There's only ONE review for Camp Letts?? How can that be??? Okay, a little bit of background, here: I have been going to Camp Letts for over forty years (coincidentally, my age is a little over forty years). For once, I'm gonna have to write a relatively irony-free Yelp review. Letts is a YMCA mixed-use facility situated in a wooded peninsula, on the Rhode river (which feeds right into the Bay). That means you drive a mile and a half down a beautiful forest road to get there, and at the end you're surrounded on three sides by the tidewater shoreline of the Bay. Mixed-use means there's a variety of reasons you might show up there. Mostly, it's: - a summer camp. Woo hoo, summer camp! - a conference center (church/synagogue groups, and retreats for local businesses) - a special events venue (weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc.) - a family camp. They hold this every Memorial and Labor Day weekend. In my years there, I've experienced all of these facets of Camp: I went there as a summer camper, have been on a religious retreat there when I was a kid, saw my sister get Bat Mitzvahed there, and perhaps most importantly (for me), gone for family camp every year since I was a wee babe. It's great for all these events. Why five stars? Because there's something here for everybody. That means for every purpose you might need (Getting married? check. Sending a kid to summer camp? check), as well as the range of activities, and the range WITHIN those activities. For example, the waterfront is a big part of what make Camp great - but not everybody feels like sailing or water skiing. No problem - you can also just hop in a canoe, and paddle your way around the coves and islands of the river. The staff is professional, and they make sure you're experience is as good as possible. The food is taken care of by their excellent staff. Accommodations are mostly in cabins, which are relatively gussied-up (carpeting, bathrooms, and electricity); there is also the econolodge-like Letts Lodge, "rustic" cabins (no interior bathrooms or carpeting), and yurts. But really, I'm gonna push for Family Camp, here. Twice a year, you can get away for a weekend, to a place where - like Cheers - everybody knows your name. It's relaxing, there's all kinds of activities - from nature walks and tennis to sailing and archery. You can even just relax on a rocking chair overlooking the water and read or knit. I've been going here forever, and hope I'm always able to. I fly back east from California every year, just to grab a weekend here. It's a big part of growing up for me and for many others. You can't do better than going to Camp. read more

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Camp Letts is a seriously gorgeous summer camp on a peninsula that juts out into the Chesapeake Bay and Rhode River. There is precious little on the internets about Camp Letts as a wedding venue, so I'm going to try and be comprehensive here. I got engaged around the same time as my brother - he's getting married at the Four Seasons. We chose Camp Letts, or "the Four Seasons of summer camps" as one guest called it. Availability - Because it is a functioning summer camp, there aren't too many summer Saturdays available for weddings (and Memorial and Labor Day weekends are booked for camp retreat events each year). I think they only did 14 total weddings all of last year. If you are doing a fall or spring wedding, you have a good shot at snagging a Saturday. We were lucky to get a June Saturday, right before the campers arrived. Staff - The original event planner was (thankfully) replaced by Trev Dalton, who was a dream to work with. He was a Grade-A professional, and responsive to all my e-mails and calls. And there were many. The camp is a camp before it is a wedding venue, and my folks wanted to do a lot of "sprucing up" around where the outdoor ceremony would be. The camp staff welcomed this, and the lawn and boathouse looked fantastic on the day. Everyone was very helpful on the day, and even provided a little golf cart to get some photos in some of the hidden gems of around the camp for pics. We could cruise around without wasting too much time/getting dirty/sweaty en route. Catering - If you book the camp for your wedding, you sign on to have Chef Betsy (the camp chef) make the food. I was scared about this because I was already in love with the venue when I learned about the exclusive catering, but she DELIVERED. We had crab cakes, prime rib, a summer veggie pasta, and some simple sides of roasted potatoes and roasted vegetables. I'm telling you as a crab cake snob, the crab cakes were to.die.for. Compliments from the guests abounded. Do not be afraid of the catering. Determine what you want and ask for a tasting. They try to combine tastings with other couples (again, it is a non-profit and not a typical wedding venue, so funds are limited for lots of tastings). Rentals - The catering at the camp only includes table set-up, food and bussing of tables, so you do have to rent linens, glassware, etc. A day-of wedding coordinator is pretty key, unless you have friends/family members that are game to set the tables and you want to put them to work. I'd recommend a coordinator that can make sure all of your gifts and items you own get into the right cars, so that all of your guests can enjoy drinking and dancing! Bartenders - You will have to hire a bartender(s) and get a one-day liquor license. You can order booze and have it delivered, and the bonus is that most liquor stores will take back any unopened bottles for a full refund. Grounds - So pretty so pretty! We had an outdoor ceremony on the water, flanked by trees and sailboats. The reception was in the dining hall, which is a lodge-type buidling with high rafters and a giant fireplace. We fit 200 guests with a dance floor. Another bride had a few more guests and did the dancefloor outside under a tent (another option). The boathouse is available to rent for an extra $500, and makes a decent place to get ready with your bmaids, though it isn't the most picturesque on the inside. We did our "first look" on the pier outside, and I can't wait to see those photos. Overall, the experience of having our wedding at Camp Letts was five stars. The look and feel of the wedding was the cheerful, natural, fun vibe that we hoped for because of the great venue. It was truly the best day of my life! read more

