● All-Ages & Family Retreats
Generations Gathered
An all-ages, family friendly creation care campWednesday, July 8 - Saturday, July 11
at Camp Chickagami, Presque Isle, MI
Incremental pricing starts at $300 per person, plus $90 for each additional person. Scholarships available.
Generations Gathered centers on creation care and environmental stewardship. You might find yourself gardening with community members, learning about the land you're on, taking nature walks together, and engaging in service projects that teach us intentional ways to care for God's creation. It's faith formation woven through action.
● All-Ages & Family Retreats
Days at the Lake
An all-ages, family friendly spiritual retreatFriday, August 6 - Sunday, August 9
at Camp Chickagami, Presque Isle, MI
Incremental pricing starts at $300 per person, plus $90 for each additional person. Scholarships available.
Days at the Lake is intentionally flexible. Come for the full offerings—optional programs, worship services, creative activities—or simply enjoy the lake, rest, play games, and be present with the people you love. These days are yours to shape.
● All-Ages & Family Retreats
Labor Day Work Camp
An all-ages, family friendly labor day weekend at camp with opportunities to serve the communityFriday, September 4 - Monday, September 7
at Camp Chickagami, Presque Isle, MI
Incremental pricing starts at $100 per person, plus $75 for each additional person. Scholarships available.
Labor Day Work Camp blends service with celebration. You'll work alongside other families doing meaningful tasks to help camp prepare for its winter rest, then enjoy downtime to swim, relax, and build community. It's about making light work through shared effort and finding joy in working together.
● Program Overview
What You’ll Experience
At Camp Chickagami and all of our Great Lakes Episcopal camping & retreats programs, we believe some of the most transformative experiences happen across generations. When grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends gather together in a place grounded in faith and nature, something shifts. The distance between heaven and earth feels smaller.
During your time with us, you'll experience intergenerational community at its best. You'll share meals together, worship together, and participate in activities that honor where each person is—whether that's a toddler exploring nature for the first time or a grandparent reflecting on decades of faith. There's no pressure to do everything together; instead, we create space for families to choose their own adventure.
Most importantly, you'll experience a sense of belonging. You'll be in a brave space where all ages, all bodies, all family configurations, all identities are celebrated. You'll worship together. You'll eat meals together. You'll laugh together. And you'll leave knowing you were part of something sacred.
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All-ages and family programs at Great Lakes Episcopal follow a flexible, intentional rhythm that honors both community time and personal space.
Daily Flow
Morning
Breakfast together
Morning worship (intergenerational and welcoming)
Christian formation time (optional programs tailored to what families want to explore)
Mid-Day
Planned activities or scheduled field trips (some for all ages, some you can choose to join)
Lunch together
Swimming and free time
Personal space for rest, reflection, or just being together as a family
Evening
Dinner together
Campfire and evening prayer/compline
Optional games and activities
Rest time
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Generations Gathered (Creation Care Focus)
Multi-day immersion in environmental stewardship
Activities like gardening, nature exploration, and creation care service projects
Programming designed to teach faith through action and nature
Intergenerational learning (grandparents teaching kids about the land, young people sharing what they know)
Still being developed with the Creation Care Task Force of the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes
Days at the Lake (Spiritual Retreat)
Intentionally flexible—you choose your own level of participation
Worship opportunities available throughout
Optional programs in creative expression, reflection, spiritual exploration
Lots of unscheduled time to swim, rest, play, walk, simply be
Perfect for families who want spiritual depth without rigid structure
Labor Day Work Camp (Service + Community)
Balance of meaningful work and joyful downtime
Community service and camp closing projects (helping prepare camp for winter)
Intergenerational work experience (kids working alongside adults, learning about stewardship)
Swimming, games, and relaxation built in
Celebration of work done together
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Participants and families participate in worship and spiritual exploration together. We recognize that faith looks different for each person—some are deeply rooted in Christianity, others are exploring, others come from different traditions. Our approach honors all of this.
Morning worship is intergenerational and welcoming—you might experience traditional liturgy, creative prayer, nature-based spirituality, or movement prayer. The goal is creating space for participants to encounter faith together.
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We've designed our lodging options to be flexible, accessible, and comfortable for intergenerational families.
Lodging Options
Cabins with Private Bathrooms & Kitchens
Spacious accommodations
Bathrooms and kitchens attached to units
Best for families wanting privacy and convenience
Great for families with young children or accessibility needs
Bunkhouses
Twin bed accommodations
Bathhouse facilities in close proximity
Shared spaces that encourage community
More budget-friendly option
Good for individuals, extended family groups, or friends gathering together
Tent Camping
You can bring your own tent
Camping area on property
Access to bathhouse facilities
Perfect for families who love the outdoor experience
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During registration, we ask you:
Who is in your group, and what are your comfort levels with shared vs. private space?
Do you prefer to lodge with your immediate family unit, or are you open to being with other families/individuals?
Any accessibility needs we should know about?
We use this information to create the best lodging situation for your group. All units are spacious and designed to give everyone some personal space, even when sharing. Everyone has access to refrigerators for medications, baby formula, dietary needs, or personal food items.
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Amenities
Running water and bathrooms
Shower facilities
Refrigerators in all lodging areas
Heat and basic comfort
WiFi is available in certain areas
Accessibility accommodations based on your needs
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Camp Chickagami has the beautiful, rustic feel of a traditional camp. This isn't a hotel, and that's intentional—it's part of the thin places experience. But we also believe families deserve comfort and safety. If you have specific accessibility or comfort needs, please let us know during registration, and we'll work with you.
