9 Best Overnight Camps In Wisconsin

You can find a diverse range of overnight camps for kids in Wisconsin. This includes camps that are open solely to boys or girls as well as to entire families.

Attending a summer camp in Wisconsin can be a great way for campers to build character in the best possible way. The following summer camps all have something truly special to offer your child, from unique activities to challenges they’ve never faced before. Whichever one they go to, they’ll have the chance to forge long-lasting bonds with others. 

This helpful Wisconsin guide covers reviews on overnight summer camps, with information on activities and what the experience is like. With beautiful shoreline settings and amazing amenities, families looking for a program will be spoiled for choice.  

Best Overnight Camps In Wisconsin

Summer Camp	Location	Ages	Genders	Session Lengths
Swift Nature Camp	Minong	5-16	Coed	12 days & 3, 6 weeks
Camp Ojibwa	Eagle River	6-16	Boys	2, 4, 8 weeks
Red Pine Camp	Woodruff	7-15	Girls	4, 8 weeks
Chippewa Ranch Camp	Eagle River	7-15	Girls	4, 8 weeks
Beber Camp	Mukwonago	7-17	Coed	2, 3.5 weeks
North Star Camp	Hayward	8-15	Boys	4, 8 weeks
WeHaKee Camp	Winter	7-17	Girls	2, 4, 6 weeks
St John’s Northwestern Academies	Delafield	11-18	Coed	4 weeks
YMCA Camp Mnikani	Hubertus	8-17	Coed	1, 2 weeks

1. Swift Nature Camp

If you want your kids to grow up with a real love for nature, consider sending them to Swift Nature Camp (SNC). This summer camp is located among the lakes to the northwest of Minong and caters to kids ages 5 to 16. 

SNC is all about getting out in the natural environment and staying active throughout the day. It’s an excellent place for forming lasting friendships with the local wildlife as well as fellow campers. The surrounding area is covered with forests and rivers for kids to explore and grow closer to nature. 

Activities to get involved in at Swift Nature Camp include archery, biking, boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, and horseback riding. Kids can also camp out, go crafting, and meet animals at the nature center. Camp lasts from 5 or 12 days to a full six weeks over the summer. 

2. Camp Ojibwa

Camp Ojibwa stands out because it’s an all-boys camp. Situated in Eagle River, sports and waterfront activities are the main focus at this place. In addition to cabin accommodations, the camp has shared spaces, including a mess hall, arts and crafts garage, and even a health center.

This camp has some excellent facilities, including campfire sites, a trampoline area, waterfront access, a nature trail, basketball and tennis courts, an archery range, a GaGa pit, a zipline, sports fields, and even a history museum charting almost a century of camp life. It’s water area is a good place to go water skiing too.

Camp Ojibwa welcomes boys for 2 to up to 8 weeks during summer. A father and son camp is also offered here for valuable male bonding time, plus a full family camp. Most campers return year after year, so chances are it will become a yearly tradition for your children.

3. Red Pine Camp

Red Pine Camp is a girls-only summer camp if you’re looking for a program for your daughter. Located in the Northwoods area, the summer programs offered are 4 to 8-weeks in length, as well as a 2-week introductory option for first-time attendees.

Red Pine is committed to providing a supportive environment that encourages young women to achieve their goals. They work hard to develop a campers sense of independence. Like most of these Wisconsin summer camps, Red Pine Camp is accredited by the American Camping Association (ACA). To the 135 girls ages 7-15 who attend each summer, it’s all about having fun. 

You’ll be pleased to learn that this is a camp with a genuine objective. They want your child to become the best of friends, athlete, and student that she can possibly be.

4. Chippewa Ranch Camp

Since the 1940s, Chippewa Ranch Camp has been on a mission to change the world via the “Chippewa Compass”. The approach is centered on four main principles: confidence, fortitude, integrity, and kindness.  

Chippewa Ranch Camp caters to girls between 7 and 15 years old and takes in only 230 campers each season. This means campers have plenty of scope for making new friends, yet in a more personal setting than many larger camp organizations. 

Chippewa offers 4 and 8 week sessions and has one counselor to every two girls. The activities to participate in can be chosen in advance, and each can be taken for a fortnight. 

Picks include canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing and waterskiing, and swimming. There’s also a flourishing fine arts program covering cooking, creative writing, dance, music, painting, and theater.

5. Beber Camp

This is a traditional summer camp capable of getting children out there, well away from the virtual world. Rookie sessions last for a fortnight, while standard programs for seasoned campers run for 4 weeks. You will also find a teen leadership program for older campers.

A typical day at Beber Camp includes two cabin activities and three hobbies. There’s also plenty of time for snacks, meals, rest, and the hour-long camp-wide events. Cabin activities are done as a group, while hobbies are chosen by each individual camper.

6. North Star Camp

For ages 8 and 15, North Star Camp in the Hayward area is one of the top all-boys summer camps. The camp enjoys a glorious shoreline and is set on a spacious 120-acre site. North Star aims to increase personal growth by letting every boy become the individual they want to be.

Each camper can select their weekly activities for themselves. The options are divided into four main categories, covering the arts, athletics, watersports, and adventure. Two miles of shoreline at Spider Lake and Brewer’s Bay provide an unparalleled and unspoiled environment. 

In fact the North Star approach is unique. Boys are assigned groups according to what they want to do rather than by age group or cabin. This gives them a wide scope when it comes to following their interests and forging new friendships.

7. WeHaKee Camp

In operation for almost a century now, WeHaKee camp is all about ensuring the most enjoyable experience any girl could wish for. It’s open to girls ages 7-17 from all over the United States and rest of the world.

You can choose between two, four, and six week sessions, and several discounts apply for early bird, sibling, and cash bookings. Whichever you go for, your child will attend a camp centered around the principles of justice, kindness, peace, and truth. 

A stay at WeHaKee largely involves leaving the technological world at home. The Hunter Lake shoreline provides the setting for a range of outdoor and other activities here. Options range from artistic endeavors such as cookery, drama, jewelry-making, and pottery to sports like archery, basketball, biking, canoeing, and windsurfing.

8. St John’s Northwestern Academies

The unique selling point of St John’s Northwestern Academies is the fact that they offer a summer camp and learning experience all in one. There are two main programs for middle and high school students. The former focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM), while the latter can earn recovery or new credits for 9th to 12th grade teens. 

Summer camp at St John’s involves study five days per week, with evenings, Wednesdays, and most weekends devoted to enjoyment. During this downtime, your child can take part in a range of on and off campus activities, including outdoor exploration and sports. 

Programs run for four weeks and include all tuition and activities. It’s possible to pay less to attend the day camp or include room and board for a traditional summer camp experience.

9. YMCA Camp Minikani

Minikani is a YMCA camp offering both day and overnight camps in Wisconsin. Positioned in the Hubertus area by the Lake Amy Belle shoreline, Camp Minikani has been operating here since 1919. The 150-acre site provides the setting for a range of fun and character building activities. 

As you might expect from an organization like the YMCA, Camp Minikani is dedicated to healthy, socially responsible child development. Here, it’s all about undertaking age-appropriate activities in a safe place, away from the everyday pressures of their everyday life. 

Camp life revolves around encouraging independence, achieving goals, developing confidence and creativity, and making new friends. Uniquely, the counselors here once attended Minikani themselves as kids, so they know exactly how to get the most out of the experience. Each cabin community comprises 8 children and 2 counselors.