Rutgers New Jersey 4-H Camp Draws Generations of Families for 75 Years

The camp's timeless itinerary has changed little over the years: campfire singalongs, hikes along the Appalachian Trail, canoe races-and no screens

The minute school lets out for summer, the screen time wars ramp up for parents.

"It's such a slog … a never-ending battle," said Rachel Lyons, a mom of three from Hillsborough.

But for one week each summer, Lyons gets a truce. Her children head toNew Jersey 4-H Camp, which runs. The wooded retreat run by Rutgers has been strictly screen-free since its founding in 1951.

"That week where they have no access to it is such a gift," said Lyons, a Rutgers Cooperative Extension agent who grew up attending the camp and also led the state 4-H program, including the camp, for the past 13 seasons. "They immerse themselves in the camp community and are able to make connections. Not having that crutch is important."

Set on 108 acres in Stokes State Forest, the camp, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year feels like a portal to a simpler era. In fact, very little has changed since Lyons' father first attended as a camper in the late 1950s. The camp is sold out for the season and will welcome 176 campers during each one-week session in July and Big 18-Day session in August.

"I think it's just an incredible, idyllic place," said Lyons, a Rutgers alumna. "It's almost like stepping back in time. Things are just slower there."

There is a clear throughline connecting the summer fun her father enjoyed to her own experience in the 1990s, and now to her children today. The timeless itinerary remains the same after entertaining some 50,000 children: campfire singalongs, hikes along the Appalachian Trail, canoe races on Lake Shawanni, capture-the-flag games, archery, and bunking up with new buddies in 11 rustic cabins.

"The nature is the canvas that allows us to do everything else," said Ben Clawson, the director of camp programs.

Clawson hasn't missed a summer since he first arrived as an 11-year-old camper in 1995. As a teenage counselor, he remembers a time when nature did the tech policing for them; even if you brought a cellphone, there was simply no service in the depths of the pine forest.

"It wasn't until around 2010, when 3G and screens finally reached out here into the woods, that we made a conscious decision to establish this official tech-free oasis," Clawson said. "And it's been humming along strong ever since."

Beyond providing a digital detox, 4H often serves as a camper's first introduction to the university, planting "the Rutgers seed" in generations of future alumni.

"Every year I have junior counselors who went through the program tell me how proud they are to be applying to or getting into Rutgers," Clawson said.

While parents frequently worry about how their children will survive a full week without tech, Clawson says even the most hyper-connected campers adapt almost instantly.

"They become kids right away," he said. "It's like a light switch as soon as they get into the woods without screens."

Lyons' 15-year-old daughter, Lily, a rising sophomore at Hillsborough High School, has been attending the camp with her twin brother since they were 8. This year their 8-year-old sister joins them for the first time. Over the years, Lily said she has come to genuinely look forward to the digital hiatus.

"I feel like it is almost a break, because when I'm on my phone, it makes me less in the moment," she said. "When I'm not on my phone, I feel more in tune with everything that's going on.

And it isn't just the kids who benefit from leaving the digital world behind.

"At 42 years old, I still feel the freeing effects of not carrying my phone with me," Clawson said.

For the parents watching from the sidelines, the value of that freedom is immeasurable.

"For my kids, they love the break from what it's like to be a kid in 2026," Lyons said. "Just stepping away from their phones and tablets - and the pressure of everything kids have going on these days."