One month after council members discussed what it might take to see its return, summer camp is officially back in the Town of Ulster, and it includes some changes they hope will lead to greater numbers of campers.
The seven-week summer camp at Robert Post Park will run from July 6-August 21 on weekdays, and will be open from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., longer hours than in the past. The town board unanimously approved the camp during a meeting held on Thursday, April 2.
“We’re extending the day by an hour-and-a-half each day,” said councilwoman Laura Hartmann, a member of the town’s recreation committee. “It was advised that if we started camp earlier…we would get more campers just by parents being able to drop their kids off before they get to work and not have to be crazy in the morning.”
“We do think it’s going to bring in some extra campers,” Hartmann added, though only time will tell. “It’s an experiment, a crapshoot, as it were.”
By the time you read this, camp registration will have already opened, and will run through June 5. Registration forms are available on the town’s website and in the town clerk’s office.
Other changes include weekly themes, but what hasn’t changed is pricing. Rate will be the same as last year, $425 for each resident, $525 for non-residents, with the former getting priority.
According to Hartmann, the goal is to come as close to breaking even as possible, even with a plan of 12 campers per counselor, with 13 counselors, the same number as in 2025. The budget allows for around $6,100 for camp director salary and $57,500 for counselors. A further $6,000 is budgeted for supplies and events, some of which may not be needed. A $3,300 investment from the town may be needed to offset some of those expenses, Hartmann said.
“What we don’t know, obviously, is how many campers that we might get,” Hartmann said, adding that they hope the changes bring in more than double the 70 kids who signed up in 2025. “If we just do town residents at 156 campers, that would bring in $66,300. We will get signups, and we can adjust counselors if necessary…Obviously, that would change if we get more non-resident campers, because their fee is higher.”
Hartmann said Makenna Black was willing to be camp director for the summer, crediting her with coming up with the idea of a weekly theme to keep things lively. A more structured camp environment is also planned and perhaps a garden as well.
“I also asked her to list some wish lists that might cost us extra money that we don’t know that we can do,” Hartmann said. “And that is to get campers to the Henrietta Pool in the City of Kingston and perhaps to the Ashokan Reservoir. We can’t say whether we would do that or not until after we see how many campers we get and what the budget is. But if we can try to incorporate one or both of those, we’d like to make the effort. No promises on that yet.”
Town supervisor James E. Quigley, 3rd, said that he’s spoken to a friend who runs basketball camps and a one-week intensive basketball camp may also be offered for an additional fee and would be open to both full-summer campers and those only interested in shooting hoops.
“My concept would be it would be supplemental to your enrollment, you could perhaps draw additional people who wouldn’t necessarily come to our full seven-week camp for a one-week basketball camp,” Quigley said. “I offer it up so that you guys can run with it and take a discussion and get together and see how you can make it work.”
The town is seeking applicants to serve as summer camp counselors. Prospective counselors must be at least 16 years old and have working papers. For more information, visit: https://www.townofulster.ny.gov/posts/summer-camp-counselors-needed/
For more information about the Town of Ulster summer camp, including registration info, visit: https://www.townofulster.ny.gov/posts/2026-summer-camp-registration/
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