Star Island, Portsmouth A 40-acre island accessible by ferry from Portsmouth ($23.50). Affiliated with Unitarian Universalist Association and United Church of Christ, with candlelit evening chapel services, nature walks, and weekly camper/counselor softball. Lodging Four-story whitewashed hotel, two floors of guest housing; several detached cottages; motel-style units. Linens provided. Food Full-service, family-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner in hotel dining room. Snack bar when restaurant is closed. Dates Six weeklong programs run by different organizations June 18-Sept. 18; they fill quickly. Price $1,836 (not including $190-$300 registration fee). 603/430-6272, starisland.org.

YMCA Sandy Island Family Camp, Sandy Island A 66-acre private island on Lake Winnipesaukee. Eight-hundred-foot waterfront area, lifeguards from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sailing, tennis, and yoga for adults and kids. Talent show Thursdays, karaoke Mondays, line dancing three nights a week. Scavenger hunts. Lodging Waterfront cabins (some with private bath) that sleep up to 10 on twin-size beds and bunks. Modern bathhouse. Linens provided. Food Breakfast and lunch buffets, family-style dinners. Dates July 2-Sept. 3. Price $2,075. 603/569-2725 (winter), 603/ 253-4217 (summer), bostonycamps.org.

Did you see BT on the Today show? Watch Editor Erik Torkells discuss the list of the best family camps with host Ann Curry. If you don't already have it, you will need MSN Video Player, a free (and easy!) plug-in, to watch the video Watch the video Download MSN Video Player MARCH 2005 ISSUE • Table of Contents • Dream Destinations Around the World • A Romantic Trip to Italy • Driving Mendocino County • How to Buy a Bikini in Rio • 50 All-Star Family Camps: The 2005 List • Ecolodges Let You Sleep at Night with a Clean Conscience • Milking Your Manicure • Spain's New Golden Age

New Mexico

Western Unitarian Universalist Life Festival, Ghost Ranch The ranch is in high desert, 6,500 feet above sea level. Presbyterian-owned, focusing on spirituality. Daily worship, yoga, workshops on building your own theology, shamanism, drumming and chanting, off-site trips to hot springs. Learn pottery in the Native American tradition. Lodging Dorm-style rooms that sleep up to eight (shared bath, linens provided); tent/RV sites with hookups. Food Three cafeteria-style meals daily. Dates June 6-12. Price Room $1,090 (not including $475 registration fee; some activities cost extra; discount for early registration). 303/832-1106, wuulf.org.

New York

Frost Valley YMCA Camp, Claryville On 6,000 acres in Catskill Mountain Park. Miles of trout-fishing streams, and a 16-acre lake. Guided day and night hikes. Rodeo, carnival, triathlon. Participate in the world service auction to raise money for the YMCA. ACA accredited. Lodging B&B-style castle (formerly a private estate); hotel-style rooms with private bath; bunk rooms that sleep four to eight with shared bath; dorm-style rooms with shared bath; cabins that sleep 10 on bunks, with shared bathroom; lodge rooms with private bath. Food Three buffets daily. Occasional theme dinners such as luau and Texas barbecue. Dates Aug. 20-26. Price Cabin $809, horseback riding extra. 845/985-2291, frostvalley.org.

Kingswood Family Campsite, Hancock Methodist facility on 700 acres. Sunday worship service. Ice cream making, tractor-pulled hayrides, hiking, volleyball, jewelry making, cooking on a campfire. ACA accredited. Lodging Canvas platform tents sleep six on cots, private outhouse, no electricity. Pots, pans, gas stove. Food No food service. Tuesday potluck supper. A grocery store is seven miles away. Dates June 24-Sept. 5. Price Fully equipped site $310, two-night minimum on weekends. 203/380-8622 (winter, after January 1), 607/637-5401 (summer), umcamps.org.

