A vicious stomach bug has swept through several elite summer camps in Pennsylvania and New York, causing widespread illness among campers and staff, and disrupting the end of the summer season for families who pay tens of thousands of dollars for the experience.
Camps such as Tyler Hill in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, and Timber Lake in the Catskills have reported significant outbreaks, with reports of overflowing health centers and campers being sent home. Parents, some of whom pay as much as $19,000 per child for a seven-week session, have expressed concern over the rapid spread of the illness.
At Tyler Hill, one parent alleged that approximately half the camp had fallen ill. "They ran out of beds in the health center; they ran out of toilets to throw up in," the parent told The Post. The camp's owner, Andy Siegel, described the situation in an email to parents as feeling like "the fifth plague of 2026," after previously dealing with heat, rain, wildfire smoke, and a lettuce contamination scare.
The outbreak reportedly began at Tyler Hill shortly after visiting day in mid-July, with some social media accounts dubbing it "camp zero." The illness has since spread to nearby camps, including Timber Lake, which experienced an intercamp sporting event with Tyler Hill. Timber Lake reported that 15 campers and staff, primarily younger ones, had gastrointestinal symptoms, and a handful of campers were sent home temporarily.
At Trail’s End camp in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania, parents reported that seven campers fell ill after attending a lacrosse tournament at Tyler Hill. The camp's director announced a temporary pause on intercamp tournaments to monitor the situation.
In response to the outbreaks, Timber Lake has implemented a 24-hour "disinfecting campaign," including aerial spraying, and has set up designated "puking stations." The camp has also been distributing lemon shots and elderberry gummy supplements to campers, though the efficacy of these measures remains to be seen.
Camp infirmaries have become increasingly complex operations, managing individualized medication schedules for hundreds of campers. The incidents highlight the challenges of maintaining health and sanitation in the close quarters of summer camps, particularly for those serving affluent families from the New York metropolitan area and surrounding states.