BudgetTravel

What you'll find in this article: family camp listings, family camp activities, family vacation ideas, and outdoor activities for families

ARIZONA

Did you see BT on the Today show? Watch Editor Erik Torkells discuss last year's 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 FAMILY CAMPS • How to Read These Listings • Camp Glossary: Activities! • 50 All-Star Family Camps • The 2005 List MARCH 2006 ISSUE • Table of Contents • Dream Trips: 2006 Edition • The Hungry Man's Tokyo • 50 All-Star Family Camps • Trip Coach: The Caribbean • Road Trip: The Northern Neck, Virginia • 40 Best Vacations

YMCA Camp Sky-Y, Prescott

In Prescott National Forest, surrounded by ponderosa pines. Sixty-five-foot climbing tower, mountainboarding, paintball, teen excursions to a rodeo and on an overnight backpacking trip. Kayaking on Watson Lake, full day care for kids 8 and under. ACA accredited. Lodging: Eighteen wood cabins with electricity sleep 12 on built-in bunks; shared bathhouse. Food: Three family-style meals daily in dining hall; kids' buffet; evening snacks. Dates: Feb. 17-19; July 2-8; Oct. 20-22; Nov. 23-25. Price: $1,920. 800/660-1385, azycamps.org.

CALIFORNIA

Berkeley Tuolumne Camp, Groveland

Near Yosemite, in Stanislaus National Forest. Yoga, woodworking, stained-glass making. Artist-in-residence program for adults. Magic lessons for kids. Camper-versus-staff volleyball, skit night, hiking along the Tuolumne River. Lodging: Tent cabins, some with electricity and decks, sleep four on "army-style" cots; shared bathhouse. Food: Three family-style meals daily; 24-hour coffee bar. Adults' social on Sunday. Dates: June 24-Aug. 27. Price: $1,415 ($1,385 for Berkeley residents). 510/981-5140, berkeleycamps.com.

Camp Concord, South Lake Tahoe

Between Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe in the Eldorado National Forest. Crawdad fishing, beach luau, happy hour, bingo games, canoeing, rafting, and archery. ACA accredited. Lodging: Wooden cabins with electricity sleep six to eight on full and bunk beds. Food: Three buffets daily; lakeside champagne breakfast and barbecue lunch. Dates: June 18-Aug. 5; Sept. 1-4. Price: $1,547 ($1,400 for all Concord residents). 925/671-3273, cityofconcord.org.

Cazadero Performing Arts Camp, Cazadero

In the Russian River Valley, in a redwood forest. Focus is on music and the arts: jazz, rock and roll, steel drums, yoga, salsa dancing, capoeira, mixed chorus, stone carving. Beginners welcome. Lodging: Canvas tent cabins with electricity sleep six on cots, with shared bathhouse; dorm rooms sleep three on cots; tent sites. Food: Three buffets daily in dining hall. Dates: Aug. 7-13; Aug. 14-20. Price: $2,500. 510/527-7500, cazadero.org.

Emandal--A Farm On A River, Willits