2025 Summer Camp Series

Two Methodist camps find day camps popular

 

The four United Methodist camps and retreat centers in the region show an increase in popularity, rebounding since the height of the COVID pandemic, said Alan Rogstad, executive director of camping and retreat ministries for the Pacific Northwest Conference.

At Twinlow on Spirit Lake near Rathdrum in North Idaho and at Lazy F Ranch in the Cascade Mountains, the day camps, which started during COVID, are full and have waiting lists.

"COVID restrictions made it hard to do overnight camps, so we did day camps," Alan said. "It turned out to be something parents were looking for and wanted to continue."

The onsite youth camps at those two locations—and at Camp Indianola in Western Washington and Ocean Park Camp and Retreat Center in Southwestern Washington—are rebounding but not yet back to 2019 levels, said Alan.

For the day camps, first-to-sixth-grade kids are on site for the morning, lunch and afternoon. They use the camps at the same time onsite campers do but have separate activities. Sometimes they may share the dining hall or beach.

Day campers sign up for at least one week, but many come for multiple weeks. Most live in communities near the camps. About 60 come to Lazy F and up to 80 come to Twinlow.

COVID also led to Twinlow stopping the mission camps for youth coming to do local community service projects.

"We are still regrouping and deciding what camps we will do. It has been a chance to evaluate what works," he said, noting that most summer camps are first grade through high school, with a few intergenerational and family camps described on the website.

The theme for the summer is "Another Way," using a curriculum prepared by the national United Methodist camp network to offer an overview of how Christian life leads people to make decisions that take them down another path, he explained.

Alan pointed out the importance of volunteers to the camps. This year many stepped up to help catch up with some deferred maintenance. Volunteers include pastors coming for a week to lead camps, counselors, resource people to teach the curriculum and food services workers. They now include volunteer therapy counselors and nurses, who come for a week.

There are more volunteers at Ocean Park and Indianola, which have fewer summer campers, than at Lazy F and Twinlow, where most of the summer youth camps are held. The latter two camps hire 50 college-aged paid staff as cabin leaders, activity leaders, kitchen and maintenance staff.

The four sites are busy all year, open for retreats for 12-step programs, quilting, crafting and other groups, as well as church and community group retreats.

One area the UMC camps see for growth is to offer their facilities for outdoor schools for local school districts, usually fifth and sixth graders coming for overnight environmental education camps for several days in the spring and fall. State funding for those experiences was cut this year, so a coalition of camps and retreat centers are advocating for the Washington State Legislature to restore it.

"Seattle public schools did that for years when I was growing up. We went to a YMCA weekend program," Alan said.

For information, call 206-870-6807 visit pnwcamps.org