I absolutely love this camp. I have been going here for 3 years. The food is cheap, yes, but it's a break from having food that doesn't taste that good and looks fancy, and the dessert is great. Counselors know everybody's name, there are horses, zip lining, ropes course, waterfront, archery, riflery, water front, and a ton of other things that are really entertaining. It's huge but you can find your way pretty easily, the cabins are old but it's fun because it's kind of a throwback and the counselors are super entertaining, and as for the things removed, it's still fun, even without NOLA roasts, Non-Or Campers, etc. It encourages activity and fun and has so many choices of what to do. I have a favorite horse, she's very nice and most of the horses are great too. All in all I love this camp very much (also it's a great break from tech) and it's the one place where I can fall asleep with melatonin (it tires you out in a good way) and my anger issues get a lot better here because it's very calming. As for the price, I think if you can afford it you should DEFINITELY have your kid come here. It's near Shreveport, Louisiana but if you live somewhere too far to drive (i.e. a kid lives in Vegas) then you can fly and they'll pick you up at the airport and get you over on a bus. 10/10 recommend. You make amazing memories and life long friends. read more

This camp is the same exact thing every year. You spend almost $5,000 which overpriced first of all for what it is. The people there are not very well trained in the activities they are supposed to teach. The camp looks as if it hasn't been updated since the 60's. The cabins are falling apart and have many cracks where bugs find their way in. Two years in a row my cabin was infested with spiders. The last time I went the cabin flooded with the smallest amount of rain and there was an ant problem. The workers there have a problem with favoriting certain campers. The food is cheap and frankly very bad. You are never able to tell if you are eating fish patties or chicken ones(not an exaggeration). Ever heard of Sysco? Because that is all you eat. The cheapest and lowest quality food I have ever seen/ate. The councilors are very young themselves and are not old enough to be responsible for your 6+ year olds. Don't get me wrong, it used to be okay. Until, they got a new head director who is not one to pass down little traditions that made Camp Fern what it was. Anything that people found joy in was removed; non-honor campers, Nola roasts, some camp songs, ect. If you haven't gone to this camp you wouldn't understand. In conclusion, this camp is not for you unless you want to waste money to get the cheapest quality of everything. These people only care about your money, not your experience. read more

I worked as a counselor at Camp Fern in the mid 1980s, and now I've been lucky enough to send my two daughters to girls' camp at Fern every summer for the last four years. For my campers, Fern is Shangri-La. They love everything about camp. They especially love the tribal competition, the day trips, the traditions, the various activities and classes, the friends they've made, and spending all day outside in nature. As a parent, I love the benefits of camp I see reflected in my daughters' values and characters. Each summer they grow to be more resilient, more independent, more confident socially, and more mentally tough. These are the qualities that a good summer camp will foster in kids. At Camp Fern, in addition to having fun, kids have the opportunity to take on leadership roles within their tribes and cabins. They try new activities which might be outside their comfort zones. They experience both success and failure, but they learn how to bounce back and keep trying. This is an old school Texas summer camp. Camp activities include arts and crafts, horseback riding, archery, riflery, waterskiing, swimming, tennis and other sports, nature, trampoline, mountain biking, canoeing, et cetera. There's a ropes course and a big blob in the lake, for jumping. Kids can also work toward earning special individual advancements, which teach goal-setting and how to work toward meeting a goal. The camp hosts vespers in the evenings and a church service out-of-doors on Sundays. There's also singing, campfires, marshmallow roasting, trail rides, and coke raids. I highly recommend Camp Fern. It's well worth the cost. The four generations of family who own and run Fern are invested in every camper's camp experience. You can trust that your child will be in good hands. read more