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We were here for a leadership training. The camp staff went out of their way to make sure things were well taken care of. The camp is on the rustic side, but the buildings were well maintained and taken care of. The canoeing was fun! The food was presented well and tasty. Camp Letts seems like a wonderful place to spend more time. read more

My kids both went there last summer and had a wonderful time. My 7 year old couldn't stop talking about all the games and the food! My 10 year old is normally pretty reserved, but she was able to connect to new friends with the help of the counselors and is looking forward to going for a week next summer. read more

this camp is such a great benefit for all ages. Ymca camp letts has over 100 acres of land for you and your kids to have amazing experiences. I have been going to this camp science i was 6 years old.i have not made better friends in my whole life i am still in touch with some of the kids i whet to camp with. Ymca camp letts is a way to escape the outside world , It is a way for you to make new friendships, to meet new people. Ymca camp letts has so much to offer. The camp has sailing, canoeing , wakeboarding, water skiing , kayaking , campfire cooking , drama class, music , dance , ZUMBA , zip line , a pool the list goes on and on. This camp opens new doors for kids it gives them ways to interact with other kids in real life instead of on a screen. The counselors are just delightful every year counselors from all over the world to come spend their summer with your kids. it was always fun learning about their cultures and where they came from. The camp always means the best intentions. I would recommend this camp to everyone i meet if i could. You should definitely come to this camp for camp a retreat or even hold your wedding! this camp is one that you will never forget I haven't!!!!!! read more

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My daughter went on a school camping trip to Camp Letts last week. I don't know who thought it was a good idea, but they put 4 children (ages 8/9) in a canoe, and sent them off into the bay, with no adult in the canoe with them. Predictably enough they ran into trouble, when the winds picked up. There was a trainee in a motorboat near them, who was less than helpful (one got sea sick, another one lost a paddle, one had a broken finger and was limited in her ability to row), just encouraging them to row, when 1 1/2 kids simply could not row out of that situation. Apparently they kept yelling for help, and were not taken seriously by the counselor. It was another boat of kids with an adult chaperone, that recognized that the children needed help, and came to their aid. Do these people even do formal risk assessments before deciding what activities are suitable for the children? I would absolutely not be comfortable with younger children being sent here, with the risk that people with no common sense would think it perfectly okay to send them out into open water under the care of counselors who don't take them seriously. read more

OMG! These reviews are making Camp seem terrible! But, Camp is awesome! Me and my friends go every year and have a blast! We make new friends and the counselors are awesome! The only thing bad is that we have to wake up early! LOL, dont lesson to the bad reviews. read more

Spent the past three days at Camp Letts with a group of young people. Fantastic views of the sunset from comfy rockers on various decks! Weather was perfect, camp was clean and well maintained. The staff went out of their way to help us and accommodate our needs. The camp chef took time to understand our dietary needs and provided great meals. I would certainly consider Camp Letts when planning a retreat in the future. read more

My grandkids have been to the camp for just two days and have been bullied by numerous other kids. At times they say they cannot find anyone camp employees who are suppose to be watching and assisting. Such a shame as camp is suppose to be a good experience and they have three more days to go and didn't even want to go back. For the cost I would have expected much more. More like Camp Letdown! read more

Came for a training and the place had bed bugs and the water was not clear people were bitten up. The service was bad the plates were not clean. Just horrible read more

This is the idyllic summer camp you see depicted in movies and TV shows. My children went for a week last year, and talked about it NONSTOP afterwards. We're going for two different weeks this year. I was really jealous my parents never sent me here. read more

My wedding was two days ago at Camp Letts. I'm writing this review because I remember being frustrated PRE-wedding by the lack of information about functions at the camp. It turned out to be EXACTLY what we wanted! Mother Nature cooperated and we had a great, sunny day. That was key because we had rented the picnic grove and the Boat House (in case we needed indoor space) but we did NOT want to go indoors. Our wedding theme was a picnic and we had many games set up on the expansive green lawn (bocce, badminton, cornhole, whiffle ball, soccer, etc.) for the 100 adults and 30 children. It looked like everyone had a blast. The food got great reviews. As another review mentioned, you are required to use the Camp Letts catering staff and we didn't have time for a tasting session. Our leap of faith was rewarded as people spoke highly of the picnic grub we ordered. My 11-year-old said his burger was delicious. Other guests raved about the chicken, the cole slaw and the potato salad. My veggie burger was good, too. The staff, including the always good-natured Tim Saxton, were friendly and helpful. If you want a casual wedding in a gorgeous setting, Camp Letts is the place! read more

