Wohelo Camps

What Wohelo Camps does

Wohelo Camps is a privately held, family-owned operator of residential summer camps for girls, located on Sebago Lake in Raymond, Maine. Founded in 1907 by Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick and Charlotte Vetter Gulick — who also founded Camp Fire — the company has been continuously directed by the founders' descendants for over 100 years and is currently run by great-grandchildren Mark Van Winkle and Heidi Van Winkle Gorton. The core offering consists of two age-segmented programs: Little Wohelo for girls ages 6-12 and Sebago Wohelo for girls ages 12-15, both running 7-week full sessions (with optional 3.5-week half sessions as an introduction tier). The property spans over a mile of shorefront with two beaches and three islands, supporting a 3.5:1 camper-to-counselor ratio and American Camp Association-accredited programming across swimming, sailing, canoeing, tennis, archery, crafts, and nature activities.

Revenue is generated primarily through seasonal summer tuition ($12,600 full session, $8,400 half session for 2026), supplemented by post-season Family Camp weeks (~$1,500 per adult), a merchandise store selling apparel and memorabilia, and tax-deductible donations channeled through the American Camp Association 501(c)(3) into the Wohelo Camps Campership Fund for need-based scholarships. The go-to-market motion is overwhelmingly community-led: word-of-mouth referrals from a 5,000+ alumnae base, many of whom are third- or fourth-generation campers, supported by regional winter gatherings in five East Coast cities, an annual Wohelobration alumni reunion over Labor Day weekend, and organic social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo. Technology is commodity-grade: the CampInTouch third-party platform handles camper applications, inquiry forms, and family communications, while registration for Family Camp and alumnae submissions runs through Google Forms.

The customer base is highly distributed, drawing campers from 24 U.S. states and 6 countries, with approximately 50% returning each year and over 80% opting for the full 7-week session. Operating capacity is constrained by the physical Sebago Lake property, and the business shows no disclosed AI capabilities, external fundraising, M&A activity, or material geographic expansion initiatives. Leadership passed from the third to the fourth generation during the 2010s-2020s without disruption, and a 2021 logo refresh signaled the only recent brand-side repositioning.

Name

Wohelo Camps

Legal name

Wohelo Camps

Website

https://wohelo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wohelo Camps is a family-owned, fourth-generation residential summer camp operator in Raymond, Maine, running Little Wohelo (ages 6-12) and Sebago Wohelo (ages 12-15) on Sebago Lake, with supplemental Family Camp, merchandise, and scholarship programs serving affluent East Coast families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Summer Camp / Youth Outdoor Recreation

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Girls summer camp
• Residential youth camp
• Outdoor recreation programs
• Family camp vacations
• Youth camp scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Raymond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Primary revenue from camper tuition. Full session (7 weeks) costs $12,600; half-session (3.5 weeks) costs $8,400. Scholarships (camperships) provided through Wohelo Camps Campership Fund.
2. Camp Store: Merchandise sales including apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats), camp supplies, memorabilia, and historical photo books. Items sold at cost with taxes already paid.
3. Family Camp: All-inclusive family vacation after regular season. Two week-long sessions at approximately $1,500 per adult and $1,400 per child. Includes cabin accommodation, activities, and all meals.
4. Donations and Campership Fund: Tax-deductible donations through American Camp Association 501(c)(3) partnership. Non-designated funds go to The Wohelo Fund which supports scholarships and camp improvements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Wohelo Camps operates two residential summer camps for girls on Sebago Lake in Raymond, Maine: Little Wohelo (ages 6–12) and Sebago Wohelo (ages 12–15), offering 7-week full and 3.5-week half sessions that include swimming, sailing, canoeing, archery, crafts, tennis, drama, and nature programs. Supplementary offerings include a two-week post-season Family Camp, the Wohelo Camp Store (camp-branded apparel and memorabilia), the Wohelo Camps Campership Fund (need-based scholarships), and the annual Wohelobration alumnae reunion.

