Camp Mahackeno drop off is from 8:30-9:00. Pick up for our Abenacki- Mohegan Units (grades K-2) is 3:15. Pick up for the Lakota-CIT/LIT units (grades 3-10) is 3:45. If you have children in both of the pick up times, please come to the later pick up. Extended care is available for an additional fee. Pre-care runs from 7:30-8:30. Post-care runs from 3:45-6:00. You can drop off at any time for pre-care between 7:30 and 8:15. You can pick up from Post care any time between 4:30 and 6:00.

Camp Mahackeno and Hafaday now have online registration through CampBrain. When registering online you will be asked to create a household of the children who will be attending camp and their guardians. You will then go through a step by step process to register for camp and set up payments. Online registrations must be paid with a credit card and are not final until a staff member approves them and camp receives a new, current physical and vaccination record. These can be scanned and emailed to mahackeno@westporty.org or uploaded through the registration website. You can register through our camp registration site. 

The Mahackeno Afternoon program is for campers who are joining us from other programs running at the Bedford Family Center. These include Camp Hafaday, Race 4 Chase and sport clinics. Campers are gathered for lunch and then delivered across the creek to their Mahackeno groups to complete a full day of fun. Campers coming for the afternoon will participate in a variety of camp activities, but are joining a group already in progress, so we can’t guarantee they will have an activity such as swimming.

Our CITs and LITs are the future leaders of camp. CITs are in grades 8-9 and LITs are in grade 10. CITs will be placed with a group of younger campers for a portion of their time. There they will learn how to supervise campers and lead a group. LITs will spend some of their time with a program specialist learning how to manage a program area and adapt program to different ages. Our CITs & LITs will have time each day as a group together working on team building, leadership development, communication skills and just having fun. Only campers interested in developing teamwork, communication and leadership skills should register. Being a CIT/LIT at camp does not guarantee future employment, but it is a great program for teens who want to eventually be a leader at camp.  CIT/LIT campers may be asked to meet with camp leadership prior to enrolling in the program.

8th Graders have the choice between being in the Ranger group and becoming a CIT.  If you are unsure which program is best for them talk to your child about what they want their experience to be at camp. As a Ranger your child will be a part of a group their age, rotating through camp activities and attending a field trip each week. As a CIT their role on camp will be as a leader. They will help counselors with camper supervision and have time with the other CITs developing their leadership skills, playing a role in camp special events and having fun in their CIT/LIT group.

Our group ratios follow the guidelines of the American Camping Association. Ratios are determined by the age of the youngest camper in the group. Ratios are as follows:

Under Age 5- 1:6
6-8 years old 1:8
9-14 years old 1:10

All camp swimming and boating activities are supervised by a certified lifeguard.

Campers are given a swim test to determine what level swim lesson they will be placed in as well as what area of the pool they can swim in. Children are also given a wrist band to help the lifeguards quickly determine that the camper is in the correct area of the pool. Swim lessons are supervised by lifeguards and our swim instructors are also lifeguards who receive training in swim instruction.

Our canoe area is also supervised by lifeguards and a boating instructor. All campers wear life vests while in a canoe. Campers in grades K-4 have a counselor in the boat. Campers in grades 5-10 may go out in a canoe without a counselor if they are in the higher swim levels.

Campers will start their day at morning assembly checking in with their counselors and hearing announcements for the day. Campers will then participate in 3 of their scheduled activities for the day. They will then have lunch and have time to visit other campers who may be in different groups. After lunch, campers will have 3 more activity areas before we have snack, afternoon assembly and then dismissal. On Fridays, camp enjoys a special event that takes up the last 2 periods of the day. During special events the entire camp participants in an activity such as water games, scavenger hunts or field games. The camp daily schedule will be posted during camp when we have finalized the number of groups in each unit for each session.

On rainy days, our campers will stay under the pavilions and lodges at camp. Whenever the rain stops, the campers go to the areas that they would normally be visiting at the time. Campers should always dress for the weather so they can stay cool on the warm days and dry on the wet ones.