Forest and Indian Acres Camps

What Forest and Indian Acres Camps does

Forest and Indian Acres Camps (IAFA) is a family-owned operator of two traditional sleepaway summer camps located in Fryeburg, Maine. Founded in 1924, the business runs Indian Acres (boys) and Forest Acres (girls) as separate but affiliated camps serving children ages 7-17, with a unified community and shared traditions such as Color War and an annual co-ed play. The camps sit on the Saco River near Lovewell Pond, offer 30+ activities spanning waterfront, land sports, adventure, creative arts, and a premier horseback riding program led by a Mount Holyoke College coach with 20+ horses, and are ACA accredited.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer enrollment model through the third-party CampInTouch platform, supported by personal director-led sales (Melissa Newman, Director; Moe Burness, Assistant Director) and alumni outreach in major U.S. metros. Revenue is driven by tiered summer tuition — 7-week ($15,000-$16,500), 4-week ($11,100-$12,000), and 3-week ($7,800-$8,500) sessions — with early-bird pricing and a free Rookie Camp intro program for ages 6-9. Ancillary revenue comes from TheCampSpot e-commerce merchandise. Technology is entirely third-party SaaS (CampInTouch, CampMinder, TheCampSpot); no proprietary platform, no AI capabilities, and no data flywheel are disclosed.

IAFA serves approximately 300 campers per summer drawn from 22+ U.S. states and 8+ countries, with a 90% year-over-year camper return rate, a 3:1 camper-to-counselor ratio, and a 70% staff return rate, indicating a stable, retention-driven business. Ownership is private and multi-generational, with the Newman family having led the camp for nearly 30 years before the 2024 transition. Revenue concentration risk is Low in terms of customer count but the business is 100% reliant on a single ~7-week summer revenue window.

Name

Forest and Indian Acres Camps

Legal name

Indian & Forest Acres Camps

Website

https://indianacres.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forest and Indian Acres Camps operates two traditional brother-sister sleepaway summer camps in Fryeburg, Maine for children ages 7-17. Founded in 1924, the family-owned business serves ~300 campers annually through 3-, 4-, and 7-week sessions with a 90% return rate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Summer Camps

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Cabin & Cottage Campgrounds (THAGAOAD)

Keywords

• Summer camp programs
• Sleepaway camps
• Children's overnight camps
• Youth camp services
• Residential camp activities

Headquarters

HQ city

Fryeburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Primary revenue from seasonal tuition fees for 7-week, 4-week, and 3-week camp sessions. Tiered pricing with early bird discounts incentivizing advance enrollment. Tuition covers all core camp activities, housing, meals, and program activities.
2. Camp Store Merchandise: Ancillary revenue from branded merchandise including blankets, towels, pillows, apparel, crafts, and keepsakes sold through TheCampSpot online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Forest and Indian Acres Camps operates a traditional brother-sister sleepaway summer camp in Fryeburg, Maine, serving children ages 7 to 17. The organization runs two distinct residential camp properties—Indian Acres for boys and Forest Acres for girls—offering multi-week sessions featuring outdoor activities, sports, waterfront recreation, and creative arts programs.

Product overview

Forest and Indian Acres Camps operates two traditional brother-sister sleepaway camps in Fryeburg, Maine. Indian Acres serves boys ages 7-17 while Forest Acres serves girls ages 7-17, each offering distinct programs within a unified community structure. The core offerings include 7-week, 4-week, and 3-week residential summer sessions with over 30 activities spanning waterfront sports, horseback riding, adventure programs, creative arts, and land sports. Supporting programs include a free Rookie Camp for ages 6-9, a premier Horseback Riding Program led by Mount Holyoke College coaches, and a Camp Store offering branded merchandise. The camps share traditions, events, and a common location on the Saco River while maintaining separate camp identities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Indian Acres Camp (Boys)
• Forest Acres Camp (Girls)
• Camp Merchandise

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% camper return rate year over year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CJ (Carol) LawcoreOthersCJ Law serves as Director of Intercollegiate Coaching and Varsity Hunt Seat Coach at Mount Holyoke College. She leads the horseback riding program at Forest Acres, providing expert coaching and instruction. Her equestrian credentials and Mount Holyoke affiliation bring collegiate-level expertise to the camp riding program.
• Maine Camp ExperiencesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaine Camp Experience is a collective of Maine sleepaway camps that provides resources, webinars, and support for member camps. IAFA participated in a webinar with Dr. Tracy Brenner on camp and homesickness hosted by Maine Camp Experience.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Camp Mawah: Traditional coed sleepaway camp in Casco, Maine serving similar age range. Competes for families seeking traditional Maine sleepaway camp experiences in the same geographic market as IAFA.
• Camp Walden: Brother-sister sleepaway camp in Cheboygan, Maine. Closely comparable to IAFA's brother-sister structure and serves the same traditional sleepaway market, though geographically situated in northern Maine.
• Camp Takajo: Traditional boys sleepaway camp in Poland, Maine serving ages 6-16 with waterfront, athletics, and trip programming. Competes directly with Indian Acres for boys in the same Maine market at comparable premium price points.
• Camp Wekeela: Coed sleepaway camp in Harrison, Maine serving ages 7-16 with similar activity breadth (waterfront, sports, arts, adventure). Competes for the same family demographic in the Maine camp market, though with coed rather than brother-sister structure.
• Camp Laurel: Coed sleepaway camp in Readfield, Maine serving ages 7-15. Competes for the same family demographic in the Maine sleepaway camp market with similar programming breadth and premium positioning.
• Camp Winnebago: Traditional boys sleepaway camp in Fayette, Maine serving ages 6-16. Competes with Indian Acres for boys in the same Maine market with comparable premium pricing and traditional programming philosophy.
• Camp Cobbossee: Traditional boys sports camp in Monmouth, Maine with strong athletics emphasis. Competes for the same demographic of families seeking premium boys sleepaway experiences in Maine, though with a more sports-focused positioning.
• Camp Pinecliffe: Traditional girls sleepaway camp in Harrison, Maine serving ages 7-15 with similar waterfront, arts, and athletics programming. Competes directly with Forest Acres for girls in the same Maine market with comparable pricing and family demographic.
• Camp Androscoggin: Traditional brother-sister sleepaway camp in Wayne, Maine serving boys and girls with similar activity programming, multi-generational family ownership, and premium pricing structure. Directly competes with IAFA for the same family demographic in the New England sleepaway camp market.
• Kenwood and Evergreen Camps: Brother-sister sleepaway camp in Charlton, Massachusetts (NH/MA border). Directly comparable brother-sister structure and similar traditional programming model, competing for the same New England family demographic in adjacent geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/indianacres
• Facebookfacebook.com/IndianandForestAcres
• Instagraminstagram.com/indianandforestacres
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-and-indian-acres-camps

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Forest and Indian Acres Camps