• Early Registration Lottery: December 2–9 at noon
• Open Enrollment: Begins January 6

Early Registration Lottery (Dec. 2-9 at noon)

The Early Registration Lottery gives all campers—new and returning—an equal chance to apply for Youth and Family Camp programs without the stress of first-come, first-served. Submit your applications anytime during the 8-day window!

To prepare, visit the Dates & Rates page for Youth Camp program details, and the Family Camp page for dates and pricing.

Tips to Maximize Your Lottery Success:

• Youth Camp: Rank up to six programs in order of preference. Indicate if the camper should be enrolled in one or two programs; Staff will prioritize enrolling all applicants in one program before processing requests for the second program.
• Family Camp: Rank up to 3 sessions and 3 cabin sizes.
• Popular Sessions: Youth Camp Sessions 4 & 5 and Family Camp Holiday Weekend Sessions 1 & 6 fill quickly—list them first if these are your top choice. Or, consider a June session for Youth Camp and take advantage of early session discounts on select programs!
• Maximize Options: More session and program choices = higher chance of landing your spot.
• Additional Considerations: Use the “Other Considerations” field on the application to note sibling alignment or special requests. Preference for a specific session (e.g., ‘We can only come in July’) does not qualify as a special consideration.

For Teen Program + Adventure Trip applicants:

• Teen programs + Trips fill quickly, and space is limited— To boost your chances in the Early Registration Lottery, rank multiple sessions of your preferred program(s).
• Session Priority: If session timing is most important, list different programs within that session (e.g., for a rising 11th grader in Session 4: Georgian Bay Sea Kayaking, Counselor In Training, Voyagers @ Birches).
• Program Priority: If a program is most important, list it in multiple sessions (e.g., Georgian Bay Sea Kayaking in Sessions 1, 3, and 4).
• Multiple Programs: Rank programs by priority (e.g., list Georgian Bay Sea Kayaking as the top priority, followed by Counselor In Training in different sessions).
• Friend Requests: If attending with friends is most important, consider a June session and take advantage of early session discounts on select programs!

Note: Campers may not be enrolled in two trips or two Leader/Counselor In Training sessions during early registration, but they may enroll in one trip and one leadership program.

How the Lottery Works:

After the window closes, Camp Echo staff organize applications into three buckets to ensure a fair process:

1. Returning 2025 campers and their younger siblings get first priority.
2. Current McGaw YMCA members are next.
3. Everyone else follows.

Within each group, applicants are randomly ordered and assigned their first-choice program when possible. If a program fills, staff move down the camper’s list, enrolling them in the first available option and waitlisting them for higher preferences.

Open Enrollment (Begins January 6)

If you miss the Early Registration Lottery, don’t worry! Open Enrollment begins on January 6, offering first-come, first-served registration, and applications will remain open throughout the Youth and Family Camp season.

Visit the Camp Echo website for more information at ymcacampecho.org.