Top 10 Camps for LGBTQ+ youth!

Since 2011, Camp Lightbulb has worked tirelessly to positively impact the lives of LGBTQ+ youth from across the United States and Europe, earning national recognition and garnering ever-growing support. We want to highlight other organizations doing work similar to ours, giving them the recognition they deserve. Represented in this list are camps for LGBTQ+ youth, LGBTQ+ adults, QPOC youth, and gender non-conforming youth - with locations established all around the United States and in Canada!

1. Camp Lightbulb - We may be a little biased here, but facts are facts: Camp Lightbulb is the best camp for LGBTQ+ youth! We celebrate queer youth, aged 14 to 18, with magical summer camp experiences filled with fun, pride, community, friends, support, self-discovery and memories to last a lifetime. We host camps in Provincetown, New York City, and Los Angeles.

2. Brave Trails - A camp for LGBTQ+ youth and their families rooted in the mission of transforming its campers into leaders through summer camps and innovative programming. They host camps in California and Maryland.

3. Camp OUTdoors - A camp dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ youth develop leadership skills, work in collaborative ways, and develop a strong sense of self and community. They host camps in Phoenix and Prescott, Arizona.

4. Camp Aranu'tiq - A camp dedicated to building confidence, resilience, and community for transgender and non-binary youth and their families through camp experiences. They host camps in New Hampshire.

5. Camp Laurel - A free camp offered to transgender and non-binary youth aged 10 to 17. They host camps in California.

6. Camp Fire - An LGBTQ+ inclusive camp rooted in the mission of youth development and leadership. They host camps in Oklahoma.

7. Black and Brown Queer Camp - An LGBTQ+ camp dedicated to specifically QPOC youth, run as a day camp for eight days and sponsored by City Wide Youth Coalition, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, and the New Haven Pride Center. While a newer camp, it is one of the only camps in the United States that offers an intersectional QPOC experience. They host camps in Connecticut, and their camps are free to its campers.

8. Odyssey Teen Camp - A safe place for LGBTQ+ kids to be exactly who they are, in a community that embraces and celebrates diversity. They host camps in Massachusetts.

9. Camp Lilac - A camp for transgender and gender diverse youth to be themselves in a positive, supportive, youth-focused environment. Their mission is to provide a safe and welcoming space for gender non-conforming folks. They host camps in Ohio.

10. Camp Ten Oaks / Project Acorn - Camp Ten Oaks is a camp dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth aged 8 to 17. Project Acorn is a radical community-building space for youth aged 16-24 from LGBTQ+ identities, families, and communities. They host camps in Ottawa, Canada.

If you have been to any LGBTQ+ summer camps, please let us know where your camp would be on our list. Maybe next year, you will see it on our list!