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Episcopal Identity & Inclusion
You and your family are welcome here. As an Episcopal camp, we are passionate about being a brave space where all campers belong. We celebrate the rich diversity of our campers and staff—including differences in national origin, creed, religious belief, color, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, and ability. Our faith teaches us that every person is beloved, and that belief shapes everything we do. Whether you're exploring faith for the first time or deepening a lifelong practice, whether your family looks like anyone else's or stands beautifully apart—you belong here. We work intentionally to create an environment where each person can discover who they are and who they're called to become, surrounded by people who celebrate them exactly as they are.
Our Inclusion Policy outlines our commitment to creating a welcoming environment for campers of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities.
Our Gender-Inclusive Housing FAQ details how we create affirming housing options that honor each camper's gender identity. These aren't just words—they're a foundation of how we operate.
● Program Overview
Frequently Asked Questions
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Either! You can come as a family unit, with extended family, with friends, or as an individual. Programming is designed for all-ages participation, so solo adults, couples, multi-generational families, and friend groups all fit well here.
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Truly all ages! We've had infants, toddlers, school-age kids, teenagers, parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Programming is designed so that everyone finds something meaningful.
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Absolutely. Babies and toddlers are welcome. Some activities are tailored to younger kids, some to older participants, and many are genuinely for all ages. If you have specific needs for young children (quiet spaces, nursing areas, etc.), let us know during registration.
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Yes! Many families bring grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, or friend groups. Let us know during registration so we can lodge you thoughtfully.
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Yes! You're welcome to bring a tent and camp on our property. You'll have access to bathhouse facilities.
Smaller campers are absolutely welcome and we will have no problem finding a place for you to park for the program duration. If you have a larger camper, please reach out to us so we can talk through accomodations.
Tent campers and those staying in campers will have access to our bathhouses. We have limited large capacity electrical hook-ups. -
Tell us during registration. We ask accessibility questions specifically to match you with the best lodging. If we can't fully meet your needs, we'll work with you to problem-solve.
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Not if you don't want to. You can request a private family unit. If you're open to community living, we can match you with compatible families. It's your choice.
If you are coming as an individual we may need to house you with other individuals due to capacity and space availability. We will communicate to you prior to your arrival at camp. -
All meals are included. Lodging provides beds, bathrooms, and access to facilities. Everyone has fridge access for any personal food items or medications.
You will need to provide your own linens. -
Generations Gathered focuses on creation care and environmental stewardship with structured activities. Days at the Lake is intentionally flexible—you choose how much to participate in offered programs or make your own adventure. Labor Day Work Camp combines community service projects with relaxation and celebration.
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It varies by program. Generations Gathered has more scheduled activities. Days at the Lake is quite flexible. Labor Day is a balance. All have built-in free time for families to rest and be together.
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Absolutely. Especially for Days at the Lake, that's the whole point. And even on more structured programs, free time and swimming are always available.
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Worship is offered and encouraged, but not mandatory. You choose your own level of participation.
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All meals are provided and encouraged as a community experience. If you plan to miss a meal, let us know so we can plan accordingly for numbers and to reduce food waste.
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Not at all! We welcome families of all faith backgrounds and no faith background. Programming is rooted in Christian tradition but designed for exploration and belonging, not conversion.
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Families explore faith together rather than separately. It's less structured and more flexible, honoring that families have different spiritual backgrounds and practices.
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You're welcome here. Worship is grounded in Episcopal/Christian tradition, but we honor all spiritual beliefs and practices. Let us know if you have specific concerns during registration.
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Through UltraCamp, just like youth camps. You'll fill out information about family members, lodging preferences, accessibility needs, and any dietary restrictions.
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Check-in begins at 3:00 p.m. The first scheduled activity is dinner at 6:00 p.m. Plan to arrive early enough to settle into your lodging and meet staff.
If you are running late - no problem. Just let us know! -
After breakfast on the final day, but families need to be out of their lodging units by 12:30 p.m. You're welcome to stay and enjoy camp until later in the day if you'd like—we just need lodging spaces cleared for cleaning.
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Contact us at camping@greatlakesepiscopal.org but understand that meals and programs are scheduled around typical arrival and departure times.
Feel free to send us an email ahead of time to see if we have lodging availability for rental before or after the program. We might be able to accommodate! -
Yes! Before camp, you'll receive packing suggestions, the program schedule, and a logistical info pack with everything you need to know.
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It's simple! You pay a base price for the first person, then a per-person rate for each additional family member. This makes it affordable for larger families and groups.
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Yes! Scholarship assistance is available. No family is turned away due to financial need. Contact us at camping@greatlakesepiscopal.org to discuss options.
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Lodging (in your assigned unit), all meals, programming, activities, and use of camp facilities. The only things not included are personal items, additional travel, or optional special activities (if any).
Questions we didn’t answer?
Contact us! Fill out our contact form below, email camping@greatlakesepiscopal.org, or call 616-616-2821. We genuinely want to help and are happy to answer anything.
● Contact
Request Information
Thinking about enrolling? Curious which program might be the right fit? Whatever you’re looking for, we’re here to help and will do what we can to accomodate.