Special Needs Camps in 2026
Please read our FAQ to learn more about the Enrollment Process and social and daily living skills that Skyline campers have.
Camp Joy + CAMP SASSAFRASS COMBINED
Ages 18+ | June 14-19 | $1,300
Staff : Camper Ratio 1:2 or 3
A Week of Belonging for Everyone
In 2026, we're combining our beloved Camp Joy (ages 30+) and Camp Sassafras (ages 18-29) into one powerful week of community, growth, and joy. This special week welcomes adults across the age spectrum with developmental and intellectual disabilities for five days and nights of authentic camp experiences.
What to Expect
A joy-filled week of fun, friends, and food. Spend time with people new and familiar, visiting farm animals, practicing archery skills, singing, dancing, drumming, swimming, and fishing. Enjoy making choices to join in sports & games, gardening, cooking, boating, crafts, puzzles, hayrides, therapeutic horseback riding, and campfires.
Look forward to being in a welcoming community to celebrate each other at Open Mic night and our unforgettable dances. Campers who wish to share their talents can lead activities, teach skills, or perform at our nightly campfires and throughout the day.
Optional small group work experiences are available with our Kitchen, Garden, and Maintenance Staff for campers interested in these areas.
Camper Readiness: Is Skyline Right for Your Camper?
Skyline welcomes campers with a range of developmental and intellectual disabilities. No particular label or diagnosis is categorically ruled in or out. However, our camp is physically spread out and hilly, which means some physical limitations may make participation difficult.
To ensure a safe and positive experience for everyone, we serve campers who meet the following readiness criteria:
Social & Communication Skills
Our campers must be able to:
Communicate verbally and/or with sign language or a mix of verbal and non-verbal signals
Actively engage socially and participate in group activities
Make choices about which activities they'd like to join
Share sleeping space in a room or cabin with 2-5 roommates and a counselor (bunk beds)
Understand and respect boundaries regarding where they can be and respecting others' personal space
Communicate with staff when they need space away from the group, while understanding the need to return for safety and program continuity
Function in a community setting without violence or self-harm
Daily Living Skills
Our campers must be able to:
Attend to toileting and showering independently or with minimal verbal reminders/assistance
Use communal bathrooms that provide privacy, carrying their own towel and toiletries to and from facilities
Handle personal hygiene needs independently (wiping, bathing, brushing teeth and hair, washing hands, changing clothing, etc.). Our counselors provide verbal assistance from nearby while maintaining camper privacy. We only provide physical hands-on assistance in emergency scenarios.
Wake at about 7am and go to sleep at about 9:30pm, with a one-hour rest period in the afternoon
Walk through a serving line at meals, hold their tray, and make decisions about food choices as staff serve them. Meals are eaten outside on picnic tables.
Dress themselves and keep their rooms tidy
Pack a backpack each day with water bottle, sunblock, bug spray, and personal items
Walk up and down hills and trails as part of a group to reach activities throughout our 200-acre property
Why These Skills Matter
While every camper has moments requiring individual attention, we are not staffed to provide regular one-to-one supervision. Our 1:2 or 1:3 counselor-to-camper ratio allows for personalized support, but campers need a baseline level of independence to participate safely and joyfully.
If you're unsure whether Skyline is the right fit, please contact us. We're happy to discuss your camper's specific needs and determine together if this is a good match.
What to Expect
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Daily activities include:
Farm visits with goats, chickens, and rabbits
Archery and swimming
Boating, fishing, and pond exploration
Arts, crafts, and makerspace projects
Sports, games, and nature walks
Cooking and gardening
Music, dancing, and drumming
Therapeutic horseback riding with Red Tail Acres
Hayrides and campfires
Open Mic performances
Opportunities for campers to lead activities and share their talents
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7am wake-up
Three meals daily plus evening snack
Morning and afternoon activity periods
1:30-2:30pm rest period (Siesta) Monday-Thursday
Evening all-camp events and campfires
9:30pm bedtime
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Camp Joy campers: Focus Hall, our accessible conference center building. Rooms have 2-4 campers with one counselor per room.
