First Timers | Camper Forms | Health and Wellness | Packing | Transportation | Communications | Miscellaneous
Transportation
We will continue to offer round trip bussing from Chicago and other communities where we have enough campers to fill a bus.
The “Travel Information” form in CampInTouch should be filled out with your child’s travel plans for camp, whether they are taking a bus, flight or driving to and/or from camp. If you are taking a bus to camp, this form gives you the opportunity to pick the bus site you prefer. The travel form is also where you indicate the number of bags and the location to which you will be dropping your duffel bags. Please be sure to complete that section of the form as well. You can then print and retain for your records.
Optional bus transportation is available from the Chicago, Minnesota and Indianapolis areas. Campers travel via comfortable, air-conditioned, washroom-equipped coach buses leaving from and returning to a central location near your home. We also occasionally use smaller buses or vans for transportation. You can find details about dates and times of departure and arrival on your Travel Information form. Spaces are limited on the bus. If your camper is not currently registered for the bus and you would like to reserve a space, please fill out the CampInTouch Travel Information form ASAP. We will make every effort to accommodate your needs, but will not be able to make any changes after June 1. There is a $125 fee for each direction of bus travel.
Bus Sites
Chicago
Check in time for Chicago sites varies based on departure date and age group. When filling out the travel form, you can find more information about departure times specific to your child’s age group and departure date. On the return trip from camp, campers are expected to arrive at return bus sites around 1:30pm.
Locations (subject to change):
- Buffalo Grove High School – Buffalo Grove
- DePaul College Prep – Chicago
- Glenbrook North High School – Northbrook
- Westfield Old Orchard – Skokie
Indianapolis
The check-in time for this site is 8:30am and they will leave promptly at 9:00am. They will arrive to camp by 3:00pm and back home after camp by 4:00pm. Busing to/from Indianapolis is dependent on the number of campers.
- Indianapolis JCC – Indianapolis
Minneapolis/St Paul
The check-in time for this site is 9:30am and they will leave promptly at 10:00am. On the return trip from camp, campers are expected to arrive at return bus sites at around 1:30pm. Busing to/from Minneapolis/St. Paul is dependent on the number of campers.
- JCC Sabes Center – Minneapolis
Food for the Bus
Please send a lunch without peanut butter or nut products and beverage with your camper to be eaten during the trip to camp. Additional snacks will be available when your camper arrives at camp, but the first meal that we serve on arrival day is dinner. Camp Chi will provide snacks for campers for the bus rides at the end of the session.
PNW campers will receive specific travel instruction prior to the trip and should bring all their bags to the bus on the morning of departure. PNW buses will depart from Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie. Check-in time for PNW campers is 9:30am, and the buses will depart at 10:00am. PNW campers return home at the end of Session 2, with the rest of camp. PNW Campers ride on their assigned PNW bus to camp.
We provide roundtrip coach bus transportation from the Chicago suburbs and, pending registration, Minneapolis/St. Paul. Counselors travel with campers on the buses where they play games, show movies and begin the camp experience. Information about bus stop locations as well as drop-off and pick-up times will be provided for families a few weeks before Try Chi. Families outside of these communities should contact the Camp Chi Office to discuss other transportation options.
Campers flying to camp should fly into either Chicago O’Hare International or Madison’s Dane County Airports. If flying into O’Hare please book your arriving flight to land no later than 12:00pm on arrival day to camp and departing flight to leave between 3:00-6:00pm on departure day from camp. If you are flying into Dane County, please call the office at 847.763.3551 to coordinate departure and arrival times.
How everything works at the airport depends on what you choose to do. If you choose to have your camper fly as an unaccompanied minor, you must pay a fee EACH WAY to the airline when you purchase the ticket. This fee allows a Camp Chi representative to meet them at the gate upon arrival, and escort your camper to the gate on their departure. Our staff will stay with any campers flying as unaccompanied minors until the flight is boarded and the gate door is closed.
If your camper is not flying as an unaccompanied minor, we will greet them as soon as they are out of the secure area of the airport (near baggage claim)
Parents can choose to drop-off or pick-up their child at Camp Chi.
- Drop off on arrival day will take place at our front office between 1:00-1:30pm. One of our staff will meet you and your camper to unload your luggage and take your camper into to camp to meet their counselor. Please be prepared to say your good-byes at the office as families are not allowed into camp at this time. We welcome families to visit camp on our Summer Open House prior to camp.
- Picking up your camper at the end of camp takes place at our front office between 9:00-9:30am. Campers and their luggage will be brought up to the office to meet you at this time.
We will mail you a bus packet 3-4 weeks prior to the start of camp. This packet will include colored luggage tags to use to label your camper’s bags. We use these tags to sort luggage at camp. All luggage will be delivered to your camper’s village by our staff.
2025 Information coming in Spring 2025