YMCA Camp Gorham, Eagle Bay Rolling hills, hardwood trees, and mountain peaks surround a 500-acre private lake. Waterskiing, square dancing, rock climbing, bocce tournaments, waterfront Olympics, sailing regatta, and kids' home run derby. Bike trails (BYO bike). ACA accredited. Lodging Adirondack-style cottages that sleep up to 22, with stone fireplace and private bathroom; bunkhouses (one with a kitchenette) with shared bathhouse; lean-to with bunk beds, electricity, and shared bathhouse. Food Three family-style meals daily. Dates Aug. 21-28. Price Cottage $1,795, lean-to $1,365 (discounts for members). 888/518-5671, campgorham.org.

North Carolina

YMCA Camp Seafarer, Arapahoe The camp focuses on water-based activities: motorboating, sailing, waterskiing, fishing, racing to the water on side-by-side ziplines. Golf and tennis. ACA accredited. Lodging Screened-in cabins sleep up to 16 on bunks, with electricity and private bathroom. Food Three family-style meals daily. Dates Aug. 14-19, fills quickly. Price $1,880. 252/249-1212, seagull-seafarer.org.

Ohio

Camp Luther, Conneaut Lutheran camp on the Lake Erie bluffs. Daily team sports: baseball, softball, cricket, flag football. Swimming pool and sauna. Low-ropes team-building course. Two musicals performed by staff in outdoor amphitheater. Bird-watching and horseshoes. ACA accredited. Lodging Wooden and remodeled-with-drywall cabins that sleep 12, with double bed and bunks, private bathroom, and electricity; tent/RV sites with hookups. Food Three family-style meals daily; rotating assigned seating. Dates June 19-Aug. 13. Price $1,190 (new-family discount available). 513/844-1190 (winter), 440/224-2196, lomocamps.org.

Pennsylvania

Deer Valley YMCA Camp, Fort Hills On 725 acres, near the top of Mount Davis. Kid- and adult-only programs in the mornings, family time in the afternoons. Nature programs, rec center, skit and carnival nights, sailing, and staff-performed talent show. ACA accredited. Lodging Wooden cabins that sleep eight with bunks and double bed, as well as private half-bath and electricity. Food Three family-style meals daily with table service, in new dining hall. Snack bar open throughout the day for ice cream, pizza, etc. Dates June 11-Aug. 27 (must stay Sat.-Sat.), fills quickly. Price Basic cabin or lodge $1,484. 800/962-2386, deervalleyymca.org.

New Jersey Camps, Milford In the Poconos with two lakes, a lagoon, two swimming pools, and athletic fields. "Iceberg" climbing tower, zipline, Jet Skis, sailboards. Skateboard park, roller-hockey rinks. Israeli cooking and dance classes and Jewish crafts (making mezuzahs, challah covers, etc.). ACA accredited. Lodging Wood-panel cabins with private bathroom and shower, wooden bunks with five-inch mattresses, bed linens provided. Cottages available. Food Three buffet-style meals per day, prepared in accordance with kosher laws. Friday Shabbat dinner and service. Dates June 17-19; Aug. 26-28; Sept. 2-5 (single-parent-family weekends also available). Price Weekends $600. 973/575-3333, njycamps.org.

South Carolina

Asbury Hills Camp and Retreat Center, Cleveland Owned and operated by the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, on 1,800 acres in the Appalachian foothills. Trout stream and lake. Hiking, belay tree climbing, canoeing, crafts. Nontraditional outdoor worship on Sundays. ACA accredited. Lodging Eight rooms in bunkhouse lodge. Each room sleeps six, with shared bathrooms. Food Three family-style meals daily. Dates June 26-July 1. Price $875. 864/836-3711, asburyhills.org.

Texas

Pine Cove, The bluffs and the Woods, Tyler; Pine Cove, Crier Creek, Columbus Nondenominational Christian camp at three separate locations: the Bluffs, a 175-foot bank overlooking Lake Palestine; the Woods, on 800 pine-studded acres with an 18-mile-long lake; and Crier Creek, a ranch near Columbus. Bible studies, trapeze, beach volleyball, ziplines, street hockey, Christian speakers. ACA accredited. Lodging Deluxe cabins sleeping up to eight, with air-conditioning and private bathrooms; some have kitchenettes. Food Three family-style meals daily at lodge. Breakfast trail rides. Dates May 29-Aug. 13. Price $1,766. 877/474-6326, pinecove.com.

