Camp Insurance Policy Information

Camp Insurance. If you are a supervisor or director at a camp, then you know all too well that it's fun and games until someone gets injured. Kids love camping and being in the great outdoors with their friends, but it is your job to ensure their safety while protecting the camp from any lawsuits and potential liability.
Camps allow patrons to experience outdoor activities away from home. They may be private or public and are often affiliated with a religious or social organization. Some specialize in facilities for the physically or mentally handicapped.
Camps range from day camps with no lodging facilities to full-service camps with restaurants, sleeping quarters, and spas. Campers may arrive at the camp by bicycle, boat, bus, horseback, motorcycle, or private car.
Camps usually have hiking trails, open shelters for classes or meals, playgrounds, restrooms (often with showers), a retail convenience or grocery store, and a service or utility building for laundry or recreation.
Recreational activities offered may include boating, canoeing, climbing, fishing, horseback riding, hunting, swimming (in a pool or lake), or tennis courts. Some offer lots or pads to allow tourist-type camping in tents and recreational vehicles. Others may offer storage of vehicles in the off-season.
With the proper insurance, you can rest assure that the carefree campers attending camp are protected and that your camp isn't left holding the bag for accidental injuries and other claims.
To get the best camp insurance, working with an agent who is seasoned in the type of insurance you need is important.
Camp insurance protects your business from legal liability with rates as low as $37/mo. Get a fast quote and protect your camp now.
Below are some answers to commonly asked camp insurance questions:
- What Is Camp Insurance?
- How Much Does Camp Insurance Cost?
- Why Do Camps Need Insurance?
- What Type Of Insurance Do Camps Need?
- What Does Camp Insurance Cover & Pay For?
What Is Camp Insurance?
Camp insurance is a type of insurance coverage specifically designed for summer camps, day camps, and other types of overnight camps.
It provides financial protection for camp owners, directors, and staff members against a range of potential risks and liabilities, including accidents, injuries, illnesses, property damage, and natural disasters. The insurance may also cover expenses related to legal fees, compensation for losses, and medical costs incurred as a result of these events.
It helps to ensure that camps are prepared to deal with any unexpected situations and can continue to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for campers.
How Much Does Camp Insurance Cost?
The average price of a standard $1,000,000/$2,000,000 General Liability Insurance policy for small camps ranges from $37 to $59 per month based on location, enrollment, payroll, sales and experience.
Why Do Camps Need Insurance?
Liability coverage for camps can be extremely difficult to place due to the nature of camp operations. Consider their clientele. Some camps may accept children as young as five years old. Almost constant supervision of children of this age would be needed to prevent injuries.
On the other hand, camps that accept older children have many more activities, including swimming, boating, horseback riding, etc., that create more risk of accident and injury. In addition, any camp owner or director is well aware of the catastrophe hazard from a conflagration, floods or rising water, food poisoning, drowning or epidemics.
There are several risks that are specific to the operation of a children's camp that you need to be aware of and protect yourself from. These include:
- Premise liability claims. You have the responsibility to review the activities of the camp and to inspect the camp's facilities to ensure that campers are not injured.
- Claims resulting from failing to perform needed background checks on staff. From employees to counselors and volunteers, it is your responsibility to perform background investigations to make sure that counselors have no history of sexual or child abuse. If you fail to do so and a problem arises, the camp can be held responsible for the staff's actions.
- Risk of injuries. Unless a waiver has been signed by the child's parents, then camper injuries generally result in the camp being held responsible for medical bills and other claims.
What Type Of Insurance Do Camps Need?
Accidental Medical Insurance
One of the most valuable coverage types is accidental medical insurance coverage. This coverage protects campers, staffers, visitors, and others. Because accidents can and do happen all the time at camp, this policy can be invaluable for compensating injured parties who require medical care.
Group coverage typically takes care of expenses for injuries and illnesses that occur at camp or those that begin at camp and cause problems later on.
Some types of policies also cover dental accidents and injuries. Usually, these camp insurance policies come in two options, including primary medical policies that pay on top of the injured/ill person's health insurance and one that acts as a primary policy in and of itself.
Primary insurance is ideal for groups, especially for members with no existing health or accident insurance. This insurance pays claims directly after an accident, and it pays for covered occurrences even if you have additional insurance.
Excess insurance is one that covers deductibles for the injured party's personal insurance plan. It might also pay for expenses and coinsurance that are left over after personal insurance claims are closed. It is usually less comprehensive when compared to personal insurance.
Protecting Yourself From Camp Liabilities
A good liability policy is important to keeping your camp covered. It usually offers a basic level of camp insurance coverage, including:
- Bodily injury. If someone becomes injured on your camp's property or because of some action made by the camp or its employees, this insurance covers claims, including the cost of medical treatment and pain-and-suffering awards.
