Honestly, it’s a place out of a storybook. At one moment you are in a thick forested trail and the next moment the woods open up, and the sun shines through to a grass-covered clearing. There you find hammocks suspended between large birch trees, lovingly-assembled stone campfire rings, boulders suited for scampering… I am talking about Camp Cormier! Located along the backwoods trail of Camp Jeanne d’Arc, Camp Cormier is a place where campers hone adventure skills, explore nature, and make memories!
What is Camp Cormier?
Camp Cormier is a clearing in the backwoods of Camp Jeanne d’Arc created in honor of a beloved former camper and counselor Michelle Cormier. Michelle believed in the transformative power of an all-girls overnight summer camp. We remember Michelle’s legacy at Camp Jeanne d’Arc fondly as campers year in and year out enjoy the most beautiful spot in the forest.
Where is Camp Cormier?
Travel a few hundred paces past Woodsheart along the backwoods trail. The elevation rises. The forest thickens. Just as the trail veers left and you look to your right, you’ll see a clearing. We’ve maintained the space as sort of a nature playground with boulders, hammocks, and logs. And the campers LOVE it! While Camp Cormier is technically on Camp Jeanne d’Arc’s campus, it feels like the wilderness. There are no buildings, no electricity, no roads, and nothing to hear except the birds chirping and the wind rustling the leaves on the birch trees.
What do we do here?
Camp Cormier serves as an all-purpose outside space where we delve into nature education, wilderness activities, and hiking/camping. Here are some of the ways this space is utilized:
Campcraft Club
There is no better way to learn about nature than fully emerging yourselves in nature! The Campcraft Club focuses on wilderness education, safety practices, identifying plant and animal life, orienteering, and basic camping skills. Camp Cormier is the perfect setting for our Campcraft campers to build skills and learn about the natural world! You will see Campcrafters journeying to Camp Cormier, gathering birch bark, identifying mushrooms, and practicing safe hiking skills.
Mountaineering Overnights
You may find our junior and senior mountaineers at Camp Cormier as they fulfill a major requirement for entrance into the Mountaineering Club – the overnight! They will pack tents, sleeping bags, fixings for dinner, cooking equipment, first aid kit, and a bunch of campers ready to sleep out in the woods! Camp Cormier is ideal for practicing how to prepare and enjoy a campout.
Spark Night
Spark Night, one of Camp Jeanne d’Arc’s newest traditions, an enchanting evening filled with personal reflection, community building, big bonfires, and sugar? The Owl cabin leads the entire camp community along the backwoods trail to Camp Cormier for a reflective activity that culminates in campers tossing sugar into a big bonfire creating a beautiful spark! It is a beautiful tradition in a beautiful setting.
S’mores Evenings
Some nights in the Adirondacks are so nice that you just have to spend them outside! A few times throughout the summer, we declare S’mores night at Camp Cormier. The entire Camp Jeanne d’Arc community will hike up the back trails where we build fires, mount marshmallows on sticks, and enjoy the tastiest treat camp has to offer…s’mores!
Special Activities
Camp Cormier will also periodically host special activities like cabin campouts, journey stick crafting, trail running, counselor hikes, and more. Hikes to Camp Cormier feature berry picking, collecting the best kindling (birch bark!), and enjoying undisturbed nature as the sun shines through the wooded landscape directly onto the open clearing!
What makes this place so special?
Ultimately, Camp Cormier is kind of like a sanctuary within Camp Jeanne d’Arc. While activities like s’mores and campcraft could happen elsewhere on campus, Camp Cormier offers something irreplaceable. There is an intangible feeling in hiking up the forested trail to find a secluded, green-grass clearing. Away from buildings and distractions, it provides a sense of adventure and connection that is truly unique to this corner of camp.