Product overview

Wohelo Camps operates two residential summer camps for girls located on Sebago Lake in Raymond, Maine. The organization offers Little Wohelo (ages 6-12) and Sebago Wohelo (ages 12-15) as its core programs, with both camps running seven-week full-season sessions during summer. Additional offerings include Family Camp (two-week all-inclusive vacation), a scholarship fund (Wohelo Camps Campership Fund), an online merchandise store (Wohelo Camp Store), and alumnae reunion events (Wohelobration). The organization was founded in 1907 by Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick and Charlotte Vetter Gulick, and has been family-owned and directed for over 100 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Wohelo: Camp for girls ages 6-12 featuring gentle terrain, large sandy beach, and activities focused on skill levels appropriate for young campers
• Sebago Wohelo

Products and services

• Little Wohelo

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 80% of campers attend the full 7-week session
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Camp Association (ACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ACA's 501(c)(3) nonprofit status allows Wohelo to offer tax-deductible donations to the Wohelo Camps Campership Fund. Donations support financial assistance for girls who cannot otherwise afford camp attendance.
• Camp LeadersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational counselor agency used to recruit counselors from abroad for summer staffing needs.
• Camp AmericaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational counselor agency used to recruit counselors from abroad for summer staffing needs.
• CCUSAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational counselor agency used to recruit counselors from abroad for summer staffing needs.
• Maine Camp OutfittersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized retailer for Wohelo uniform items. Families access the store using camp login credentials to purchase required camp attire.
• Timanous CampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrother camp for boys. Annual Founders' Day event held jointly at 11:00 AM. Historical connection between the Gulick family camps.
• Migis LodgeminorOthersLocated 3 miles from camp in South Casco, ME. Recommended accommodation option for visitors. Hosted Maine Summer Camps meeting.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camp Kenwood / Camp Evergreen: Sibling boys' and girls' residential camps in New Hampshire offering a traditional multi-week summer experience with similar activity breadth (waterfront, land sports, arts). Comparable in program structure and target demographic.
• Camp Echo Lake: Family-owned residential camp in upstate New York offering a traditional multi-week program for children. Closely matches Wohelo on operating model (private lake, family ownership, full summer session), duration and target market.
• Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha: Boys' and girls' residential camps in Traverse City, Michigan with a traditional multi-week sleepaway format. Comparable to Wohelo on operating model, length of season and traditional programming mix.
• Camp Towanda: Premier co-ed residential sleepaway camp in Honesdale, PA, with a similar premium tuition tier, multi-generational family ownership, and broad activity programming. Direct comparable in scale, pricing and family positioning.
• Camp Timanous: Brother boys' camp founded by the same Gulick family and explicitly partnered with Wohelo (joint Founders' Day). Operates the same traditional residential sleepaway model on Sebago Lake, making it the closest comparable in heritage, geography and program structure.
• Camp Pinecliffe: Long-established girls' residential summer camp in Maine offering a similar traditional, multi-week, cabin-based program with water sports and crafts. Closely comparable to Sebago Wohelo in target customer, season length and program mix.
• Camp Cayuga: Private co-ed residential sleepaway camp in Honesdale, PA with a similar premium pricing tier, multi-week format, and a broad menu of land and water activities. Comparable to Wohelo on pricing, length of stay and family positioning.
• Camp Wekeela: Co-ed residential camp in Harrison, Maine (also on a Maine lake) emphasizing skill-based activity instruction and personal growth. Comparable in geography, season length, and the premium traditional sleepaway experience.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA Camps: Large established network of summer camps with broader geographic footprint, mission-driven positioning and lower average price point. Competes for many of the same families Wohelo targets but across a much wider portfolio and price range.
• Maine Camp Experience: Industry consortium that markets and recruits for traditional Maine sleepaway camps including Wohelo. Functions as a broader incumbent marketing channel that competes for the same pool of premium traditional-camp families.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CampWohelo
• Facebookfacebook.com/wohelocamps
• Instagraminstagram.com/wohelocamp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wohelo-camps

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wohelo Camps