• All fees may be paid in full upon registration, or contact Scott Chidakel ([email protected] or 301-977-6600) to set up a payment plan. 
• Discounts, special promotions, certificates, or the like cannot be combined.
• Changes or substitutions to some of the activities planned and described here may occur due to unusual weather, low water levels, or other unavoidable circumstances.
• Activities and supervision will be provided to campers who arrive too late to join their group for previously scheduled off-campus field trips.
• Sessions may not be split. We are unable to accept campers for partial sessions.
• If we must cancel a session for any reason, we will offer a full refund or the option to move your tuition to 2027.
• Withdrawal from session(s):
• The Required Application Fee of $25 is non-refundable.
• From January 12 to January 31: A $100 processing fee (per camper) will be charged, and the remaining fees refunded.
• From February 1 – March 31: Forfeiture of 50% of the session(s) fees.

• After April 1: NO refunds of session(s) fees.
• Fees for Extended Care will be refunded in full prior to the start of a session

Prior to April 30, you may either submit payment in full at registration or pay via monthly installments. Registrations made after May 1 must be paid in full at the time of registration.

Please direct all payment questions to [email protected].

If you cancel between February 1 and March 31, you’ll receive a 50% refund. No camp fees will be refunded after April 1. 

See the Payment Policies section for full details.

YES. You must complete the forms annually to comply with Maryland law. It only takes a few minutes! All forms must be completed before your camper can start camp. Click here to access your Parent Portal account and find your forms.

• Camp Carpool runs from 9:00 – 9:15 am AND  3:15 – 3:30 pm     
• Please do not arrive before 3:15 pm, as we have our Summer School Carpools in progress.

Carpool usually takes about 15–20 minutes. We understand that waiting can be frustrating. However, we ask parents and caregivers to be patient, especially at the start of each session, as new families learn the system.

In order to keep carpool moving and ensure the safety of all our campers, we kindly ask you to refrain from exiting your car during drop-off or pick-up.

Our staff and counselors are trained to safely bring your child to and from your car. If you must exit your car or stop, we ask you to pull over to our visitor parking.

No problem! Parents can call (301-977-6600) or email ([email protected]) the Camp Office in advance, and we will coordinate with Counselors to have campers in the Camp Office with their things.

• Early pickup must happen before school carpools begin at 2:45 pm. Otherwise, parents will need to join regular carpool.
• Parents should park in front of the Camp Office sign and call the Camp Office (301-977-6600), we will bring your camper out.

Activities are modified to allow less time in the sun and more time in the water and the woods.

Outdoor campers will use air-conditioned rooms in the afternoon, or at other times as needed, for some “cool down” time.

Drinking water is important EVERY DAY, and on “code red” days, we are especially insistent that the children take regular water breaks.

The campers also enjoy our “water misting” system to cool off after activities throughout the camp season.

The staff is trained to be especially alert on hot days for any changes in a camper's physical condition.

Because our camp is group-centered, we will address challenges related to the individual camper behavior by addressing both the campers needs and the needs of the other children in the group.

When a child demonstrates negative behavior, we will work with the child to adjust their behavior. If the behavior is serious or repeated, a director will step in to provide additional support. Parents will be called when a behavior is serious in nature, not easily resolved, repeated, or is affecting the whole group.

Participation at Butler Camp is a privilege, and we believe that all children have a right to a physically and emotionally safe environment.  If a child repeatedly demonstrates inappropriate behavior at Butler Camp, we will work to resolve the issue. If it becomes a larger issue, Butler reserves the right to remove the child from the program.

Specifically: To maintain our staff-to-camper ratio, if one child consistently requires one-on-one attention, thereby changing the program's staffing and quality of programming, and the behavior does not improve despite reasonable efforts by staff and directors, the child will be asked to leave. If a child demonstrates serious negative behavior that is unlikely to improve and is detrimental to the group and camp culture, the child will be asked to leave camp immediately.

If you cancel between February 1 and March 31, you’ll receive a 50% refund. No camp fees will be refunded after April 1. However, any fees for extended day will be refunded in full at any time prior to the start of a session.

No refunds are available for camp absences due to illness or vacation.

The required application fee of $25 is non-refundable.

If we must cancel a session for any reason, we will offer a full refund or the option to move your tuition to the following year.

Life is busy, and we understand you may have misplaced your camp information. Please log in to your Parent Portal to access your forms and view your sessions. You'll find it in the top right-hand corner of our website.

