In 1952, Reed Fischbach’s grandparents founded a sleepaway camp called Circle F Dude Ranch Camp in Lake Wales. The camp has been operating since its founding but not always with Fischbach’s family at the helm. The camp was sold in 1999.
Now, however, a long-held dream has come true. Fischbach and his sister, Dr. Keely Fischbach, bought back the family camp in February.
Fischbach said, “When I was a freshman in college, I learned that the camp had been sold. It was always on my mind, and it actually pushed me into real estate. It was always a goal to buy it back, and when the opportunity presented itself, my sister and I bought it.”
Fischbach added, “It still does not feel real. It is very special that we will be able to carry on the family legacy.”
While the ownership and operation of the camp may have been out of the hands of Fischbach’s family, it did continue to not only operate but also improve over the years.
Fischbach said, “We have an extremely experienced director and two assistant directors who work full time year-round. They have 20 to 25 years of experience in running a safe operation.”
So safe, in fact, that Fischbach’s 9-year-old daughter just attended Spring Break Camp there.
Circle F Dude Ranch sits on 500 acres complete with a lake big enough to swim, sail and canoe on it. Circle F Dude Ranch is a traditional sleepaway camp for girls and boys ages 6-16 that is rooted in a classic dude ranch experience.
When asked what this means, Fischbach responded, “The property is a ranch. Western focus is on the hospitality that is shown to the campers and their families. The campers are family.”
It has 44 kid-friendly horses. However, no experience with horses is necessary, and each camper decides how much they want to interact with the horses. The camp offers over 40 activities, such as paintball, ropes courses, traditional arts and crafts and more. Each session includes excursions to a local water park and ends with a rodeo.
For more information, please visit https://circlefduderanchcamp.com.