- Property liability. This type of insurance covers damage to third parties by the camp or its representatives.
- Medical payments. This coverage provides payment for medical expenses for injured persons. It may exclude campers.
Specialty Camps Liability Exposures:
- Adult Camps - Concerns are typically such camps are two or three day stints with adults who are looking for a chance to indulge certain hobbies or recreation, such as hiking, fishing, sports, etc. However, other camps may represent far different exposures, catering to participants who are seeking special guidance or rehabilitation services. While there is a reduced need for the level of supervision, greater evaluation should be turned toward any specialized counseling and other skills required by the specialty offered by such camps.
- Air Camps or Flight Schools - Concerns are subjects participants to aviation risks, so loss severity is likely to be the primary concern.
- Boating Camps - Concerns are watercraft activities, whether they involve canoes, water-skis, sailing, jet skis, windsurfing, or other watercraft expose participants to drowning and injury.
- Boot Camps - Concerns are such camps cater to older children who have demonstrated significant behavioral issues, so their focus is on instilling and maintaining discipline while involved in, typically, challenging activities. Physical activities that rely on teamwork are common. Camp staff may need special training as well as background checks.
- Camps For The Disabled - Concerns are inherently dangerous activities heightened by greater vulnerability to injury and higher need for full-time supervision, including special medical needs.
- Counseling Camps - Concerns are these camps specialize in treatment for participants battling problems with various addictions and related problems, high supervision, higher liability exposures, including malpractice.
- Day Camps - Concerns are the particular exposures depend upon the focus of chosen activities. However, camps that do not feature overnight stays tend to cater to younger participants. Therefore, the number of staffers tends to be fewer and activities are usually recreational.
- Extreme Camps - Concerns are operations specialize in high-risk activities such as mountain climbing, skydiving, skiing or snowboarding, bungee activities, endurance racing or trials.
- Fitness Camps - Concerns are designed for improving the physical health of participants, special attention should be paid to staff's expertise and training in several areas including health, first aid training, supervision, and monitoring participants. Such camps also make use of nutritionists and chefs as well as dieticians. In these camps, the activity workers should also be in superior physical shape since they are responsible for demonstrating many exercises or leading campers in physically challenging tasks.
- Gender Specific Camps - Concerns are such camps can involve any number of activities and themes, the only difference being that they only serve a single gender, so that fact needs consideration when evaluating such submissions.
- Martial Arts Camps - Concerns are these camps often feature high levels of physical contact amongst participants as well as offering programs involving physical conditioning and endurance training. They may also involve competitions and exhibitions of developing skills.
- Military Camps - Concerns are such camps often have programs involving physical conditioning and endurance training, use of obstacle courses as well as combat and weapons training.
- Outward Bound - Concerns are campers are given just the barest of necessities and must exercise serious survival skills in the wilderness for extended periods.
- Performing Arts Camps - Concerns are these camps cater to budding young artists who seek an outlet for their creative side. At these camps, the main focus is usually on that specific hobby, and camp employees who deal with the campers, like the counselors or administration, usually must have vast knowledge of a given hobby. As campers get older, experts in the field are crucial to provide the best camping experience. Special attention should be made regarding equipment and materials that are traditionally used with given activities which may give insight to loss vulnerabilities.
- Religious Camps - Concerns are faith based camps typically cater to providing activities and skills-building for their younger members. Whatever activity they specialize in will also involve their given religious practices. Staffers likely are adult church members.
- Scouting Camps - Concerns are Boy and Girl Scout camps are very popular children's camps. Camp staffers typically are former scouts. Camp exposures are similar to those found in fitness and performing arts camps. Activities usually center on involving scouts in earning merit badges and developing various skills and scout-related ceremonies. Note that these also share similarity to Gender Specific Camps.
- Scuba Diving Camps - Concerns are underwater adventure risks to watercraft risks.
- Space Camps - Concerns are they include additional exposures of being run jointly by local (business) and government owners.
- Travel Camps - Concerns are camps that sends participants around the U.S. and to foreign countries, exposing campers to hazardous areas, some with hostile political climates.
- Winter Camps - Concerns are winter camps focus on cold weather activities that subject participants to possible hypothermia and frequent injury.
Special Coverage For Sports Camps
Sports camps are always popular, and they are hosted by colleges, local organizations, and schools for kids interested in football, basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Special coverage for sports camps usually comes with group accidental medical payment coverage that the company customizes to the camp's particular sport.
In some instances, camps require waivers from participants prior to beginning a session at camp.
The type of sport hosted at the camp largely determines the risks involved and thus, the premiums charged. For example, a golfing camp might pay much less than a contact football camp. Your licensed commercial agent can help you understand the nuances that affect your camp insurance rates.
