It’s not too late to enroll in summer camp at McKinney Roughs Nature Park – a popular nearby day camp within 1,100 acres of pine forests, meadows and hills just 13 miles east of the Austin airport.

The weeklong nature camps are for kids age 6 to 16 and there are weekly sessions from now through Aug. 13. (Camp is not offered the week of July 5.) Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with shuttle service from Austin and extended care available. Each session is different, so children can attend for the entire summer and have new experiences every week.

• Camp Tonkawa, ages 6-7. Campers experience hands-on learning with live animal presentations, nature hikes, camp crafts, games, nature studies and more.
• Camp Comanche, ages 8-9. Campers learn wilderness skills, raft the Colorado River, climb a 45-foot-high rock wall and swim at nearby Bastrop State Park.
• Camp Caddo, ages 10-12. Campers connect with the natural world through adventurous studies of geology, hydrology, botany and more. Activities include rafting, swimming and team-building challenges on a low- and high-ropes challenge course led by our ropes-certified staff.
• Camp Counselors-in-Training (CIT), ages 13-16 and is available only through the week of July 12. Campers embark on a journey of self-discovery and friendship as they learn skills in leadership and mentoring while being mentored themselves. CITs will develop their naturalist skills; meet in small groups to plan and implement a service project; assist and mentor younger campers; experience low and high challenges and raft the Colorado River. (Scholarships available for qualifying 16 year olds).

Registration: The fee for each session is $180. A summer camp shuttle service operates in Austin from 3700 Lake Austin Blvd. and 3505 Montopolis Drive and costs $70 a week. Early drop-off and late pick-up are available the week of July 19 for $30 each.

For more information and an online registration form visit this link. To register, call (512) 303-5073 or 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 8041, or send e-mail to outdoorprograms@lcra.org.