Camps, Retreats, and Conferences

People of all ages hold hands during the closing ceremony at the Southern Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute (SUUSI)

Our vibrant network of retreat centers, camps, and conferences offer experiences of growth, connection, spirituality, and community throughout the year. Each of these independent camps and centers identifies with Unitarian Universalist (UU) values and traditions.

Camps and Conference Centers

Unirondack (Lowville, NY)

A welcoming and unique community located in the forever-wild Adirondacks, Unirondack provides summer camp experiences for young people within a community where UU values are lived and every aspect of the program is filled with opportunities for self-expression, creativity and belonging. Visit Unirondack.

Unicamp (Honeywood, ON)

Located within the UNESCO Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Reserve, Unicamp has 50 beautiful, peaceful acres of meadows, coniferous and deciduous forests, marshes, streams, caves, and a spring fed pond. Unicamp is a place to relax, explore, meet new people, re-connect with self, community and nature. Visit Unicamp.

Rowe Camp and Conference Center (Rowe, MA)

Rowe Center is nestled in Western Massachusetts' Berkshire Mountains, offering year-round weekend workshops led by nationally known presenters on nature, spirituality, creative arts, personal growth, and politics. Summer camps are for children, youth and adults, and a community service internship program allows participants to live and work in a value-based community. Visit Rowe Center.

Chalice Sparx (Sturgis, MI)

At Chalice Sparx camp and retreat for families you will experience a truly multigenerational community. There are no camp counselors here to whisk away the children separate from their families. Here we learn together, worship together and explore together in a community of all ages – including elders who complete our multigenerational village. This Midwestern camp and retreat for Unitarian Universalist families gathers for a long weekend each July in Sturgis, Michigan at the lovely Amigo Centre in southwestern Michigan -- only 90 miles from Chicago, 120 miles from Ann Arbor and 195 miles from Indianapolis.

Star Island Family Conference and Retreat Center (Isles of Shoals, NH)

At Star Island, enjoy rugged living six miles off the coast of New Hampshire. Summer programs include spirituality, world affairs, arts, ecology, yoga, history, and children’s activities. Kayak in the harbor, unwind in a porch rocker, or reflect during a candlelight service. Experience your best self at Star Island. Visit Star Island.

Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center (Lanoka Harbor, NJ)

This historic site is where John Murray preached his first Universalist sermon in America in 1770. Located on twenty peaceful acres in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, Murray Grove offers year round lodging for up to sixty-six people, meeting spaces, commercial kitchen and a (seasonal) salt water pool. Visit Murray Grove.

The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center (Highlands, NC)

Surrounded by the natural beauty of the Southern Appalachians, The Mountain offers camps, conferences, and educational programs for all ages. Comfortable accommodations are available for congregation retreats and programs sponsored by UU groups and community-based organizations. The Mountain is a place for exploring nature, hiking and other outdoor adventures. Visit The Mountain.

Camp de Benneville Pines (Redlands, CA)

Located in the pine forest of the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, Camp de Benneville Pines hosts youth, family, and adult programs that foster spiritual and personal growth, environmental stewardship, leadership development, and social justice and action. Programs include UU congregration camps, LGBTQ and holiday family camps, summer and winter camps for youth, and grown-up camps for yoga, folk music, and art aficionados. Visit Camp de Benneville Pines.

Ferry Beach (Saco, ME)

Year-long weekly conferences and retreats. Visit Ferry Beach.

Shelter Neck UU Camp (Burgaw, NC)

Youth camps and rental facilities. Visit Shelter Neck UU Camp.

Camp Unistar (Cass Lake, MN)

Ten weekly camps, June-August. Visit Camp Unistar.

UBarU (Kerville, TX)

An IDA designated Dark Sky Park, is a Unitarian Universalist Camp and Retreat Center located on 142 rugged acres in the storied Hill Country near Kerrville, Texas. UBarU serves UU congregations as well as individuals and groups who believe in the importance of our mission. Our mission is to provide a welcoming, peaceful place to gather for spiritual, educational, and recreational purposes in harmony with our Unitarian Universalist principles and the land. Visit UBarU.

Gatherings and Institutes

UUA Camps, Conferences & Events

Some of the family camps and festivals listed above are co-sponsored by UUA Regions. Additionally, the UUA sponsors:

Other Conferences & Events

Unitarian Universalists across the United States organize a great variety of local and regional conferences and camps for children, youth, and adults. Contact a congregation near you to learn more about what's available in your area.

The view from The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center
The owner of this car with many bumper stickers is a regular attendee at the Southern Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute (SUUSI).

As one of the largest gatherings of Unitarian Universalists every year, the Southern Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute (SUUSI) gives campers time to relax, connect and celebrate together.

Read the article in UU World magazine.

Campers at Unirondack in Lowville, New York.

A youth camp session at Unirondack in Lowville, NY.

Campers go water tubing at the Southern Unitarian Universalist Summer Institute (SUUSI)

Campers go water tubing at SUUSI

Aerial photo of Unicamp in Honeywood, Ontario.

Unicamp in the fall, as seen from above, in Honeywood, ON

Sewing and crafts workshops.

Sewing and crafts workshops at SUUSI

Flowering trees at Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center in Lanoka Harbor, NJ.

Flowering trees at Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center in Lanoka Harbor, NJ

Star Island Retreat Center off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The Oceanic Hotel and other historic buildings on Star Island

Several people and children playing at a lake at Bayside UU Family Camp

All ages enjoying the lake at Bayside UU Family Camp.