Reducing Your Camp's Exposure to Risk
Although camp is inherently fun, there are also inherent risks for the camp to consider. These include camper injuries and negligence or misconduct from employees. A good summer camp insurance policy protects the camp from liability problems that they face, include the cost of any accidents to staff and campers.
If the camp is run as a business, then it is also important to protect your business activities with business insurance. A comprehensive policy for your camp provides liability coverage, accidental medical payment coverage, coverage for property damage, worker's comp, and interruption of business.
Camp's Risks & Exposures

Premises liability exposure is high due to the large number of visitors to the camp. Participants can trip, slip or fall on rough terrain, be struck by vehicles or projectiles, attacked by animals or insects, suffer exposure to harsh weather elements, or drown. Camp counselors working with children or the disabled must undergo thorough background checks, including criminal. Supervision is vital to protect the campers.
On-site medical care must be available as camps are often located in remote areas away from hospitals or clinics. Activities should be age-appropriate, with safety measures in place. If open fires are permitted, all fires must be extinguished and cooled to prevent the spread of fire. The condition of access roads, security of the camp, and the condition of the park are other liability concerns.
Water purity should be checked on an ongoing basis. Playground equipment must be properly maintained and documented. Water sports such as swimming, boating, and fishing, must be carefully monitored and appropriate signage and guards in place. Personal flotation devices (PFDs) should be provided when on lakes or rivers. Life saving equipment should be accessible at all times. Personal injury losses may occur due to alleged wrongful eviction, invasion of privacy, or discrimination.
Some camps may use volunteers rather than employees in many positions. These volunteers should be subject to the same background checks as employees and receive similar training. Volunteer injuries are often not covered under workers compensation, so accident and health policies may be appropriate.
Workers compensation exposure is high. Camping activities are generally done in remote areas not easily accessible to emergency assistance. Slips, falls, insect bites, and back injury from lifting, hernia, sprains, and strains are common. Camp counselors can be injured hiking in natural terrain, from projectiles, by falling objects, encounters with wild animals, or drowning from water sports. Food preparation operations can result in cuts, scrapes, and burns.
Drivers can be injured in over-the-road accidents. Contact dermatitis or respiratory ailments may result from janitorial and maintenance responsibilities. If there are other operations, such as lodging, logging, tree trimming, or application of herbicides or pesticides, refer to those narratives.
Property exposure is high as camps are generally located in remote wooded areas miles away from public firefighting resources. There should be fire detection and firefighting capabilities within the camp to control a small fire. If there is a snack bar or restaurant, all cooking equipment should be properly controlled. If the facility is seasonal, a caretaker should stay on premises or a security service should check each day for vandalism or small fires.
Crime exposure is from employee dishonesty. Background checks should be conducted on all employees handling money. All ordering, billing, and reimbursements should be separately monitored functions. Both internal and external audits should be conducted at least annually.
Inland marine exposures include accounts receivable for campers' deposits and payments, contractors' equipment used to maintain the premises, and valuable papers and records for campers' records and contracts with vendors. Theatrical property, audio-video or musical equipment should be covered with a commercial articles floater.
Business auto exposure may be limited to hired and non-owned for employees running errands. If there is transport, pickup, or delivery of campers, all drivers must have appropriate licenses and acceptable MVRs. Vehicles must be regularly maintained and records kept.
What Does Camp Insurance Cover & Pay For?

Camps can be sued for various reasons, including personal injury, property damage, negligence, and other liabilities. Insurance can help protect camps by providing financial support in the event of a lawsuit. Here are some examples:
Personal Injury: If a camper gets injured while participating in camp activities, the camp could be held responsible. Insurance can cover the costs of medical bills, rehabilitation, and potential compensation for pain and suffering. For example, a general liability insurance policy can help pay for legal fees, settlements, or judgments arising from a personal injury lawsuit.
Property Damage: Camps may be held liable for any property damage caused during camp operations. For instance, if a campfire accidentally spreads and damages a neighboring property, the camp could be sued for the damages. A commercial property insurance policy can help cover the costs of repairing or replacing damaged property and any associated legal fees.
Negligence: If the camp staff fails to provide appropriate supervision or maintains unsafe facilities, they may be found negligent. For example, if a camper drowns due to inadequate supervision at the pool, the camp could be sued for negligence. Professional liability insurance (also known as errors and omissions insurance) can help cover the costs of defending against negligence claims and any resulting settlements or judgments.
Employment-Related Lawsuits: Camps can be sued for wrongful termination, discrimination, or harassment by their employees. Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) can help cover the legal costs associated with defending against such claims and any resulting settlements or judgments.
