White Pines Ranch

Our daughter has gone to White Pines Ranch (WPR) for four summers in a row now and in fact this past summer she spent two weeks there.
Every time has been a great experience for her. She loves the various activities they have each day, making new friends, meeting old friends, swimming, the food and of course riding horses. Although she does not go until the July or August time frame, she starts talking about horse camp at WPR in February and the anticipation builds up. She has several favorite horses and looks forward to meeting them each year and having the chance to ride them.
From a parents perspective, this place works out very well. There are a ton of councilors there, well trained, very energetic, they keep the kids busy and in line when needed. The sleeping and eating facilities, although not 4 or 5 star conditions, it fits right in with what you would expect of a horse camp. it’s clean, shows it’s age a bit, but it all works out very well.
If you’re thinking of sending your kid (s) to a horse camp for a week, then I would strongly recommend coming to White Pines Ranch.

My 13 year old daughter just came back from White Pines and had a fantastic experience. She has a gluten allergy and they even made her a special desert banana surprise without wheat. This camp is 2 hours away from chicago and is a real ranch so it looks very western. The bunk houses are air conditioned and the bathroom is attached to the girl’s dorm so this hot hot summer she was nice and cool. My daughter rode 5 days straight twice a day on trail. She really thought her counselors were kind and really made an effort to make the daily activities fun and included everyone .No electronics are allowed but there is a nice sized swimming pool on the girls side. The kids were low key and she said their was some girl drama but the counselors discouraged any meanness or bickering. My fussy daughter said the food was tasty and varied with salad and lots of fruit. You can buy sweet /​snacks at their store. The camp makes you leave an allowance for your child and encourages you to buy a dvd of there time there .I found the ranch clean and organized with the pretty horses on display in the paddock. What is fun is they have theme weeks like super hero week: she got to wear her super girl cape and shirt and it relaxed her since it was her first time there. We plan on going back next summer and think it has good value. Anyone who has a horse crazy kid would love it, it has a relaxed mellow vibe and the sleep away camp is a good way to introduce independence.

It’s been over ten years since I’ve been to this place on a 5^th grade field trip, but I LOVED it. The rock quarry, the horseback rides on the trails, the pets on the ranch, the tire swings, the wooded land, the log cabin-​ish dining area, rocking chairs on the porch, etc. It was also fun (as a ten-​year-​old) to sleep in a giant room filled with bunk beds with all my classmates (boys and girls separate, of course). I have fond memories of this place and this trip. I have no idea if the place is the same now, though.