What do counselors do on their time off?

If you’ve never worked at a summer camp as a camp counselor before, one of the more immediate questions that may come to mind is “What are the hours like?” For the most part, a counselor spends their entire day with their bunk or at their program area, depending on your job title.

Time off often comes at night, after evening activity. It differs between camps, but typically each counselor will spend a few nights a week “on” in a camper bunk getting campers ready for bed so they’re ready for whatever the next day brings. On nights not “on” counselors are often free to go to town for late night meals, hit up the store for essentials, etc. The time off at night gives a few hours to counselors to unwind after long days.

In addition to time off at night, counselors usually get 5-6 days off during a full season. When a day off begins is determined by the camp you are working at, but most head counselors will allow an early leave time if a counselor or group of counselors wants to drive to a location or city further away than a couple of hours. During days off, counselors are typically free to explore the area around their camp, going on hikes, going to a beach, or exploring nearby towns or cities.

Nights and days off are great times to experience new places or things with your fellow counselors, and to develop friendships with counselors you may not see a lot during a typical day at camp. Some camps will provide transportation to and from town a few nights a week for counselors, but with so many counselors it is never hard to find a ride wherever you want to go!

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