We went to Camp Letts Family camp a few years ago. It was just okay. The things we liked: The dining hall overlooked the water which was very pretty. The camp was easy driving distance from the DC metro area. They had a few fun activities including a family dance and a hayride. There seemed to be a core group of families that have been coming for many years with extended family which is nice although some were somewhat clickish. They did have nice snacks after the dance as I recall. Things we did not like: We stayed in Letts lodge and the beds were ridiculously uncomfortable. One of the worst ever..this coming from a person who camps and is used to roughing it. It was unbearably hot making sleeping difficult. The building trapped the heat. The pool was not great and there was no swim places in the river. We did try the water skiing which was overpriced. The waves were choppy so we didn't get much time skiing. Another parent got hurt and left camp early after skiing. I wanted to love this camp but really didnt. We have been to other family camps and they were a much better experience. We didn't care for the religious prayer at meal time either. read more

Our daughter had her first overnight camp experience here this summer and we are thrilled with the whole experience - for parents and child! We were completely unfamiliar with the camp, so we went to their open house in the spring. The counselors were all so friendly and engaging with the kids. The majority of counselors are from Ireland, UK, Scotland, so right away the kids were thrilled to hear their accents and hear about where they were from. We got a tour of the camp and wandered around their beautiful, waterfront property. The buildings are all nice and well maintained. Cabins for the girls and younger boys had attached bathrooms. There is no AC , but several outlets for fans. The open house made a huge difference in everyone's comfort level. Weeks leading up to the camp we would get updates through email with packing lists, info about counselors and things happening at the camp. During the camp week we got daily emails from the camp director and a link to their Flickr account with lots of pictures of activities from the past day. In total there were more than 1,000 pictures post throughout the week. They do have lots of kids and counselors, so only twice did I spot my kids in the background, but it gave you a good idea of what the kids were up to. Then midweek I got a call from a counselor telling me how my daughter was doing and what activities she choose to do for the week. Then came pick up day. My daughter can be quiet and tentative around new people, and is happy to sit in the corner to stay out of activities or to avoid meeting new people. She was already pessimistic about the fact that we live an hour and a half from camp and wouldn't know anyone. She thought everyone would be local friends. So I didn't know what to expect when I picked her up. She had an AWESOME time!! People in her cabin were from VA, Miami and Spain! She loved the counselors! Loved the activities! Loved the food! She asked us "what would it take to get back to camp for another week this summer?" And she has already been texting her new friends! Unfortunately it isn't in our budget to send her another week this year, but she will go back next summer! The only concern I would have about the camp is the lack of AC in the cabins. We intentionally picked an early week in June because of this and got lucky with a mild week. Pick up day it got to 90 and the cabin was HOT... I can't fathom how miserable they would be if it was in the upper 90s all week. read more

I went to Camp Letts for 6 years as a camper and have spent the last 2 summers working as a counselor. My parents sent me when I was younger because my dad grew up going to summer camp, and wanted my brother and I to have similar formative experiences. Camp has since turned into one of my favorite places. While the heat and bugs are uncomfortable, they are also part of what makes camp feel like an authentic world of its own, and any discomfort was always greatly outweighed by the fun I had canoeing, making new friends, and singing with my crew. I am still close friends with many of my old cabin-mates, and I am so grateful to Camp Letts for giving me the opportunity to develop my independence, self-reliance, and confidence as a pre-teen and teenager. read more

My daughter has attended Camp Letts as both a Summer Camper, staying overnight, and with a school group trip during their Retreat Center season. She has had the most amazing experiences and begs and pleads for us to do Family Camp together with our whole family each Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend. Her favorite part of Summer Camp is the variety of activities, amazing camp games, waterskiiing, high ropes course and the horses. She has in years past done archery, paintball and even tried sailing. She stays friends with the kids in her cabin all year long and they plan to come back together as a group each year... but now the size of the group is bigger than a cabin! For the Retreat Center her school class has done teambuilding, archery and canoes and they are looking forward to the new orienteering program for next year's stay. Camp Letts is amazing and I highly recommend it to any parent looking for a fun overnight camp adventure or to any PTA or school group for a great venue to come and get the kids outdoors and enjoying the natural environment!! read more

ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS CAMP AS A CAMPER. Always had the best counselors and other campers. Everyone was so nice and made things fun. The food hall was the best because of food but also just good conversation! read more