Yes! When a camp family loves our camp and refers a first-time Butler camper, we give them a $50 camp referral reward. This can be taken off their camp session fee. There is no limit to how many families you can refer to us or how much in referral rewards you can receive!

Please note, your friend must be a first-time Butler Camp attendee. They need to enter your name during registration and pay for the camp session for you to qualify for the $50 camp referral reward.

When you enroll a sibling, you will receive at least a $50 sibling discount ($25 credit applied to each camper). Each additional camper in the family will receive an additional $25 discount.

Interested in more promotions? Check our camp emails and social media for fun and fabulous camp specials!

We can not guarantee that campers will be grouped with specific friends; however, we will try to accommodate a request if space is available. Please complete the "Group Request" form in your camp portal.

Cookout is held during the afternoon on the second Friday of each session for Wilderness Explorers. We will serve Kosher Beef Hot Dogs/Buns and S’mores. Campers are asked to bring other food items to balance out their meals according to their needs.

Campout is held on Thursday night of the second week of each session for Pathfinders (ages 10-12). This is an overnight experience where we will have a cookout and a late swim after a very busy day of hiking/tubing. *Weather permitting

For Trailblazers (ages 12-14). This program also includes a campout on the second Thursday of each session, along with an off-site trip to Harper's Ferry for white-water rafting in the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers on the second Friday of each session. *Weather permitting. This is the highlight of the Trailblazer experience.

Yes! Each camper brings a bag lunch and snacks.

We recommend that your camper’s lunch and snack include healthy items that fuel them for a day of adventure (ex, protein, carbs, fruit, veggies).

Many campers use small coolers with ice packs, which keep food and drinks satisfactorily cold for the day.

Water breaks are taken frequently throughout the day. Water is provided, but campers need to bring their own refillable water bottles (labeled with their name).

A healthy lunch and snack provide campers with energy for adventure.

We recommend healthy options such as fresh fruit, vegetables, sandwiches, and muffins in your child’s lunch (e.g., protein, carbohydrates, fruit, and vegetables).

Snack options could include two items, such as fruit and protein. Please label snacks in a separate bag within the lunch bag or in a separate container in the backpack.

Please avoid sugary foods and beverages in glass containers. 

Remember to pack ice packs and include foods that won’t spoil.

Please note that we are not a nut-free camp.

However, we try to make our campers feel included by seating children with allergies at a table with other children who do not have allergy foods in their lunches.

What to Bring

• Backpack
• Water bottle - refillable
• Swimsuit
• Towel
• Snack
• Lunch
• Extra change of clothes
• Sunblock
• Bug spray
• Creek shoes/boots
• EVERYTHING CLEARLY LABELED

Your child may need other items depending on the specific camp he or she is attending. Be sure to check the camp program page for additional information. 

Please encourage children to pack their own bags each day so they know where things are and what is missing.

Encourage young children to be responsible for their items by practicing taking them out and putting them back into the bag.

The two-foot shallow end allows even the youngest camper to stand and start their swimming experience comfortably. Children are not expected to be “swimmers” at camp.

On the first day of a session, campers who wish to swim in the deeper end of the pool must pass a swim test. Otherwise, they are restricted to the “roped off” shallow end (2 to 3 feet depth).

There are two lifeguards at the pool at all times, along with their counselors and other assigned "watchers."

Children may not use flotation devices, as this can give campers a false sense of security and hinder lifeguards' ability to monitor all children in the pool.

Lifeguards and counselors will guide campers in their swimming progress to acquire confidence in the water. 

• Nature Navigators (ages 4.5–6) have up to 12 campers with two counselors (6:1 ratio).
• Wilderness Explorers (ages 7–9), Pathfinders (ages 10–12), and Trailblazers (ages 12–14) are in groups of 14–16 with two counselors (8:1 ratio).
• Additional certified instructors join the Wilderness Explorers, Pathfinders, and Trailblazers for various activities, as needed. 

Nature Navigators spend time both outside on campus and inside our air-conditioned classrooms.

Wilderness Explorers, Pathfinders, and Trailblazers are outside all day. These groups will hike to local creeks and ponds for fishing, canoeing, and other water activities.

Pathfinders and Trailblazers will be further out in Seneca Creek State Park, hiking, tubing, and mountain biking, while preparing for their overnight “survival skills” campout on our campus. 

Every week we’ll post photos from camp on our Facebook page. We suggest you share the photos with your camper and ask about the activities and adventures they did that week. It's a great dinner-table conversation starter!

Please be sure to sign your photo waiver so we can include all campers in camp photos we share on Facebook and Instagram (no names are used).