Camp Erin Las Vegas returns in 2026 to support grieving youth

Grieving children and teens from Nye County will have a free place to turn this summer, but they will have to go to Las Vegas to use it. Camp Erin Las Vegas is returning for 2026 with a three-day session June 19 through June 21 for ages 6 to 17 who have lost someone close to them.

The program is built for families in places like Pahrump and Tonopah, where specialty grief support can be harder to find close to home. The camp location is not disclosed until an application is accepted, and the deadline to apply is May 25, making the timing especially important for families weighing travel, schedules and other obligations.

Nathan Adelson Hospice says Camp Erin is a special three-day camp staffed by grief professionals and trained volunteers. It combines familiar camp activities with grief education and emotional support, giving children and teens a structured place to talk about loss while spending time with peers who understand what they are going through.

The camp is part of Eluna’s Camp Erin network, which Eluna describes as the largest free national network of grief camps for kids, teens and families who have experienced the death of a significant person. Nathan Adelson Hospice says the program is offered free of charge once a year in late spring or early summer, which makes it one of the few no-cost bereavement options available to families who may already be facing financial strain.

For Nye County families, the most practical local entry point is Nathan Adelson Hospice’s Center for Compassionate Care, which provides bereavement services for adults and children. Nathan Adelson Hospice says it is Southern Nevada’s only nonprofit hospice, and UNLV Special Collections says the organization was founded in Las Vegas in 1978. The Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation was established in 1984 as the hospice’s fundraising arm.

The camp’s past participation numbers also show how limited but community-focused the program can be. A 2019 hospice Facebook post said Camp Erin hosted 51 campers from across Clark County and 39 volunteers, while a later hospice program profile said 31 children attended in 2022. For families in Nye County, that kind of scale means the window to apply matters, especially when the nearest specialized grief support may be outside the county line.