Vermont

Farm & Wilderness Camp, Plymouth Organic farm in the Quaker tradition; the camp celebrates community. Sign up for daily chores in the barn. Tend to cows, pigs, goats, sheep. Harvest produce from the garden, press cider from the apple orchard, and make ice cream with fresh milk. Climbing facilities. ACA accredited. Lodging Three-sided rustic cabins that sleep up to 14 on bunks with mattresses. Shared bathhouse. Food Three family-style meals daily. Mostly organic, from on-site garden. Dates Aug. 23-28. Price $600. 802/422-3761, fandw.org.

Washington

Camp Burton, Vashon Island Seventeen miles long and four miles wide, Vashon Island is a 15-minute ferry ride from West Seattle, Tacoma, or Kitsap Peninsula. Affiliated with American Baptist Churches. Bible study by the seashore, canoeing, kayaking, Ping-Pong, basketball, golf. ACA accredited. Lodging Carpeted cabins with bunk beds, sleeping up to 10, with private bathrooms. Food Three family-style meals daily. Dates July 31-Aug. 6. Price $645. 206/463-2512, campburton.com.

West Virginia

Camp Alleghany, Lewisburg On a river and surrounded by birch, maple, and elm trees. Arrive by camp ferry or rowboat. Spot black bears, deer, and groundhogs. Low-ropes course, hiking, archery, 22-caliber riflery, swimming lanes. Golf nearby. ACA accredited. Lodging Platform tent with up to five twin cots. Shared bathhouse. Food Three buffet meals daily. Pig roast by the river. Dates Aug. 6-15, three- to four-night minimum stay. Price $1,050. 540/898-4782, campalleghany.com.

Wisconsin

Camp Brosiu, Elkhart Lake Operated by Indiana University. On Elkhart Lake, the camp offers Sunfish sailing, kayaking, and waterskiing. Day trips for adults to craft shops and outlet malls. Golf nearby. Lodging Three- and four-bedroom cottages that sleep eight, with private bath and screened porch; hotel-style rooms, with two double beds, sink, and shared bath; and cabins that sleep four on bunks, with electricity and shared bathhouse. Linens provided in cottages and hotel-style rooms. Food Three buffets daily. Brats-and-beer picnic dinner (weather permitting). Dates June 26-Aug. 13. Price Cabins $1,560 (not including $40 alumni-association membership fee). 317/274-2248, campbrosius.com.

Camp Nebagamon, Lake Nebagamon Game-show night, talent show, campfire night. Water sports on 1,000-acre lake. Volleyball, softball, field hockey, archery, riflery. ACA accredited. Lodging Cabins that sleep up to 16 on cots and bunks, with electricity and shared bathhouse; or the four- and eight-bedroom houses with shared bath (same price). Food Breakfast and lunch buffets and family-style dinner. Separate happy hours for kids and adults. Dates Aug. 15-21. Price $1,400 (discounts for more than two children). 763/476-7676, campnebagamon.com.

Camp North Star, Hayward In Wisconsin lake country, with two-and-a-half miles of shoreline. Water on three sides. Tubing down the Namekagon River. Bowling tournament, family talent night, private tennis lessons, mixed-doubles tennis tournament, storytelling (in a tepee), fishing tournament, band at happy hour. ACA accredited. Lodging Log cabins that sleep 12 on bunk beds, with electricity and shared bathhouse. Food Three family-style meals daily. Coffee and snacks throughout the day. Dates Aug. 13-20, fills quickly. Price $1,525 (five-day minimum). 520/577-7925 (winter), 715/462-3254, northstarcamp.com.

YMCA Camp Nawakwa, Lac du Flambeau Between two lakes. Fishing, square dancing, triathlon, Native American workshops, team sports. Lodging Modern 800-square-foot two-bedroom homes, with bathroom, kitchen, screened porch; rustic cabins that sleep four to six on bunks and twin futon, with electricity, running water, and kitchen (shared bathhouse). Food No food service except boat-and-breakfast outing, not included in price. A store is five miles away. Dates June 11-Aug. 27. Price $455. 715/588-7422, nawakwa.com.