From 1909 – 1956, a girl’s camp, Camp Acadia, was active on the part of the Interlaken property that is now the Weirs Community Park. The misspelling of the name of the camp in the photo below as “Arcadia” is fitting. With its many amusement arcades, Weirs Beach could be dubbed “Arcadia”! Click here for a Camp Acadia brochure, here for a Camp Acadia booklet; and also read the article below.

Article about Camp Acadia from “Ripples around the Lake”, a weekly magazine published during the summer of 1919.

Ghost Camps

Camp Acadia is one of the many “Ghost” camps in and around Lake Winnipesaukee – boys and girls summer camps that no longer exist. As the land became too valuable, these camps were sold and developed into housing. Ghost camps on Winnipesaukee include the following:

Camp Wyanoke – A boys camp founded on Wolfeboro Neck in 1909, closed in 1975.
Camp Alton – A 60-acre former boys camp property that opened in 1936 and closed in 1992. With 4000′ of shoreline, it was developed by Bob Bahre into what is now known as Clay Point, a compound of high-end luxury waterfront homes.
Camp Samoset – In Gilford, a 28-acre site with 850′ of shorefront, now known as the Samoset Community of lakefront townhomes, was a former boys camp.
Camp Idlewild – In Tuftonboro, on Cow Island, a boys camp that operated from 1891-1975. Its 250 acres are now part of the Idlewild Association.
Camp Kuwiyan – On Meredith Neck, a girls camp that operated from 1927-1956.
Camp Menotomy – On Meredith Neck, 95 acres with a mile of shoreline, the property was sold in 2023 to a developer, but the former Girl Scout camp remains unbuilt as of 2026, with many calling for its preservation as one of the last sections of pristine shoreline remaining on the lake.
Camp Kehonka – A 150-acre former girls camp property with extensive shorefront, on Roberts Cove Road, between Alton and Wolfeboro, operated from 1902-1985.
Camp Waldron – Not on Winnipsaukee, but nearby, on Lake Winnisquam in Meredith. The boys camp opened in the early 1900s, and closed in the 1970s. Now known as Waldron Bay, the development contains 335 acres with 65 homes, sandy beach, clubhouse, and tennis courts.

Of the few camps that remain open on Lake Winnipesaukee, they are all associated with the YMCA:

Camp Belknap – A YMCA boys camp in Tuftonboro, opened in 1903, and still going strong. The webmaster attended this camp for 4 summers, from 1964-1967.
Camp Lawrence – A YMCA boys camp on Bear Island. The 70-acre camp was established in 1907.
Sandy Island – This YMCA camp of 67 acres is for families. There are about 50 cabins of various sizes. Families reserve by the week, and pay an age-based tuition for each occupant.

“As more historic camp properties transition from children’s voices to homeowner’s addresses, the Lakes Region continues to evolve. New Hampshire’s summer camps have long served as unofficial ambassadors for Lakes Region real estate. They introduced families to the beauties of these lakes, creating emotional connections that often turned into property purchases decades later. While buyers seek the lifestyle these new developments offer, others worry that every camp converted into housing means one fewer place for the next generation to experience the summers that first brought them to New Hampshire.” – Randy Miller of Roche Realty, quoted from his June 6, 2026 article in the Laconia Daily Sun, “Echoes from the dock: Balancing camp heritage with Lakes Region development”.