DRAFT - Camp Jewell FAQ
Todo:
- fix top of page links with in each section to stay within this page
- Fix header links in ToC (above)
- Put in Em's map instead of the camp's map of camp, 3rd section
About Camp Jewell
Note: 2025 was YTS’ first year at Camp Jewell, so although we’ve done our best with the information below, some of this information about Camp Jewell may be inaccurate or may have changed. Thank you for bearing with us!
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
Camp Jewell is a YMCA camp located in Colebrook, CT. You can find out more about this camp at their website and view their map of camp.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
Camp Jewell is a YMCA camp located in Colebrook, CT. You can find out more about this camp at their website and view their map of camp.
Carpooling and transit
Camp Jewell is a camp in a rural location in NW CT, and is unfortunately not accessible by public transit.
If you will need help getting from your home to Camp Jewell, please make a note in your registration form and the YTS Ride Coordinator will reach out to help coordinate rides with other attendees heading from nearby locations.
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If you will need help getting from your home to Camp Jewell, please make a note in your registration form and the YTS Ride Coordinator will reach out to help coordinate rides with other attendees heading from nearby locations.
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Arriving at camp
Camp Jewell’s address is: 6 Prock Hill Rd, Colebrook, CT 06021.
Here are their driving directions: https://campjewell.org/about/location-and-directions/
When first arriving at camp, please park at the lot in front of the camp office or (if you can walk further) at the lower lot down the hill from the upper lot.
YTS registration will be in the dining hall just across the road.
Cars are expected to be parked in upper/lower lots for the duration of YTS. If you have no or minimal mobility issues, please plan on parking your car further away from the office building in the lower lot to make those spaces available folks who might need spaces closer to the dining hall.
You are welcome to bring luggage with you to the dining hall to register and then walk them over to your cabin, or drive over to drop off luggage after registration . Most cabins have spaces to pull a car over by cabin entrances for loading and unloading, but unless you have mobility issues, cars should not stay parked by cabins during the weekend.
The roads to the camp and parking are paved with asphalt, and there are some roads that are paved to get around camp, but the majority are not paved. If wet weather makes roads muddy, we do not recommend driving further than the parking lot if your car does not have four wheel drive.
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Here are their driving directions: https://campjewell.org/about/location-and-directions/
When first arriving at camp, please park at the lot in front of the camp office or (if you can walk further) at the lower lot down the hill from the upper lot.
YTS registration will be in the dining hall just across the road.
Cars are expected to be parked in upper/lower lots for the duration of YTS. If you have no or minimal mobility issues, please plan on parking your car further away from the office building in the lower lot to make those spaces available folks who might need spaces closer to the dining hall.
You are welcome to bring luggage with you to the dining hall to register and then walk them over to your cabin, or drive over to drop off luggage after registration . Most cabins have spaces to pull a car over by cabin entrances for loading and unloading, but unless you have mobility issues, cars should not stay parked by cabins during the weekend.
The roads to the camp and parking are paved with asphalt, and there are some roads that are paved to get around camp, but the majority are not paved. If wet weather makes roads muddy, we do not recommend driving further than the parking lot if your car does not have four wheel drive.
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Getting around camp
Camp Jewell’s roads and walkways are primarily packed gravel or packed dirt, with a few sections of wooden board walk by the lake. Please see attached map to help plan your routes - we’ve highlighted which paths are asphalt and which are gravel/dirt, inclined or flat, and all stairs.
Camp Jewell has several un-paved hiking trails on the 504 acres of camp; we do not have maps or additional information about those at this time.
If it has been rainy, snowy, icy in the week leading up to YTS, please plan your choice of footwear, clothing, and mobility devices accordingly.
Camp staff will help plough and clear roads of snow and ice, but there may still be icy and muddy paths.
Some cabins have ramps up with a lip up from the gravel paths (not a step, but also not a smooth transition). From what we could see ramps to and from camp buildings typically have railings.
The inside of most cabins and buildings are flat, with occasional small bumps to mark thresholds.