Sexual Abuse and Molestation: Camps can be sued if an employee or volunteer engages in inappropriate conduct with a camper. Sexual misconduct liability insurance can help cover legal defense costs, settlements, and judgments in cases of alleged sexual abuse or molestation.
Foodborne Illness: If a camper gets sick from contaminated food served at the camp, the camp may be held responsible. Foodborne illness coverage, which can be added to a general liability policy, can help cover medical expenses, legal fees, and potential settlements related to foodborne illness claims.
Auto Accidents: If a camp vehicle is involved in an accident, causing injury or property damage, the camp may be sued. Commercial auto insurance can help pay for the costs of repairing or replacing damaged vehicles, as well as covering medical bills and legal fees related to the accident.
By having adequate insurance coverage in place, camps can protect themselves from the financial burden of lawsuits, ensuring that they can continue to provide safe and enjoyable experiences for their campers.
Commercial Insurance And Business Industry Classification
- SIC CODE: 7032 Sporting and Recreational Camps
- NAICS CODE: 721214 Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds), 713990 All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
- Suggested Workers Compensation Code(s): 9015 Building or Property Management - All Other Employees
7032: Sporting and Recreational Camps
Division I: Services | Major Group 70: Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps, And Other Lodging Places | Industry Group 703: Camps And Recreational Vehicle Parks
7032 Sporting and Recreational Camps: Establishments primarily engaged in operating sporting and recreational camps, such as boys'and girls'camps, and fishing and hunting camps. Establishments primarily engaged in operating sports instructional camps, such as baseball, basketball, football, or karate camps, and those operating day camps are classified in Industry 7999.
- Boys' camps
- Camps, sporting and recreational
- Dude ranches
- Fishing camps
- Girls' camps
- Hunting camps
- Nudist camps
- Summer camps, except day and sports instructional
Camp Insurance - The Bottom Line
You should also consider a business policy or BOP (business owner's insurance policy) for your camp. This camp insurance policy type affords coverage for loss of income, commercial autos, worker's comp, and other coverages that are specific to the operation of your business. Again, work with your agent to mitigate your camp's risks with the right level of protection.
Additional Resources For Miscellaneous Insurance
Find informative articles on miscellaneous businesses including the types of commercial insurance they need, costs and other considerations.
- Adult Daycare
- Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting
- Bail Agent
- Camp
- Cemetery
- Control of Well
- Electric Utilities
- Employment / Staffing Agency
- Enameling
- Engraving Business
- Facility Support Services
- Logging
- Mail Order
- Oil And Gas Lease
- Personal Concierge
- Photofinishing Lab
- Pollution
- Portable Sanitation
- Private Water Districts
- Process Server
- Refinery
- RV Parks & Campgrounds
- Security Guard
- Surety Bonds
- Taxidermy
- Waste Disposal Landfill
- Wedding Planner
- Specialty Accident And Sickness / AD&D
- Specialty Amusement Parks And Rides
- Specialty Auctions And Farmers Markets
- Specialty Business Risks
- Specialty Communication
- Specialty Design
- Specialty Drugs And Alcohol
- Specialty Employee Protection
- Specialty Energy
- Specialty Environmental Risks
- Specialty Firearm And Shooting
- Specialty Hazardous Materials
- Specialty Health Risks
- Specialty Machinery And Tools
- Specialty Merchandise
- Specialty Mobile And Modular Homes
- Specialty Motorcycle Risks
- Specialty Natural Disasters
- Specialty Oil And Chemical
- Specialty Prize Indemnification
- Specialty Programs
- Specialty Railroad
- Specialty Security Risks And Equipment
- Specialty Substandard Risks
- Specialty Travel
- Specialty Weather Related

Businesses need insurance for several reasons. Firstly, insurance protects businesses from potential financial losses that may result from unexpected events, such as accidents, natural disasters, or lawsuits. This financial protection can help businesses recover from unexpected events and continue to operate.
Secondly, business insurance can provide businesses with liability protection. This means that if a business is sued for damages or injuries that occurred on their property or as a result of their products or services, the insurance company will cover the legal costs and damages. Without insurance, businesses may have to pay these costs out of pocket, which can be financially devastating.
Thirdly, commercial insurance can also provide businesses with peace of mind. When businesses have insurance, they can focus on running and growing their business without constantly worrying about potential financial losses or legal issues.
Finally, business insurance can also be a requirement for certain businesses. For example, many businesses that work with the government or large corporations may be required to have certain types of insurance in order to do business with them.
In conclusion, businesses need insurance for financial protection, liability protection, peace of mind, and to meet certain requirements. It is an important aspect of running a successful business and can help ensure the long-term stability and growth of the company.