Dates&FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Chestnut Lake Camp located?

Our camp is in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania. This is a small town in Wayne County (with over 30 overnight camps in the same county) in the Northeastern part of the state in the Pocono Mountain region. Our camp is a few miles from the border with the state of New York. The drive to New York City and a similar drive to Philadelphia takes approximately 2.5 hours.

Where are Chestnut Lake’s campers and staff members from?

Our campers (over 600 are with us for a 4, 3, or 7-week session during the summer, with a maximum of approximately 425 at any one time) hail from many different places, but the majority (over 80%) live in the Northeast (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) and Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, DC) regions. Other campers might live in the Southeast, Midwest, Mountain West, and West Coast regions (and a small number come to Chestnut from overseas).

Our staff members come from across the United States and around the world. The majority of our over 125 counselors (who live with and care for our campers) live in the United Kingdom (England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales), Australia, New Zealand, and Israel. Other staff may be from various areas of America and Canada, as well as from southern neighboring areas such as Mexico or Puerto Rico. Our staff community is diverse, dynamic, and connected to one another like a family.

How will a staff member be trained and supervised?

We hire very talented candidates, and then we invest a great deal of time and energy in helping them to be successful. All staff are given a chance before they arrive for the summer to begin preparations for a great experience, and this leads to pre-camp orientation and training for all individuals. The pre-camp training will typically last at least 5-7 days (and as long as 2 weeks), and there will be ongoing support and development throughout the summer. All staff will be supervised by caring and dedicated leaders to drive high performance as well as to help staff members grow and meet their potential and goals.

What are the residential accommodations for staff members while at Chestnut Lake?

Staff members who work as counselors will be living in modern, spacious, and comfortable camp-style cabins alongside their campers and fellow staff (we usually have 10-15 campers and 4-5 counselors in each cabin). The cabins have single beds and bunk beds in large rooms where all campers and staff sleep, and those rooms are connected to a locker room (storage area) and a bathroom with shower, sink, and toilet facilities. Staff working in other roles will live in similar housing, but without campers and with smaller shared living spaces.

All staff members can enjoy life on an expansive 200-acre site that includes facilities to use during their time off. Features that staff will like include our lake and pool, Canteen and Cinema, athletic fields and courts, Coffee Bar for staff in the Dining Hall including hot beverages and Cold Brew, and much more.

How does off time work for staff members?

A job at camp is a residential living experience in an intensive and immersive environment that is unlike a typical position in the “real world”. Camp staff – no matter the specific role – are part of a team that is facilitating an experience for campers that addresses all of their needs in the absence of their parents, therefore, staff must be prepared to work many hours and be flexible. Time off is scheduled each day to make sure that staff members have time to rest, recover, and enjoy their summer at Chestnut Lake. On most every day, there will be an “off period” during the daily schedule for staff, and on most nights there are nighttime hours to socialize and relax with friends. Some off time at night will come with arranged trips off-site to local places to shop or eat, while many nights will feature activities organized for staff on-site that are often some of our favorite times of the season.

All staff will be given one full day off each week, and the camp will arrange trips for that day to local destinations as well as other great places to visit like Philadelphia and New York City. These trips are coordinated by camp and the costs are subsidized so that staff can enjoy these experiences without having to spend lots of money.

What is the weather like at camp in the summer?

Summer in the Poconos is beautiful and the weather in this area of the United States is cooler and less humid than in some of the major metropolitan areas of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Typical temperatures (in Fahrenheit) in June will be 75°, July will be 80°, and August will be similar to July. High temperatures will typically be 90° or slightly higher, but those days will usually come infrequently (NOTE: to convert to Celsius, deduct 30 from these numbers and divide in half to get an approximate figure). Most summer days will be sunny and clear, but rain is a regular part of the summer weather forecast in our area. Usually, rain will pass quickly, but there will also be occasional rain storms throughout the summer (and there may also be evenings with cool temperatures to contend with at various times during the summer).

How will transportation work for staff to get to and from camp?

Our staff members are members of our camp family, and we care very much about their safe travel. Chestnut Lake helps to coordinate all transportation to camp, including overseas flights, bus and car rides from airports, and other accommodations as needed. Staff coming from abroad may have their flights chosen for them, but Chestnut Lake will make sure that we have all of the details and are prepared to help staff get safely and easily from designated airports in our area to Beach Lake, Pennsylvania. Staff members who choose to drive themselves to camp in their vehicles or make other unique arrangements will also be provided with travel subsidies to offset costs.

During the summer, staff are permitted to have personal cars at camp to use on scheduled time off. Staff without cars are provided with transportation options during their scheduled time off as frequently as possible without having to incur any costs, and all staff are provided with transportation options at the close of their summer contract to make their way from camp to continue their travels or return home.