Our Program

A doctor or nurse is on staff and lives at camp throughout the summer. They are able to treat a wide range of minor wounds, injuries, and ailments. Severe injuries and illnesses require a 25-minute trip to the hospital in Bemidji. Emergencies are handled by calling EMS. Camp will contact you if an emergency arises involving your son.

Over the past 5 years, 75% of our campers return for another summer. That number is closer to 90% when considering the number of oldest campers who return to work on staff.

Camp has qualified swim staff who are able to work with a wide range of swimming strengths. All campers wear PFDs when out on the water, and swimming is a required activity for all campers who have not completed ARC Swim Level 6.

Camp is all about being engaged. Our in-camp program and canoe tripping program require at least 2 weeks for campers to completely immerse themselves in camp life. Current research shows that meaningful developmental changes in the brain take a minimum of 2 weeks to occur. Living without technology, spending meaningful time with friends, and learning from positive role models has the most beneficial impact on campers when they spend 4 weeks at camp. Many campers who sign up for 2 weeks choose to stay for 4 weeks after being at camp for a short time. The end of the 4-week session is full of large group activities, advancement in ranks, and closing ceremonies that campers do not want to miss.

Please write letters to your camper! The USPS delivers mail 6 days a week. We recommend writing anywhere from 1-3 letters per week to your camper. Campers are required to write home once a week, and their counselor will write you a letter about your son once a week as well. To discourage homesickness, please do not write about how much you miss your son or all the fun and exciting events he is missing back home. Instead, write encouraging letters about what he may be experiencing at camp and how proud you are of him and what he is accomplishing.

If you need to get ahold of the camp office, please email the directors. If it is urgent, please call the camp office. We, in turn, will email if we need information or to relay news to you about your son. Please read our email as soon as you can. We try to limit too many emails home, so when we do, the information is timely and requires your attention. During the summer, we will reach out weekly with a review of what’s happening at camp and a few pictures on our social media platforms to give you a taste as well. In the camping world, no news is good news!