Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Weekend Workshops

Among the adult camps we track in Multiple locations, USA / Canada, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman stakes out the women's camps territory. The format is a weekend-length sleepaway, and like every camp in this directory it passes the core test: it is a programmed, sleepover-style camp designed for adults, not a resort weekend wearing a friendship bracelet.

A 30-plus-year-old program run by state fish and wildlife agencies that gives women 18+ a full sleepaway-camp weekend at residential camps: bunks, dining halls, and rotating classes in archery, fishing, firearms, paddling, and survival skills. Each state runs its own edition and most sell out within days. The closest thing to a nationwide adult camp network run by governments.

The experience

Practical picture: the format is weekend sleepaway workshop (Fri-Sun) at residential camps. The weekend format keeps the commitment low: arrive Friday-ish, surrender to the schedule, and be back at your desk with stories by Monday or Tuesday. It is adults-only, which matters more than it sounds. The tone of a camp changes completely when every camper chose to be there for themselves.

Cost

Published pricing: roughly $250-450 USD including lodging and meals. That puts it at the affordable end of the adult camp market, where most all-inclusive weekends land between $400 and $1,000. Check exactly what the ticket bundles before comparing prices; here, lodging and meals are wrapped in, which makes the sticker price more honest than it first looks.

Where and when

Locations rotate (residential camps in 35+ states/provinces), so the practical geography changes year to year. Here is the current timing picture: 2026 examples: Montana Jul 31-Aug 2 (Lubrecht Forest), NH Sep 11-13 (Camp Robindel), Maryland Aug 7-9, Arkansas Oct 2-4.