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Camp Jewell has several un-paved hiking trails on the 504 acres of camp; we do not have maps or additional information about those at this time.
If it has been rainy, snowy, icy in the week leading up to YTS, please plan your choice of footwear, clothing, and mobility devices accordingly.
Camp staff will help plough and clear roads of snow and ice, but there may still be icy and muddy paths.
Some cabins have ramps up with a lip up from the gravel paths (not a step, but also not a smooth transition). From what we could see ramps to and from camp buildings typically have railings.
The inside of most cabins and buildings are flat, with occasional small bumps to mark thresholds.
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COVID-19
Please see our COVID-19 policy for specific details on how our requirements and precautions taken around COVID and and other communicable illnesses: https://www.youthtradsong.org/covid-19-policy.html
In addition to all attendees rapid testing requirements before and during YTS, attendees are very welcome to mask, as is most comfortable for their own individual needs.
In recent years, it has been typical for a number of YTS attendees to mask for the full or partial duration of YTS. Attendees that prefer to eat unmasked outside or away from the main dining hall are welcome to do so as long as dishes are returned promptly to the dish cleaning station.
YTS workshops are scheduled indoors, to account for sometimes unpredictable spring weather. If the weather for the weekend is nice, there are many spaces with and without seating (covered porches, tables and benches, grassy areas) for folks to spend time outside. To our knowledge, there are no upgraded filtering or air purifying systems at Camp Jewell facilities.
In 2025 we relied on a volunteer to coordinate community members’ air purifiers that are loaned for YTS (if you’re interested in taking on this role for future years, please reach out at [email protected]) When available, air purifiers will be brought in and set up in smaller workshop spaces. Attendees are welcome to bring their own portable air purifiers.
Some COVID specific accommodations are available upon request, ex: a smaller dorm room with fewer attendees, or spaces that can accommodate an BYO air purifier. If you anticipate needing these, please be sure to mention your specific needs in your registration form, or email [email protected] if you have any questions.
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In addition to all attendees rapid testing requirements before and during YTS, attendees are very welcome to mask, as is most comfortable for their own individual needs.
In recent years, it has been typical for a number of YTS attendees to mask for the full or partial duration of YTS. Attendees that prefer to eat unmasked outside or away from the main dining hall are welcome to do so as long as dishes are returned promptly to the dish cleaning station.
YTS workshops are scheduled indoors, to account for sometimes unpredictable spring weather. If the weather for the weekend is nice, there are many spaces with and without seating (covered porches, tables and benches, grassy areas) for folks to spend time outside. To our knowledge, there are no upgraded filtering or air purifying systems at Camp Jewell facilities.
In 2025 we relied on a volunteer to coordinate community members’ air purifiers that are loaned for YTS (if you’re interested in taking on this role for future years, please reach out at [email protected]) When available, air purifiers will be brought in and set up in smaller workshop spaces. Attendees are welcome to bring their own portable air purifiers.
Some COVID specific accommodations are available upon request, ex: a smaller dorm room with fewer attendees, or spaces that can accommodate an BYO air purifier. If you anticipate needing these, please be sure to mention your specific needs in your registration form, or email [email protected] if you have any questions.
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My hands need to fidget
Traditional folk song and work songs have a long history of being used to coordinate movement or make manual tasks more enjoyable.
YTS committee will be bringing a few fidget toys, and attendees are more than welcome to bring quiet handicrafts, projects, puzzles, and fidgets. In previous years, YTS attendees have brought everything from small chainmaille projects, drop spindles and sashiko, little sketchbooks, a sweater-in-progress, and chewelry. There are lots and lots of knitters and crocheters that attend YTS.
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YTS committee will be bringing a few fidget toys, and attendees are more than welcome to bring quiet handicrafts, projects, puzzles, and fidgets. In previous years, YTS attendees have brought everything from small chainmaille projects, drop spindles and sashiko, little sketchbooks, a sweater-in-progress, and chewelry. There are lots and lots of knitters and crocheters that attend YTS.
