FAQ’s and Answers

Maple and Melanin is hosted in Greensboro, VT on Caspian Lake.

It is 1.5 hours from Burlington, VT; 3.5 hours from Boston, MA; and 6 hours from NYC.

Campers will stay at Highland Lodge.

Campers arriving to Vermont by car should navigate using GPS to the hotel, Highland Lodge. A vitual orientation will be offered before camp to instruct Campers on how to download maps onto their cell phones for offline use in case of poor cell coverage.

Campers arriving by plane have two options:

1. Fly into NYC (JFK, LGA, EWR) and get to the meeting point for the Maple and Melanin Camp Van. The rides to Vermont and back are included in the cost to attend camp.

2. Fly into Burlington Airport (BTV). Airport transfers from this airport are included in the cost to attend Maple and Melanin.

Maple and Melanin will host 12 adult (25+) campers campers in 2026. Maple and Melanin is for Black people of the African diaspora.

Maple and Melanin is a space that is LGBTQ+ -affirming.

Maple and Melanin organizers, volunteers, and staff are Black folx.

Maple and Melanin is a space that centers Blackness, liberation, care, and community.

Maple and Melanin organizers, staff, volunteers, and campers affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every living being.

Maple and Melanin is a space intentionally created by and for Black people to experience the outdoors without the burden of navigating anti-Blackness. Too often, when Black folks enter predominantly white spaces—including nature-focused or outdoor recreation areas—they encounter microaggressions, unsolicited curiosity, or even outright hostility. These interactions, whether subtle or overt, can make it difficult to feel safe, welcomed, or truly at ease.

This gathering is about carving out a space where Black people can enjoy camping, community, and nature while being protected—at least temporarily—from those dynamics. It’s about rest, connection, joy, and safety in environments where Black people have historically been excluded or made to feel like outsiders. Centering Blackness in this space is not about exclusion; it’s about creating a refuge that affirms, nurtures, and celebrates Black presence in the outdoors.

Maple and Melanin is an elevated camping experience. Some may call it glamping.

All campers will sleep in modern indoor accommodations. Highland Lodge is a hotel with Lodge rooms (traditional hotel style - 1 or 2 beds and private in-room bathroom), and cabins with 1-3 beds and a private bathroom. Both types of rooms include all the modern comforts you will find a hotel except a TV. But there is Wi-Fi.

Cell service depends on your carrier and is not consistently good or available.

T-Mobile is known to have the best coverage in the area.

Maple and Melanin campers can expect to be less plugged into technology and the outside world.

Daily hot breakfast is served to all Highland Lodge guests. Campers can expect traditional American offerings like eggs, breakfast meat, pastries or pancakes, and juices, coffee, and tea.

Lunch and Dinner will be provided by the Maple and Melanin chef. The menu will be curated with close consideration of Maple and Melanin Campers’ restrictions and preferences.

Of course!

There is plenty to do that does not involve getting in the water. Your options expand if you are comfortable on top of the water with a proper floatation device.

Great news - there are no poisonous snakes in Vermont!

More great news - all the other wildlife in the area is too afraid of people to come near us. Maple and Melanin organizers take precautions with indoor hygiene and outdoor food storage to prevent attracting unwanted critter visitors.

At night, you will hear the call of the Loon. It’s a type of duck that spends their entire life in the water. Their calls sometimes sound like a howl or a long cry. Your guide will identify it for you when we hear it.

The area has typical small outdoor critters like insects and spiders, chipmunks, and birds.

There are other larger wildlife in the area including bears and moose. You will likely never see one because they avoid people.

The short answer is that the lodging venue is exclusive and books out 1 year in advance. Maple and Melanin organizers need to know who to plan for in order to secure our rooms bookings.