We went to the open house and thought the campus, grounds etc looked great. The buildings were neat and clean. The staff looked professional. We were assured that the camp was well run. Our son was excited about attending and was really looking forward to his two week stay. We were therefore surprised when we arrived to find that the cabin he was assigned to was over a quarter mile away from the showers, there were no nearby toilet facilities and there was no place to store his clothing, personal supplies, bedding etc. But -- not to worry we thought...this place has been here forever so surely they have this figured out. Wrronngg!!! When we pulled him out 5 days later, his cabin was so filthy and the conditions so horrible and unhealthy that we threw away his bedding rather than try to wash it. The cabins didn't have local toilets and the ones in use were so dirty, many of the children had resorted to using the bushes instead. The showers were so filthy that our son refused to use them. We only got wind that something was wrong (they don't allow the kids to bring cell phones only email) when we hadn't received a return email from our son after 5 days. We had dropped a short note to him everyday. By Friday I called and spoke with the staff to ask why my son wasn't responding to my notes. I was told that he and several of his cabin-mates were having extreme bouts of homesickness and the emails they were sending needed to be more positive - so the camp counselor had been "encouraging" them to re-write their messages in a more positive tone. At that point I demanded to speak with my son by phone as soon as possible. Upon speaking with him, he asked to come home immediately. His dad asked him several questions and we determined that he should be brought home. When Dad arrived at the cabin, he was appalled at the conditions he found. He said the cabin was filthy, dirty and disgusting. He was surprised that camp management was allowing children to live in such unsafe and unsanitary conditions. He was also just as alarmed at our sons condition. His asthma had(without us being made aware) escalated so he had resorted to using his inhaler a lot. So that within 5 days his inhaler was almost empty. His skin condition- - he had bumps, bites and small scratches all over his body. His arms, legs and back were covered with allergic reactions. Needless to say, we're glad we felt we should check up on him. And we feel sorry for the children who are still there. Now we know that no camp is perfect, but both of us have been to camp many times as children. Never have we had an experience like this. We wouldn't wish it on anyone and anyone considering this camp should really think seriously before sending their child. read more

At the end of last week, my daughter Zarriah Daughtry was unfairly treated by a camp counselor. While I do understand that most of the staff at this camp are from European countries, I do feel that your counselors need a lot more training when interacting with campers of African-American decent. My daughter was yelled at and spoken to very inappropriately in front of her peers. When I was called, the counselor was yelling at me about my daughter, for me to come get her at 10 am instead of 3pm. I came at 3pm, and was give a letter from her cabin mates who witnessed the situation. Even they were upset and confused as to why she was being treated that way. The whole cabin signed the letter, included the counselor who was in charge of the activity. I have removed my daughter early from this camp. I will never send her back. I advise families who are African-American or have African-American children to be advised and never sent your kids to "YMCA's Camp Letts". read more

Camp Letts is great. I've had friends and family who went there 40 years ago who still recall great memories of the place. My 13 year old son and 10 year old daughter have been there for the past few years, and look forward to going every summer. It is somewhat rustic, buggy and, well, has weather. Camp is like that. But...sailing, water skiing, horse riding, arts and crafts, tennis, zip lines, canoeing, lacrosse...and apparently they really like the food! They make new friends every year, have dances and bonfires, and really like the counsellors, who come from many different countries, but tend to come for several years in a row. My 7 year old wants to do the weekend try out camp next summer. read more

My daughter has the BEST time at Camp Letts. Everyone, from the Camp Director to the counselors, were friendly, helpful, and truly cared about the kids. She has gone to Camp Letts for 5 years, and counts down the days every year until she returns. I'm happy that my daughter is able to take care of herself without her mom and dad. She has become more independent and self-reliant, and never misses her phone or computer. I'm glad Camp Letts has the no cell phone policy! Parents need to let go and trust that their children can function on their own. Isn't that what every parent wants? GREAT PLACE FOR KIDS!! Thanks!! read more

I have never experienced Camp Letts. I just happened to be looking for a camp in this particular area and it just so happened that a parent in my childs swim club recommended them. She had great reviews of the camp after sending her son there. So I forwarded the information to others who shared the same interest in an overnight camp. To my surprise two parents responded that I needed to do more research on the camp because it has been known to show signs of racisim. One parent grew up in the Edgewater area and said that she had experience it first hand but it was many years ago and she would hope that things have now changed at the camp. I was so annoyed to hear this. Why would anyone want a childs first time experience away from home to be a horror to remember. If anyone knows this to be true please do share. read more

My son has attended Camp Letts for the past 7 summers and loves it! Every spring he reminds me that it is time to register for camp. The counselors are awesome. They really know how to relate to all of the different personalities of the kids in their group and make sure that everyone gets along and has fun. He loves the canoes and all the waterfront activities, but his favorite activity is paintball! My son has made friends from the first year he attended that he still sees every summer. He has learned so much from his experiences at camp and made so many wonderful memories that he will remember forever. read more