Circle F Dude Ranch Camp

I have 3 kids and my oldest and youngest both attend summer camp. My almost 12 year old daughter going on 20 has attended a few local camps but has never wanted to return for a second session or second summer. This year she was looking forward to staying in her room all summer and playing on her iPad avoiding camp. We felt it’s important for kids be active and social during the summer so we researched several camps that were not local but a 3 – 6 hour car ride away. Far enough away for her to gain independence and close enough for me to go get her if I really needed to without jumping on a plane. This would be the first time she would be going to sleep away camp! We obviously chose Circle F.
She did not want to go. Not even a little. My wife wanted her in camp, any camp but was concerned about sending her to sleep away camp. When I was younger, I was fortunate to go to sleep away camp for two summers and it was such a fantastic experience. I learned how to be independent and once I made friends, had a ton of fun.
She doesn’t like change so going to sleep away camp is a big deal. It took her 3 months to get used to and stop complaining over the fact that my car is a different color than my last. I made a deal with my daughter. I told her yes, I am forcing you to go to camp for just 3 weeks. If you don’t like it I won’t force you to go again. However, I need you to try it and make sure you experience at least 1 new thing you have never done before. I want to hear all about it. I explained how lucky she was that we were able to send her to camp and that it will help her grow and be more independent.
When I was dropping her off she was very quiet, as we passed through the gates, she asked if we could turn around and go home. Basically she was not very happy with me. I spend a few hours there making sure she was all setup in her bunk, selected her activities and told her I wish I could stay. Instead of socializing she was up in her bunk reading. I knew this could be a tough experience for her but after speaking with her bunk councilor I left with confidence she would be ok.
We wrote her almost every day and after about 5 days she called us crying and very sad. She wanted to come home and requested we pick her up immediately. We told her that wasn’t possible and that she only had a little over 2 weeks left and we are looking forward to hearing how much fun she had when we see her. We kept a positive attitude but she fought this with all she had. She was determined NOT to have a good time.
I reminded my wife of my experience and the fact that its even documented in the welcome package. The first week many of the first time kids are home sick and want to come home. It’s normal. Once they understand you are not picking them up, they let go and allow themselves to have a great time. Then they open up and connect with the other kids.
We also were able to communicate with Ben, the camp director several times and sometimes daily. He was very understanding and made sure to provide us with regular updates and personally looked out for our daughter. Our second call a few days later was much better. She wasn’t crying and said it was «ok» but she still wasn’t having any fun lol. By the third call she was laughing and telling us about her two new best friends. She still wouldn’t tell us she was having a blast but we could see it in the daily photos posted on the camp portal she was having fun. Clearly things were getting better. Ben even made sure she wrote us back at least once.
When we picked her up we saw how happy she was & she didn’t want to leave. I dropped off this insecure sky little girl and picked up a confident smiling happy kid. We met several of her councilors who all knew her well and they all said the same thing; «we were worried about her in the beginning. She was very quiet and sad. She took the longest to adjust about a 1 & ½ weeks. We made sure to help her and guide her every day and then all of the sudden she woke up one morning a new person and went from 0 to 10. She made several close friends, loved riding the horses and said she even got used to the heat and it didn’t bother her anymore. She tried new foods and pushed herself to do new things.
So here was the big question. We asked her do you want to come back next year? She said YES. My wife and I hi-​fived each other and were very happy. I told her we could now send her to another camp farther away where it would be cooler and she said «no, I would like to come back here»
I can’t possible provide better feedback that this. My daughter was steadfast on not going to camp, not liking camp, and never coming back. After 3 short weeks her tune changed, BTW, we sent her with no electronics except an ipod that played music only. She was forced to socialize & have fun like kids are supposed to do in the summer.
For 3 hours, she didn’t stop talking the whole way home. So yes, 5 STARS for CircleF

Worst camp experience in all the years that my children have been away to camp! My 10 y.o. was bullied and given a bloody nose by a 13 y.o. My 13 y.o. was bullied so badly in his first cabin that he was moved. The boys stole his flip flops and sandals and threw them away. They took his things and gave them to older campers who refused to give them back. And worst of all, when I dropped him off I told the nurse to keep his asthma meds with the nurses. That he was to come and get treatments. She obviously didn’t care and gave his inhaler to him. One of his new cabin mates took the meds and sprayed out all of the meds. So, for the last week of camp he didn’t have his asthma meds.
I called twice to talk with the camp director, Ben. I left a long message with Melissa who told me she would also pass along my concerns to the camp owner. I called a second time and left a voice mail. NO one ever called me back! So, no one is caring about my children.
When we picked them up the nurse on duty said that the other nurse was no longer there. That doesn’t matter at that point the harm had already been done. The assistant camp director had nothing to say. And the director was no where to be found.
My boys had gone to the camp last year and had a great time. This year was a totally different story. My boys will never go back. A final sad thing was that when I went to pick up my sons there were two boys throwing rocks at each others heads and cursing at each other. It reminded me of a scene from Oliver Twist. Not where I want my children to spend their summer. Or the environment that I would feel safe in. I’m very sorry that my boys had to be there.

Great family fun as well. Everyone was friendly and professional. Kids absolutely loved it.

I sent my son here to get fresh air activity and yes eat healthy and lose weight. This is not an unreasonable expectation since he went away the year before to a camp up north for three weeks (Chestnut Lake) and came back 8 pounds lighter and happy and healthy. So when he returned from Circle F Dude Ranch 8 pounds HEAVIER I was very very disappointed. Even more so when I learned that they had a pizza party every night in his bunk not to mention VENDING MACHINES at camp. Now he feels really bad about himself. He runs cross country and this hasnt helped his time either. We will be spending the next few months undoing what 3 weeks of Circle F Dude ranch did to him. WILL NEVER GO THERE AGAIN.

The single best place you could send your kid to summer camp in Florida!
This is an amazing throwback of a place where kids do all of the things us parents did during our summer camps — horseback riding, hiking, water sports, arts and crafts, etc. etc.
Staffed by an engaging group of college students in a magically rustic setting, it’s no wonder that kids come once and spend every subsequent year begging their parents to return.
Our child is currently enjoying his fourth year at the ranch, while we enjoy our annual two-​week empty nest break. Yippee!