Staff FAQs

Camp Horseshoe is ideally located on 140 beautiful acres in the heart of the Northwoods, in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Our brand new, state-of-the-art facilities, traditional camp setting, and breathtaking waterfront provide campers endless opportunities for summer fun.

Salary for a general counselor ranges from $1900 to $2800 based on age and experience. You may receive an additional stipend for specialized skills. Virtually all staff living expenses are covered by Camp during the summer, including room & board, laundry services, and multiple staff shirts. It’s not unusual for staff members to leave with much or even all of their salaries. We also provide a travel allowance based on distance traveled to camp, paid at the completion of the camp contract.

You will live in a cabin with 2-3 other counselors and 8-10 campers. Our cabins are spacious, comfortable and feature two entrances, plenty of windows to enjoy the lakeside breeze, electric outlets, twin beds, and custom made dressers. While many of our younger camper cabins feature bathrooms, others are just a few steps away!

Located in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin, our typical sunny day will be in the high 70’s, low 80’s. While it might be hot during the daytime, it cools down in the evenings. We do not have a camp uniform but will provide multiple staff shirts, free of charge, for you to wear during out of camp trips and special days in camp. We recommend wearing clothes that you will be most comfortable in (shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, etc.). Don’t forget to pack a raincoat, we do get the occasional storm too! We will provide a detailed packing list before you head up North!

Our food is totally awesome and our camp spirit comes to life in our dining hall! At Horseshoe, we offer a tremendous variety of delicious, nutritious menu items. Breakfast options include a hot meal as well as a variety of cereals, bagels and cream cheese, fresh fruit bar, oatmeal, yogurt, granola and toast. At each lunch and dinner, we have our fresh salad bar, pasta bar and sandwich station to complement each meal. This allows campers and staff the proper choices necessary to meet the needs of even the most picky eaters. Special attention is paid to campers and staff with special dietary needs.

When it comes to the Horseshoe team, we are looking for the best of the best! Our staff of 100+ unique individuals is made up of students, teachers, coaches and professionals from across the globe! Many of our counselors are former campers who have been at Horseshoe for a number of summers already. Throughout the year, we recruit staff throughout the United States and internationally from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Mexico and more! Each summer, we return an incredible 90% of our staff, it’s a testament to the devotion our staff have for The Shoe!

You are welcome to drive to camp and park in our staff lot for the summer or use the camp provided transportation. We have a coach bus that departs from the Chicagoland area on the first day of pre-camp. We will share pick-up times with you before you book your travel.

This isn’t your typical 9-5 summer job! Although no two days are ever the same at The Shoe, our “typical” schedule is made up of leading instructional periods (Clubs), coaching and reffing organized sports (League games), and engaging in other fun, unique camp programs such as Open Areas and the Evening Program! We love to shake up our schedule with out of camp Trip Days or the occasional Theme Day!

During time off, counselors are free to utilize our staff retreat, which is equipped with high-speed internet, TVs, Xbox/Playstation, and comfortable couches! We also have free weights and additional workout equipment in our indoor gymnasium. Each counselor will be given two 24-hour days off and one early out per session, plus additional time off during pre-camp and changeover weekend. You will have three nights out per week, including the night attached to your day off and early out. Additional time off is provided during the day such as rest hour and occasional unassigned periods. During this time, staff are free to use the staff retreat, workout, play in organized staff “league” games, or catch up on some sleep!

We have an immersive nine-day staff orientation prior to the start of Camp, culminating in our Father/Son Weekend. Our pre-camp orientation is equal parts serious and fun with lots of sports, activities and icebreakers and is designed to acquaint staff members with aspects of the daily program, counselor responsibilities, approaches to child management, and techniques for problem solving. It’s also an opportunity for everyone to become acclimated to their new surroundings, meet other staff, and ask questions. The training process continues throughout the summer with weekly staff meetings and ongoing support from Division Heads and our Leadership Team.

Camp Horseshoe is a non-denominational camp. While the majority of our campers come from Jewish families, we welcome members of all religions. Our campers and staff have diverse backgrounds and are of many faiths. We do join together for a non-denominational, good and welfare “service” on Saturday mornings.

Yes. Camp Horseshoe is an equal opportunity employer. We have plenty of women on staff in various different roles around camp. Outside of cabin counselor roles we always look for qualified activity specialists, media team members and camp office roles!

Yes and yes! We have worked with numerous universities to provide internship opportunities while being paid to work at camp! You must contact your college advisor in advance and ask them if you can use your summer camp job as an internship/receive college credits. You must complete the internship per your college’s parameters and complete your summer employment.

The use or possession of illegal drugs on or off camp property or the use of alcohol on camp property is strictly prohibited. Gambling of any sort is not permitted by either campers or staff. The usage of cellular phones is prohibited during working hours and may be used only in specified areas while staff members are off duty.

As part of the Camp Horseshoe family, you will have a chance to teach campers important life skills, while making friends from around the world and creating memories that last a lifetime. Camp enables you to become a role model, a leader, a team player, and so much more. At “The Shoe” every day is a new adventure, a fresh opportunity to seize challenges and have endless fun. Join us for the summer of a lifetime!