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Fragrances
YTS encourages all attendees to not bring heavily scented body products and perfume and minimize all fragrances.
At this time, the event is not fragrance free as we do not have control of the scented soaps and cleaning products that Camp Jewell uses in all buildings. If you are scent sensitive we would recommend bringing a small container of your own soap for hand washing.
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At this time, the event is not fragrance free as we do not have control of the scented soaps and cleaning products that Camp Jewell uses in all buildings. If you are scent sensitive we would recommend bringing a small container of your own soap for hand washing.
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Sound and recording
Most workshops, singing, and instrument playing at YTS is not amplified or mic'd. The all-camp opening gathering and teaching staff concert, as well as most mealtime announcements are mic’d. If you are unable to hear an announcement or miss something, please feel free to check in with YTS committee members and we’ll do our best to catch you up.
Outside of specific circumstances, video and audio recording is not allowed at YTS. Please see our recording policy for details.
There may be sound bleed between spaces, especially as we are figuring out what works best at our first few years at Camp Jewell. Singing and/or playing instruments in corridors, spare rooms/rooms where nothing is scheduled, cabin common spaces, outdoors, stairwells, etc. is absolutely encouraged! But, please be mindful of sound bleed, especially if there are nearby workshops or dorm rooms where someone may be resting.
Sound sensitive attendees are welcome to bring ear protectors, headphones, or earplugs for their comfort. Some attendees plan to go to their cabins, outdoors, or to spare rooms for quiet space and breaks. (We encourage everyone to take breaks and take care of themselves!)
We try to have quiet space designated at during certain blocks of time (location and availability TBD year to year), and attendees can request cabins with designated night-time quiet hours when filling out their registration form.
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Outside of specific circumstances, video and audio recording is not allowed at YTS. Please see our recording policy for details.
There may be sound bleed between spaces, especially as we are figuring out what works best at our first few years at Camp Jewell. Singing and/or playing instruments in corridors, spare rooms/rooms where nothing is scheduled, cabin common spaces, outdoors, stairwells, etc. is absolutely encouraged! But, please be mindful of sound bleed, especially if there are nearby workshops or dorm rooms where someone may be resting.
Sound sensitive attendees are welcome to bring ear protectors, headphones, or earplugs for their comfort. Some attendees plan to go to their cabins, outdoors, or to spare rooms for quiet space and breaks. (We encourage everyone to take breaks and take care of themselves!)
We try to have quiet space designated at during certain blocks of time (location and availability TBD year to year), and attendees can request cabins with designated night-time quiet hours when filling out their registration form.
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Housing at Camp Jewell
Camp Jewell has a mix of different cabins to stay in. The 14 main cabins have central common rooms, heat, electricity, bathrooms, showers and personal cubbies. These cabins contain multiple rooms, and the rooms range in size - there are rooms with capacities of 2-14 people. Four of these cabins have ground level entry and accessible bathrooms.
In addition the Senior Lodge sleeps up to 60 people in two octagonal rooms.
Please include any housing needs you may have on our registration form, so we can ensure that you get what you need (including a bottom bunk, wheelchair/scooter-accessible room, or proximity to a power outlet for CPAP or other assistive devices.)
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In addition the Senior Lodge sleeps up to 60 people in two octagonal rooms.
Please include any housing needs you may have on our registration form, so we can ensure that you get what you need (including a bottom bunk, wheelchair/scooter-accessible room, or proximity to a power outlet for CPAP or other assistive devices.)
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Based on our experience in 2025, the larger buildings (Dining hall and Centennial) tend to run cold.
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Cancellation policy
Until March 1, 2025 you may cancel your registration and receive a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee. From March 1 to March 15 you may cancel your registration, but you will only receive a refund if we are able to fill your spot from the waitlist. After March 15 no refunds will be given. In case of last-minute extenuating circumstances (severe illness or weather-related travel issues), contact [email protected] to discuss options for a partial refund.
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Do you have a question we haven’t answered?
Contact us at [email protected].
We’d love to hear from you!
Contact us at [email protected].
We’d love to hear from you!