Valley?
A: That nobody has a phone and we just talk. - Alice, aged 12Our focus on living in nature and being present allows us to replace virtual engagement with vital engagement.
Our approach nurtures camper relationships and their capacity for empathy as they develop a deeper sense of their ability to lead independent, joyful, productive lives.
We are cognizant of widespread concern in the medical community about the toll that overuse of electronics is taking on children and have tailored our community and programs to remove the need for devices while at camp.
HIdden Valley makes positive use of technology in group settings for dance classes, music and video programs, and other performance arts.
Our Location
Our beautiful summer camp in Maine provides a multitude of opportunities on 350+ acres of meadows, classic Maine woodland, and a large private lake. Acres of pasture and miles of trail support our thriving equestrian and animal care programs.
Hidden Valley is a few miles inland from the lovely coastal towns of Belfast and Camden, home to working waterfronts, galleries and restaurants, and Maine's breathtaking coastline.
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About our corner of the world:
70 buildings include modern cabin facilities designed to support group development and camper comfort.
Modern, large dining hall provides an awesome menu for all dietary needs and amazing food choices.
Our vast 350+ acre location in Freedom, Maine allows for a campers to have the perfect setting for hiking, swimming, and immersing themselves in the natural beauty of the Pine Tree State.
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HVC’s cabins are open, airy and fun.
Campers are grouped by age or grade.
Campers sleep in bunk beds. (Let us know if you like a top or bottom.)
Each cabin has full bathroom facilities (shower, toilet, sink), electricity, and hang out spaces.
Each cabin has a dedicated team of counselors that reside in the cabin with campers.
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Hidden Valley Camp recognizes that our children will soon become stewards of our planet. The lessons they learn and practice while at camp will influence their communities and beyond.
Hidden Valley Camp is a member of Green Camps. Like many summer camps in Maine, HVC is striving to reduce our carbon footprint and teach children about the many ways in which individuals and groups can conserve and recycle resources.
Our dining hall limits food waste and delivers what is left to a local pig farm.
Campers and staff recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and metals.
Campers participate in environmental community service projects each summer.
We purchase local produce where possible.
Hidden Valley teen campers have planted over 2,000 trees at Acadia National Park.
The camping tradition in Maine has long connected children to the natural world through experiences that promote simple living in an outdoor setting.
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Maine is the home of the Wabanaki people. The Wawenok and Penobscot bands of the Wabanaki confederacy lived in the coastal area for thousands of years.
They believed that the Earth had always existed and called it their “Grandmother.” We have learned that we live near what was once a valued hunting ground and that what is now the camp road was a trading route for indigenous people.
About 400 years ago, Europeans arrived and through ensuing war and disease, the population of indigenous peoples declined drastically. We acknowledge the Wabanaki - "people of the dawnland" - for their historical stewardship of the land, their current struggle for sovereignty, and for their continued contributions to Maine's culture.
Meet the Team
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April Durrett
OWNER, DIRECTOR
April spent her first year at Hidden Valley in 2000 (the year she met Wes at camp) as an arts counselor. She's been teaching at Hidden Valley nearly every year since, and her role has evolved from arts education staff to more behind the scenes camp operations. She studied art and design at Pratt Institute and has a Masters in Business from Trinity College Dublin. Her two daughters were campers for 10+ years until they both became camp staff and continue to thrive and support the community each year.
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Wes Durrett
OWNER, DIRECTOR
Wes spent his first summer at camp in the Kassen’s first year and their transition year between the Stager ownership and Kassen ownership in 1988. Wes returned as a counselor from 1994-2000 (when he met April) and was famous for his creative camper classes like junior firefighters, mechanics, various creative classes, and epic games of basketball knockout. He continued to support camp and in various offseason roles and teach classes during the summer as their daughters attended from 2005-2019. From 2020, Wes has had a more operational role supporting Hidden Valley. (Most days, you can still find him after rest period getting in a quick game of knockout with the campers).
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Lucia Picard
OFFICE DIRECTOR
Lucia started working at Hidden Valley in 1989 while she was a student at nearby Unity College. After graduating in 1992 with a Bachelor's degree in Park Management, she began her full time position as Office Director at Hidden Valley. A life long resident of Maine, Lucia shares her love of the Pine Tree state with staff and parents by offering amazing recommendations for adventures.
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Albert Paradis
MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR
Albert lives at camp year-round with his family, looking after facilities and caring for our many animals. During the winter, Albert is responsible for camp maintenance and upgrades, including using his carpentry skills to build new structures and refurbish older cabins. During the summer, you can find Albert and his facilities team tending to the extensive grounds and gardens, repairing bikes, and working with campers on awesome projects that require his knowledge and expertise.
Cabins & Facilities
Hidden Valley's cabins are open and airy, designed for a fun communal experience. Campers are usually grouped by age or grade.
Food and Dining
Our modern dining hall provides an awesome menu for all dietary needs and an excellent range of choices. We accommodate many allergy and dietary needs.
Founded in 1948 as a farm camp, Hidden Valley is now an arts and outdoors camp experience for young people.
Accreditation and Memberships
American Camp Association
The American Camp Association is the world’s largest professional camping organization. Its Accredited Camp insignia is a recognized symbol of quality, saying to those seeking a summer experience for their children: “This camp has met or exceeded standards for health and risk management, staffing and counselor training, facilities and administration, and all of its camper programs.” In addition, ACA provides ongoing training and resources to our staff and community so that we maintain the highest quality and standards in camping.
Maine Summer Camps
Through its educational efforts and relationships across the state, Maine Summer Camps (MSC) supports meaningful developmental, educational, environmental, and recreational experiences for children. MSC has long been a pioneer in the field of youth camping, creating the first state camp licensing law in the country. The American Camping Association uses many of these original standards in its accreditation of youth camps.
Maine Camp Experience
As a proud member camp of the Maine Camp Experience, Hidden Valley is part of an exceptional community of premier camps. This collective is wholly dedicated to providing children and their families with the absolute highest quality summer camp experience. The owners and directors of MCE camps—including our own—are highly esteemed leaders, many of whom are the second or third generation in their families to shape the camp industry. Like the leadership at Hidden Valley, many of these leaders were once Maine campers and counselors themselves! We are thrilled to be united with this incredible group of camps under the MCE umbrella.
What Families Say
Ready for summer?
Complete your enrollment today and get your camper ready for an amazing summer experience.