The main purpose of the American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation program is to educate camp owners and directors in the administration of camp operations, particularly those related to program quality and the health and safety aspects of campers and staff. The standards establish guidelines for needed policies, procedures, and practices. The camp then is responsible for ongoing implementation of those policies.
A second purpose of the ACA accreditation program is to assist the public in selecting camps which meet industry-accepted and government-recognized standards.
Unlike inspections by state licensing bodies, ACA accreditation is voluntary. Accreditation indicates to the public that the camp administration has voluntarily allowed its practices to be compared with the standards established by professionals in the camping industry. Licensing focuses on the enforcement of minimum operating standards. Accreditation focuses on education and evaluation of one's operation using standards that go beyond the minimum requirements of licensing. ACA standards identify practices considered basic to quality camping. The ACA accreditation programs serve a broad range of facilities and programs: some primitive, some rustic, others highly developed. Each will have addressed in its own way the concerns identified by the standards. The following NAD camps have been accredited either by the American Camping Association or by the equivalent Canadian Association:
- Big Lake Youth Camp – Oregon Conference
- Camp Alamisco – Gulf States Conference
- Camp Au Sable – Michigan Conference
- Camp Blue Ridge – Potomac Conference
- Camp Cherokee – New York Conference
- Camp Frenda – Ontario Conference
- Camp Heritage – Iowa-Missouri Conference
- Camp Hope – British Columbia Conference
- Camp Kulaqua – Florida Conference
- Camp Mivoden – Upper Columbia Conference
- Camp Thunderbird – South Central Conference
- Camp Victory Lake – Northeastern Conference
- Camp Wakonda – Wisconsin Conference
- Camp Wawona – Central California Conference
- Camp Whitesand – Manitoba-Saskatchewan Conference
- Camp Winnekeag – Southern New England Conference
- Cohutta Springs Youth Camp - Georgia-Cumberland Conference
- Flag Mountain Camp – Dakota Conference
- Foothills SDA Camp – Alberta Conference
- Glacier View Ranch – Rocky Mountain Conference
- Indian Creek Youth Camp – Kentucky-Tennessee Conference
- Laurel Lake Camp – Pennsylvania Conference
- Leoni Meadows Camp - Northern California Conference
- Mt. Aetna Retreat Center – Chesapeake Conference
- Pine Springs Ranch – Southeastern California Conference
- Sunset Lake Youth Camp – Washington Conference
