Wildfire Smoke Forces Summer Camps to Rethink Outdoor Activities

Across the United States, intense wildfire smoke in July has compelled a range of summer camps to move programs indoors or cancel planned outings. At Beauvoir Summer Camp in Washington, D.C., the pool was left empty and campers spent the day inside to avoid hazardous air. In Ely, Minnesota, Camp Widjiwagan evacuated and even submerged historic canoes that could not be moved safely.

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The smoke originated from large fires in northern Minnesota and Canada that have blanketed much of the Midwest and Northeast. This episode follows a summer marked by multiple climate-related extremes: record-high heat, deadly floods in Texas, and prolonged droughts. Researchers link the increasing frequency of such events to rising global temperatures driven largely by fossil-fuel combustion.

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Drew Mackay, director of auxiliary and summer programs at Beauvoir School, said the heat earlier in the season forced the camp to cut back on outdoor play. Henry DeHart, CEO of the American Camp Association, noted that camps now see “eight or 10” days with heat indexes over 105 °F, compared with three to five days in past decades. Ellen Watkins, director of Miakonda Day Camp in Ohio, acknowledged the stress of keeping campers inside but affirmed that the program continued without disruption. Ben Hoffman, executive director of Camp Widjiwagan, described the decision to submerge 19 fragile canoes as “a pivotal moment” for the camp.

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Campers themselves describe the altered summer. Lauren Smith, a parent in Pennsylvania, likens the months to “a waiting game” as her children shift between indoor activities, baking, and painting acorns. Eleanor Pitts, a 17-year-old camper at Widjiwagan, called the missed final night “an experience like no other” and warned that future trips will be reshaped by climate change.

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• “The summer is just like a waiting game — just waiting to do some stuff outside," Smith says.” — Lauren Smith

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• “It's changed my summer a lot," Penelope, the mermaid, says.” — Sponsor Message Penelope

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• “Kids need camp now more than ever," DeHart says.” — Henry DeHart, the CEO of the American Camp Association

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• “Was it stressful to have campers inside of buildings all day when they would rather be outside? Yes. Did it stress our program? No, we were fine,” — Ellen Watkins

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• “It was an experience like no other,” — North Eleanor Pitts

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• “Going forward, trips are just going to be different because of this climate change situation,” — North Eleanor Pitts

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