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Camp Runels

Summer Phone: July 2–August 11, 603-635-2366
Year-Round Camp Questions:  customercare@gsema.org
Address:  82 Girl Scout Road Pelham, NH

Nestled on 300 acres along Little Island Pond in Pelham, NH, this camp features an extensive waterfront and boating area, large ball fields, an arts and crafts studio, a high ropes challenge course, nature trails, and campfire gathering areas—plus a wood yard for archery, hatchet throwing, and axe handling! At Camp Runels, campers can work directly with staff (many of them former campers themselves!) to design their own summer adventures.

Join us at our Camp Runels Open Houses!
June 24, 2023 | 4-5:30 PM

Explore Camp Runels on Facebook!


Resident Camp

About

Read about Runels Resident Camp in our 2023 Camp Guide. 

For more information, email us. Financial aid is available.

Typical Day

At the beginning of the session, campers will work with counselors to plan what the group will do while at camp. With every camper's input in the program, no two days will be the same. They will spend part of each day participating in specialty program activities and fill the rest of the time with many different activities. Get creative in arts and crafts, cool off at swimming, or take aim on our archery range. At least once during the session campers will have the chance to cookout with your unit.

About the Directors

Sarah “Fluke” Leshay and Jess “Crunch” Woods are excited to be co-directing Camp Runels together this summer. For both of them, camp is a place where girls can stretch to try new things, grow in their independence and make lifelong memories and friends. They are passionate about creating a dynamic, safe, and fun camp program at Runels.

Fluke and Crunch have worked at Camp Runels since 2010 and attended Girl Scout camps themselves. During the school year, both Fluke and Crunch are teachers; Fluke is a high school science teacher, while Crunch is a high school life and vocational skills teacher. Fluke received her BS and MAT from Northeastern University, while Crunch received her BA from West Virginia Wesleyan and her MSED from Simmons College. They love to spend time volunteering with Girl Scouts.

Sleeping Quarters

Campers who stay at Runels will live in platform tents, yurts, open air cabins, or tentalos holding 4-6 campers. Each Girl Scout will have a cot with a mattress. A bathroom is located near each unit. Hot showers are located in the central shower house. Each unit has a fire pit for cookouts. Counselors stay in quarters with other staff right by the campers' quarters. Each unit has a covered pavilion for rainy day space. Poles for bug netting will be provided. Bug netting is available for purchase on the Trading Post Pre-Order form in your CampinTouch account. Pre-orders are due by May, 2023. See pictures of Camp Runels sleeping quarters.

Health and Safety

Camp Runels is an American Camp Association-accredited camp. This means that every five years, a nationally recognized organization ensures that everything we do (from the meals we serve to the programs we plan) is done in a safe way. By selecting an ACA-accredited camp, you can be assured your camper is safe.

Our camp is also licensed by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The Department of Health and Human Services is the state regulating body for summer camps in New Hampshire, and has separate standards of health and safety with which we comply.

What to Bring

Packing for camp can be very hard if you don’t know what to bring for your stay, especially if you are a first-time camper. If you're wondering what you can and cannot bring to camp, view the complete packing list that will work for all our camp programs. We recommend packing in a camp trunk that can fit under your bed or a soft duffle bag. Please label EVERYTHING with your full name. Visit the Girl Scout Shop for camping essentials!

Directions

Take Interstate 93 to N.H. Exit 2 (Routes 38 & 97, Salem, Pelham).  Bear right at end of off ramp towards Pelham, Salem.  Go approximately .2 of a mile to traffic lights. Turn right at traffic lights onto South Policy Road.  Follow Policy Road for approximately 1 mile to traffic lights.  Turn right at traffic lights onto Route 38 South (Lowell St.).  Follow Route 38 for 4.1 miles.  Camp Runels is on the left side of the road.  The Camp road is approximately 1 mile long.