Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we have four Open Houses each year.   All tours are led by summer and leadership staff.   If these days are not convenient for you, please feel free to call our office and set up a private tour with one of our camp staff any day of the week. 

We are located in Central, Illinois. With easy access to Interstate 55 and Interstate 57 we are three hours away from Chicago and two hours away from St. Louis.  The exact address is 14253 E. Epworth Springs Road, Lewistown, Illinois 61542

We encourage letters from you as the best way of communicating with your camper. Positive, supportive letters let your camper hear from you in a constructive way. You may want to send a letter a few days prior to the session to ensure that it is received while your camper is at camp. We ask that you limit your emails so that we can deliver them in a timely fashion. Emails are downloaded during the evening for printing the following morning and are distributed after lunch! Due to our policy of no electronic devices at camp Campers do not have access to email. 

Although all campers enjoy receiving packages from home, we discourage care packages containing food items as some campers have allergies to certain ingredients and food can attract unwanted insects and animals to the cabins. Any food in packages will be taken away and returned on the closing day of that session. You can also purchase items from the camp store online and we will deliver them to your child’s cabin with a personalized note.

Parents are welcome to visit and tour on opening and closing days of each session or trip. Parents can visit if their child is staying for more than one session during holdover, however we ask that you notify our office and make arrangements prior to the day you are visiting. For security reasons, all parents must be accompanied by a camp staff member if walking around camp outside of the check in and check out times.

Security is extremely important at camp. Our staff are in constant contact with one another, and with the camp office, via hand-held radio. All visitors must stop by our office and be checked in, anyone visiting camp during the summer also must go through a security check and are given an identifying bracelet. Visitors must also be accompanied by camp staff at all times. Our gate is locked overnight and we employ a night watch person during the summer to ensure that no unauthorized people are at camp outside of normal business hours. Any person not cleared to be at camp are immediately identified, approached, and asked to leave camp.

Yes. Financial Assistance is available. Each year we raise over $100,000 and provide scholarships to families who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to attend camp. Please call us to inquire about sponsorship.

Safety is always our top priority at camp.  Our staff goes through a minimum of one week of staff training and are certified in First Aid and CPR, our waterfront staff are Red Cross lifeguards, and our trip staff have certifications in Wilderness First Aid.

All staff members complete a rigorous application process that includes reference checks, background checks, and a personal interview.   Then they participate in extensive training that covers the camp mission, youth development, safety/emergency procedures, activity leadership, behavior management, and child abuse prevention.

Our camper to staff ratio is 1:10 for our campers. 

While many times campers come to our infirmary feeling ill because they are overtired or a little homesick, some campers do actually have an illness that must be cared for.  Our nursing staff will treat their symptoms and call you only if your camper spends the night in the infirmary, visits repeatedly with the same medical concern,  has to visit our local doctor or hospital or if the nurse has a question about your camper’s medical form.

We have three nurses on duty at camp every session of which a minimum of 2 are on site at all times. Our nurses distribute all medication to campers (over-the-counter or prescription), care for illness and respond to any emergency situations. In addition, our staff is trained in First Aid and CPR and our trip staff are also certified in Wilderness First Aid. The closest hospital to camp is less than 15 minutes away as is our camp doctor.

All campers must have had a physical exam by a licensed provider WITHIN 2 YEARS of their last day of camp.

It’s perfectly normal for a camper to miss home and this can be an important part of their camp experience as they develop a sense of independence and self-esteem.  Luckily, Camp is a safe place for campers to have a mix of these emotions and our counseling staff (many of whom were once homesick campers themselves), are highly trained in working with your child and keeping you informed on their well being.

No, not every camper will participate in swim lessons; however, every campers can choose it as an option. We do swim test all campers during their first 24 hours at camp, those at the lowest swim level are placed into swim lessons. Trained swim instructors lead every class.

We understand that often campers may come to camp with a friend that they would like to bunk with. We strongly believe that camp is an opportunity for children to meet new people, and have new experiences. As such, we limit requests to one per camper. There is a space on the registration form to complete this request or you can call or email our camp office. Requests will only be honored for campers of the same gender that are within one year of each other in age. Both families must also mutually request the campers to be in the same cabin group.

Our cabins were designed to be used year round and as such have bathrooms and showers located within the cabin. All of our cabins have heat and electricity, sturdy wooden bunk beds and communal areas.   Campers stay in age/gender appropriate cabins under the continuous care and supervision of qualified counselors.

Camp is all about having fun outdoors. As such, we strongly recommend that you do not pack clothing items that you would mind if they got dirty or stained. The packing list is to help in your preparation. The best way to transport all necessary clothing and gear is in a footlocker (or plastic storage bin), no higher than 14”. Footlockers can easily slide under your child’s lower bunk. A list of contents should be fastened to the inside lid and the camper’s name should be clearly marked on the outside. Please do not forget bedding, including sheets, pillow, blankets and a sleeping bag for overnights. Please mark all clothing and equipment with your camper’s name. This will help us return lost items.

Our food service department provides three well-balanced meals and one snack each day at camp. Each meal includes several options aside from the main course, with nutritious, fresh food being a focus. Camp can accommodate a variety of dietary needs and restrictions. Please contact our Executive Director with any questions or concerns you may have.