YMCA Trout Lodge
& Camp Lakewood

Camp Lakewood Programs

CLICK HERE FOR DATES AND FEES
FOR THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS

Mini Camp
(4 days, 3 nights)
Co-ed ages 6-8

Mini Camp is a closely supervised introduction to camping with lots of individual attention for first-time campers. We maintain a ratio of at least one counselor per four campers. Cabin groups experience some of camp’s traditional activities together, but kids also have the opportunity to choose a few activities on their own. Days are filled with games, pony rides, arts and crafts, nature, swimming and more. Understanding this is possibly a child’s first time away from home, our caring staff keeps the new camper safe and happy.

Tween Camp
(4 days, 3 nights)
Co-ed ages 9-10
Tween Camp is designed for the 9-10 year old first-time camper to try Camp Lakewood for just 4 days.  All our campers are the same age so every activity is geared for them. Swimming, boating, archery, arts & crafts, and campfires are just a few activities your camper will enjoy. Tween Camp is a fun, exciting and safe way to introduce your camper to a residential camp experience.

Pre-Teen Camp
(4 days, 3 nights)
Co-ed ages 11-12

Has your camper ever wondered where the music comes from early in the morning at camp? Well now they can find that answer for themselves as they enjoy a taste of East Camp and all the excitement across the lake. Your camper will stay in the camp cabins located on East Camp Hill complete with bath house, pavilion and the rustic camping we all loved as kids. This is a great introduction to East Camp for those campers who are interested in continuing their camping experience after Main Camp.

NEW!!! Ranch Camp
(4 days, 3 nights)
Co-ed ages 13-16
Come to the Triangle Y Ranch for 4 days of intense equestrian training! Ranch Campers will form their own special cabin group and spend all day, everyday at the ranch working with our highly experienced staff. Participants will advance riding skills while learning advanced horse care, history and ranch management.
 

Traditional Main Camp
(7 days, 6 nights)
Co-ed ages 8-12

Upon their arrival, each camper is welcomed by our caring staff and introduced to their cabin mates for the week. Monday is spent building our camp community and choosing the campers’ clinics for the week.  Each camper chooses four clinics to participate in during the week.  Swimming ability and age prerequisites apply for some of our activities. The campers also gather as a cabin each day to play, learn and bond together while participating in activities like scavenger hunts and trail rides. After dinner, an evening program rounds out the day. During the session, each cabin will venture into the woods for an overnight, where they sleep under the stars and cook meals over a campfire.

Traditional East Camp
(7 days, 6 nights)
Co-ed ages 13 – 16

East Camp gives teenagers a summer camp experience without forgetting that the teen is growing into an adult. Campers’ days are filled with clinics of their choice such as windsurfing, golf, climbing and more. Friendship, fun, social interaction and teamwork are key components of the East Camp experience. All activities are facilitated by our trained camp counselors, with the goal of helping campers develop into great individuals while learning about our core values of Honesty, Caring, Responsibility, Respect and Faith. East camp is a place to make a positive impact on a teenager’s life, it is also a time for them to relish the joys of being carefree and young. East Camp cabins are rustic and campers use a centralized bathhouse with restrooms and showers.

Junior Rangers
(7 days, 6 nights)
Co-ed ages 10-12

The Junior Ranger program introduces our younger campers to the adventures of outdoor living. Cooking, map reading, shelter building, and working as a team are just part of the experience. Realizing that our younger campers still enjoy the camp experience, they choose two clinic options for the week.  Junior Rangers live in tents and spend each night in camp at a different location (sleeping accommodations may be adjusted for the weather).

Rangers
(7 days, 6 nights)
Co-ed ages 13-15

The Ranger Program is designed to help campers gain valuable wilderness skills. Each camper is taught how to cook over an open fire, build shelters and travel as part of a team. Rangers explore the outer limits of camp and spend the last days of their week planning and then implementing a camper-lead backpacking trip around Sunnen Lake. Under the guidance of our experienced staff, campers learn the basics of group camping, trip planning and “Leave No Trace” outdoor ethics. Ranger campers live in tents and spend each night in a different location around our beautiful acreage (sleeping accommodations may be adjusted for the weather).

Trail Blazer Trips
(7 days, 6 nights)
Co-ed ages 15-17

Trail Blazers take week long adventures with our experienced staff members. 

Rock Climbing in Southern Illinois (1-week)
This weeklong adventure trip with our professional staff will lead campers through the basics of rock climbing. Campers will learn simple knot tying, camping gear basics and wilderness skills while at base camp. Then they will travel to beautiful Southern Illinois to experience some of the Midwest’s best climbing. Campers will use Giant City State Park as a base camp for bouldering, rock climbing and rappelling. They may use their own harness or belay gear, and may bring climbing shoes and chalk bags.

Canoeing in the Missouri Ozarks (1-week)
Explore the beautiful and scenic waters of the Current River in our own Missouri. Spend a week exploring the river with canoes while learning paddling techniques, leave no trace outdoor ethics, cooking over a campfire and making new friends. With plenty of excitement and natural splendor, this trip is a great way to explore the hidden adventurer within us all.

NEW!!! Hiking the Ozark Trail (1-week) Spend a week with our experienced staff exploring the Missouri wilderness along the Ozark Trail. Campers will learn the basics of wilderness hiking, including the proper technique for packing a backpack, planning a menu, outdoor cooking, and Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. The group will then set out on a 3-4 night hike on the Ozark Trail in southern Missouri. Campers will be surrounded by the natural beauty of the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. This trip is a great way to explore our natural world and make some great friends along the way!

There are no prerequisites for these programs.

NEW!!! Leaders in Training (LIT)
(3-week program)
Age requirement: Must have completed your sophomore year of high school

The new LIT program is a challenging camp experience designed for campers looking to become better leaders and is designed to build skills in cooperation, problem solving, and communication. The program encourages teens to discover their personal potential and emphasizes the importance of self-reliance. The three-week experience begins with training and team building at camp, then it’s off to the river for the second week’s canoe adventure. Participants spend the third week putting their new skills to the test as they take on leadership roles back at camp.

NOTE – LIT is not a counselor training program! LIT’s will focus on their own development and will no longer spend the third week working in cabins with younger campers.

NEW!!! Counselor in Training (CIT)
(4-week program)
Age requirement: Must have completed your junior year of high school

The new CIT program offers our oldest campers the opportunity to get a head start on training skills they will need to someday become a summer camp counselor. The 4-week course begins with a week of intensive child care skill training, followed by a week of program training, and ends with two weeks of shadowing camp’s best counselors in our youngest cabins. This is a highly rigorous program and all interested campers must complete an application and interview to be considered for the program. 
Download an application form here

CLICK HERE FOR PROGRAM DATES AND FEES