Camp Sassafras campers: Rustic cabins with 5-6 campers and two counselors per cabin.
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Our caring and well-trained staff welcomes each camper to this joyful week. Counselors are seasonal employees ages 18+ with backgrounds in education, healthcare, social services, and other fields. Many are college students or graduates; some have grown up as campers here.
All staff complete 7 full days of pre-camp training covering our policies, procedures, culture, counseling skills, activity leadership, health and wellness protocols, and team-building.
Staff-to-Camper Ratios
This camp operates with a 1:2 or 1:3 counselor-to-camper ratio, ensuring personalized attention and support. These sessions have approximately 60 campers and are staffed by about 30 adults, including healthcare-specific staff.
Important Note for 2026: All of our on-site summer staff—whether they continue on for day camp, overnight camp, kitchen, or program roles—work together during this special week. This creates an unusually strong staff team and ensures excellent support for all campers.
Health & Wellness
Our Health and Wellness team is on-site 24/7 to manage medications, respond to health concerns, and ensure camper wellbeing. We accommodate dietary restrictions and work with families to support individual needs.
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We encourage our entire camp community — campers and staff — to unplug while at Skyline. We find that with devices in hand, campers are unable to be fully present and take advantage of the community around them.
Our policy:
Campers should leave phones, iPads, and other devices at home
During Siesta (1:30-2:30pm Monday-Thursday), campers who need music to unwind may listen on headphones in their lodging
Devices must stay in lodging and cannot be taken to activities
If your camper will struggle with these boundaries, please leave devices at home
Please discuss this with your camper and help them prepare for a week of being unplugged.
Enrollment Process
Partnership with Families
We believe in working in partnership with families to help campers succeed at camp. This includes:
Preparing campers for the experience (unplugged week, communal living, busy schedule)
Communicating with us on an as-needed basis during the session via phone or email
Responding to pre-camp communications and completing required forms on time
Being available if we need to reach you during the week
Working together to make camp possible financially including payment plans and financial aid.
We ask families to communicate with us on an as-needed basis before and during the session, either by phone or email, so we can provide the best possible experience for your camper.
All campers for this session start on the waitlist. For details on who we can safely serve, see our updated FAQ.
Registration Steps:
1. Online Registration Through CampBrain (link)
We use an online registration system called CampBrain for summer camp registration. You'll need your email address to login. If you've registered before but forgot your password, there's a link to reset it.
The registration process guides you through one step at a time.
2. Complete Camper Information Form
All campers — new and returning — complete a camper information form during registration. This form asks general questions and specific questions about your camper's personal needs. This information ensures we have everything we need to keep your camper safe and provide a positive camp experience.
3. Waitlist Review
All special needs campers are initially placed on a waitlist. We carefully review all forms and information before enrolling campers. In some cases, we may need to schedule a phone call to discuss the forms before registering your camper.
4. Enrollment Decision
If we are unable to safely serve your camper, we will let you know. If we are able to proceed, we will enroll your camper and contact you via email.
5. Payment Information
As part of the registration process, you'll complete a form identifying how you intend to pay for camp. We'll reach out once your camper is enrolled to get the details we need to process payments. We apologize that we are no longer able to accept agency payment as an option. Since it’s beginning in 1964, Skyline's mission is to serve all. We do our best to work with you to make camp possible for your camper. Skyline provides camperships annually on a sliding scale based on what we can fundraise in a year. Please fill out our online financial aid form to apply for campership funds. After you click submit, you will need to verify it and respond to an email from Adobe Sign.
Important Timing Notes:
New campers: Skyline is not able to enroll new campers until February, when we know if we have additional spaces available.
Open House: Sunday, May 3, 2026. We hope to meet you and your camper on that day!
Pre-Camp Communication: Prior to camp beginning, we'll send emails and information over time to make sure you're prepared for what to expect.
Questions about Registration? Questions about Program?
Contact Erin Stokes Contact Kim Lynch
erin@campskyline.org | 810-798-8240 ext. 102 kim@campskyline.org ext. 106