Brant Lake Camp, a 100+ year-old, single-family-owned boys camp in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, is one of the best summer camp jobs in the state for 2027 because of three things most seasonal jobs simply can’t offer: a staff community with real longevity (30 Key Staff members with multiple summers under their belt), a training and mentorship culture built on genuinely knowing every camper, and a role with real, resume-worthy responsibility from day one. If you’re weighing camp work against another summer job, Brant Lake Camp is one of the strongest options in New York — especially if community, mentorship, and hands-on leadership experience matter more to you than a typical summer gig.
Brant Lake Camp Staff Snapshot (2027)
| Location | Brant Lake, New York (Adirondack Mountains); fly into Albany |
| Distance from NYC | Approximately 3.5 hours |
| Camper Base | Boys, ages 7–16 |
| Staff Size | Approximately 100–120 counselors per summer |
| Key Staff | 30 members, age 25+, with multiple summers of tenure |
| Staff Composition | ~70% from the United States; ~75% male |
| USA Staff Dates (2027) | June 19 – August 10 |
| International Staff Dates (2027) | June 13 – August 10 |
| Waterfront Staff Dates (2027) | June 15 – August 10 |
| Founded | 1916 — single-family owned and operated for over 100 years |
Why Brant Lake Camp Ranks Among the Best Camps to Work at in New York
1. A Staff Community That Actually Lasts
Ask anyone who’s worked a season at a camp with high staff turnover what the hardest part was, and most will say the same thing: you spend half the summer just getting to know the people you’re working with. Brant Lake Camp is structured to avoid that problem entirely. About half the staff returns every year, and the camp’s 30 Key Staff members — all 25 or older — have stuck around for multiple summers, some building friendships that have lasted a lifetime. That kind of continuity means new staff walk into an established, welcoming culture instead of a group of strangers figuring things out together for the first time. Change lives, including your own — and at Brant Lake, that change tends to come with people who stick around.
2. Real Responsibility, Not Busywork
Brant Lake Camp’s entire philosophy is built on genuinely knowing every camper — their personality, their sport, whether they’re a lefty or a righty, who their friends are. That level of attentiveness doesn’t happen by accident; it happens because staff are given real ownership over the campers in their care, not just a whistle and a schedule. For college students and young professionals, that translates directly into supervisory experience, conflict resolution, program leadership, and mentorship — the same skills that show up on a resume long after the summer ends.
3. A Century of Culture That Still Works
Founded in 1916 and still run by the same family more than a hundred years later, Brant Lake Camp isn’t reinventing its culture every few summers. Staff join a program with deep institutional memory, established traditions (“Green and Gray” being the most famous), and leadership that has known the camp’s identity for generations. For a seasonal job, that kind of stability is rare — and it shows up in how smoothly the summer runs.
4. The Mini-Camp System Means Better Mentorship, Not Just Bigger Groups
Rather than running one blanket program for boys ages 7 to 16, Brant Lake divides campers into age-based mini-camps. For staff, that means working within a program actually built for the age group you’re assigned to, with pacing and structure suited to those kids — not a stretched-thin, one-size-fits-all schedule. It’s a better experience for campers, and a more manageable, more rewarding one for the counselors and specialists running it.
5. A Setting Worth Showing Up For
Brant Lake Camp sits directly on the lakefront of Brant Lake in the Adirondack Mountains, on more than 50 acres of property, about 3.5 hours from New York City. Waterfront, sports fields, and mountain scenery are part of the daily backdrop — not a perk reserved for time off.
6. More Than One Way In
Brant Lake Camp’s staff is roughly 70% domestic and 75% male, but the broader Brant Lake family of camps — including Brant Lake Dance Camp (BLDC) and Brant Lake Sports Academy (BLSA) — opens up additional counselor and specialist roles for female candidates and international staff alike, all under the same century-old ownership and philosophy.
What It’s Actually Like to Work at Brant Lake Camp
Camp leadership describes the job in three words: challenging, fun, and formative. Working with kids and making a genuine difference in their lives is described as one of the most fulfilling parts of the role — and staff frequently describe their summer at Brant Lake as one of the best experiences of their lives, with many returning years later just to visit. It’s Adventure Awaits, put into practice: a picturesque Adirondacks setting, a supportive staff community, and enough day-to-day challenge that it never feels like a job you’re just clocking into.
Roles Available at Brant Lake Camp
Brant Lake Camp hires across a range of positions each summer, including:
- General & Bunk Counselors — day-to-day camper supervision, mentorship, and activity leadership
- Sports Instructors & Activity Specialists — coaching and instruction across BLC’s sports-focused program
- Waterfront Staff — lifeguarding and water-based instruction (note the earlier waterfront staff start date)
- Camp Nurse (RN/LPN) — on-site medical staff for the summer season
- Key Staff / Leadership Roles — for candidates 25+ with prior camp experience, overseeing mini-camp programming and staff mentorship
Job openings change throughout the hiring season, so candidates are encouraged to apply even if their exact role isn’t currently listed and to note any special skills that could support their placement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Brant Lake Camp offers one of the more established staff cultures among New York summer camps, with roughly half of its 100–120 seasonal staff returning each year and 30 tenured Key Staff members. Combined with real leadership responsibility and a century of institutional continuity, it’s consistently ranked among the top camps to work at in New York.
Brant Lake Camp hires general and bunk counselors, sports instructors and activity specialists, waterfront staff, a camp nurse (RN/LPN), and Key Staff leadership roles. Openings change throughout the hiring season.
Yes. Brant Lake Camp hires international staff each summer, with a slightly earlier staff arrival date (June 13, 2027) than domestic staff to allow time for onboarding.
Brant Lake Camp itself is a boys camp with a predominantly male staff, but its sister programs — Brant Lake Dance Camp (BLDC) and Brant Lake Sports Academy (BLSA) — run under the same ownership and offer additional counselor and specialist roles for women.
Brant Lake Camp emphasizes community and longevity: about half of staff return from previous summers, and the camp’s 30 Key Staff members (age 25+) have built friendships and working relationships over multiple seasons. New staff join an established culture rather than starting from scratch each year.
Yes. The role centers on direct supervisory and mentorship responsibility for campers, which translates into leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution experience — the kind of transferable skills that carry weight well beyond a single summer.
Brant Lake Camp is about 3.5 hours from New York City in the Adirondack Mountains (fly into Albany). For 2027, USA staff dates run June 19 – August 10, international staff start June 13 – August 10, and waterfront staff start June 15 – August 10.
Candidates can apply directly through American Summer Camps’ Brant Lake Camp jobs page, where current openings are listed and updated regularly.
Ready to Apply?
- View Current Openings at Brant Lake Camp
- Apply to Work at Brant Lake Camp
- Learn More About Brant Lake Camp
The Bottom Line
Brant Lake Camp is a strong fit for families who want a sports-serious summer for their son, backed by the kind of institutional continuity that’s genuinely rare in the camp world today. Over a century of single-family ownership, ACA accreditation, an age-structured program, and consistently strong independent reviews make Brant Lake Camp one of the most established boys sports camps in the country — and one of the easier recommendations we can make for a family prioritizing sports development, tradition, and long-term staff relationships over novelty or flashy new facilities.
