We proudly invite your family to become part of our Camp Lakota Family History.
Camp Lakota has been welcoming campers since 1924, built on the grounds of a historic Sullivan County Estate and the Mamakating Park Hotel. For over a century, this place has provided a nurturing and supportive environment for co-ed campers, and it has been under continuous family ownership from the very beginning. At Lakota, camp has always been about family.
Since purchasing the camp in 1985, the Mindich family has had the privilege of caring for campers and their families for nearly four decades. Dr. Bruce Mindich himself was a camper, counselor, and camp doctor at Lakota before making the decision to buy it, a story best captured by the headline from his first advertisement: “We loved it so much, we bought it!”
Today, that legacy continues. Hannah Young, a second-generation Lakota camper who spent twelve summers at camp before returning as a full-time director, now leads alongside Danielle Goldspiel, who met her husband Mike at Lakota when they were both ten years old.
The people who run this camp grew up here, and that matters. Learn more about our leadership team.
Camp Lakota takes its name from the Native American people who revered the beauty of the natural world and believed in strong alliances among people. Lakota means “Friendly and United”, and we couldn’t think of a more fitting name for a place built entirely around community, connection, and the kind of summer that stays with you for life.
Our 200 acres along Masten Lake have been the foundation for unforgettable summers for thousands of campers. The camp’s wooded surroundings offer endless trails used for hiking, horseback riding, camp-outs, and nature exploration. Masten Lake, the heartbeat of campus, has always been home to waterskiing, sailing, canoeing, and swimming.
As Lakota has grown over the years, so have its facilities. The original estate mansion, built in the early 1900s, now houses our Arts & Crafts centre. Our campus today features studio and performance spaces, two heated swimming pools, athletic fields and courts, and our newly renovated tennis and pickleball facility, all set against the natural beauty of the Catskill Mountains. As an ACA-accredited camp, every one of our facilities and programs meets nationally recognized standards for safety and quality.
A hundred years on, the same commitment to community, growth, and outdoor adventure that defined Camp Lakota in 1924 defines it today. The faces change, but the friendships don’t. We’d love to welcome your family to ours!