Resident Camps

Teepee Village
Teepee Village is for youth entering 1st-3rd grades and is available in half- and full-week sessions. Teepee Village campers sleep in canvas teepees, built on wooden platforms. Care is taken to insure that campers are always protected in inclement weather. Structured activities and a 1-to-6 counselor-to-camper ratio provide this age group with the security and support they need for a successful camping experience.Teepee campers stay together in groups as they participate in many of the activities available to older campers.

Cabin Campers
Campers of the same age and gender stay in cabins with bathrooms and showers. Cabin campers are youth entering 4th - 10th grades. A college-age Senior Counselor and a Junior Counselor supervise and guide the cabin of 12 children through the camp experience.

During the morning, campers choose from a wide range of staff-led self-development activities. Afternoon and evening programs include group activities, such as games, skits, campfires, dances, "Mission Impossible", cookouts, and more. A highlight for the older campers is the overnight canoe trip down the Wapsipinicon River.

Horseback riding instruction is available for a fee. Register for this program when registering for camp. Five one-hour riding classes are assigned according to level of ability. We also offer daily, a half-hour "Noon Ride."

Ranger Camp
Ranger Camp is for youth entering 8th - 11th grades.

Ranger Camp is a more adventurous outdoor component of our summer program. It's for older youth who want a little more rugged experience with opportunities for more in-depth outdoor living skill development. Campers stay with their counselors in large, sturdy, platform tents. They participate in some traditional YMCA Camp Wapsie activities, but for the most part, they are their own community, working together.

Rangers work on various outdoor living skills during the week, such as food preparation and cooking over a campfire; orienteering; fire-building techniques; basic survival skills and safety; minimum-impact camping; and team building. Rangers also get a chance to ride horses, swim, and camp out as part of the program!