Camp Barnes

In 1947, the Delaware Association of Chiefs of Police, an organization composed of active law enforcement and correctional officers, accepted a challenge to undertake a project to combat juvenile delinquency in the First State. A committee was appointed to investigate the problems confronting youth. The committee’s resulting recommendations led to the establishment of Camp Barnes for the recreation of deserving youth from throughout the state.

Camp Barnes, located on Miller’s Creek, a tributary of Little Assawoman Bay, has since served the needs of thousands of children from throughout Delaware. Camp Barnes was originally designed to provide the children who were unable to attend summer camp an opportunity to experience life at a summer youth camp. Camp Barnes has remained basically unchanged, providing Delaware children with these outdoor experiences for over 50 years.

The summer camp is an overnight residential camp run by the Delaware State Police and is open to children ages 10 to 13 at no cost to the camper or family. Camp Barnes accommodates approximately 100 campers per week for six weeks. The camp is in session from early July through August. All children are eligible to attend regardless of family income.

One of the many positive aspects of Camp Barnes is its innovative use of adventure-based outdoor learning experiences. Camp Barnes has an extensive outdoor initiative course on its grounds with 17 initiative and team-building elements. Some of the many activities campers participate in throughout the week include swimming in an Olympic-size pool, kayaking in Miller’s Creek, arts and crafts, nature walks, and talent shows. Campers also enjoy a scaled-down version of the Olympics, and State Police demonstrations by the K-9, SCUBA, and Aviation units.