Night Owls

Grades
  • 7-8
Pricing
  • $555
  • $605
  • $655
Dates
  • June 15-20
  • July 13-18
Staying up late and sleeping in? Sounds like a teenage heaven! Campers will shift their schedule each night so that they stay up all night and sleep all day by mid-week and then return to a normal sleep schedule by Friday. Night Owls focus on doing all the popular activities in some atypical ways such as tiki-lit 9-Square, glow in the dark rocket launching, and Sardines.

Night Owls is a popular program because of its slower pace. Relax, hang out with friends, spend time chatting around the fire, and enjoy popular camp activities…at night! When everyone else is heading to bed, the Night Owls are just getting started. Don’t forget your flashlight, and come ready for adventure!

Dates & Rates

We know that every family has different abilities and resources to pay for camp, which is why Camp Bear Creek has a voluntary three-tiered pricing program. Choose the price that best fits your family’s budget. No matter which price is selected, all campers receive the same camp experience.

DatesTier ITier IITier III
June 15-20$540$590$640
July 13-18$540$590$640

late nights, later mornings!

Camp Life

Each night, Night Owl campers stay up two hours later until eventually, they go to bed at sunrise and wake up in the afternoon. Don’t worry, though, parents! After they sleep the day away, their schedule shifts in the other direction. Campers go to bed a little earlier each night until they’re back to a normal sleep schedule by Friday. This crazy schedule means that they get to enjoy some camp activities during the day…and many of them at night! Night Owls is a popular program for campers who enjoy a slower pace and time spent hanging out with friends. 

Camp Meals

Meals at camp are about more than just filling our bellies. When we gather around the table, we build community, engage in conversation, share ideas, strengthen relationships, and cultivate empathy. All of our meals are served family style, and we are intentional about taking this time to share food, conversation, and laughter with each other. We do our best to make sure our meals are kid-friendly and nutritious, and we can accommodate most dietary restrictions or needs. At Night Owls camp, campers will eat many meals in the dining hall, but will cookout almost every dinner (and some lunches) over the fire at night while everyone else is asleep!

My daughter has learned to develop skills on her own, like making friends and doing things that she might not otherwise do. Thanks so much for what Camp Bear Creek has given to my daughter!

Before he arrived, Carter said he just wanted to play video games at camp. After one day of participating in the outdoor activities, he never wanted to leave.

Katelyn hates the outdoors every other week of the year, but her favorite week of the year is Camp Bear Creek!

My daughter was getting ready to enter high school and was starting to question everything about herself. She was much more grounded when she came home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most frequently asked questions by parents about Night Owls camp at Bear Creek. If you still have questions after reading this information, please call the Camp Office at (563) 488-3893 or email us at office@bearcreek.camp.

Check-in is on Sunday at 3pm at Deer Center (the dining hall). Don’t worry! Even if you’ve never been here before, staff will be stationed at the entrance of the camp to make sure you know where you’re going. We do our best to get everyone checked-in and moved in as efficiently as possible. You can help us out by making sure your camp fees are paid and paperwork is completed two weeks before you arrive. Bring any medication your child needs (it must be in the original container) to check-in in a bag labeled with their first and last name. Leave all other belongings in your car until you’re ready to move into your cabin. Every camper will get a new camp shirt to wear for their first day of camp!

Check out is on Friday at 3pm at Deer Center. First, we begin with a closing ceremony. Parents, this is your first glimpse into your camper’s week. We’ll sing some songs, celebrate some special people in our camp community, hand out milestone awards, and watch a video with photos and highlights of their week at camp. After the ceremony, you’ll be able to sign out your camper, talk with their counselors, meet their new camp friends, purchase items from the camp store, and load up all their belongings before you head for home.

Night Owls campers stay in cabins! Our cabins have eight bunk beds per cabin, are air-conditioned, and have private changing rooms. Bathrooms are a short walk away at a nearby lodge. Camp counselors stay in the cabins with the kids. If you want more information, check out this video where our Program Director, Jake, sets up his own bed in a cabin!

Of course! Camp is always better with friends! When you sign up for camp, you’ll notice a spot on your registration form that asks if you would like to be placed in the same group with a friend. Make sure you write their name down, and tell them to write yours!

There’s so much adventure and excitement to be had at camp. Of course, you’ll get to do things like meet new friends, play games, and try new things. Some camp activities are daily (like Bible study or swimming) while other things might be done just once or a few times during the week (like kayaking or archery). Activity Hour is the time when campers get to choose what they would like to do from a list of options. Color Wars are our all-camp games that we play together every evening. Of course, things like weather can impact schedules and activities that we are able to run, but in general, Night Owls Campers can look forward to archery, human foosball, high ropes, Bible study, arts & crafts, swimming and night swimming, games, kayak polo, challenge course, worship, cooking meals over the fire, launching glow-in-the-dark rockets, GaGa, 9-Square, earth ball, caving, fire spinning, and color wars.

It’s total normal to miss home a bit while you are at camp, but don’t worry! Our staff are specially trained to help you through all the feelings and emotions that come with being away from home. Our counselors are compassionate, understanding, and will be right by your side the whole time. Generally, campers are not allowed to call home due to homesickness unless a director deems it necessary for the emotional well-being of the child. While it might seem like calling home would help, we find that most often, it just makes the problem worse. Instead of focusing on camp and all the possibilities for fun, it pulls our minds away to home and what is happening there. We have some tips for how to prevent and overcome homesickness in this video!

Join Summer Camp 2025

Registration opens January 2nd!