Located at 6952 Kauffman Road in Presque Isle, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Esau and Lake Huron, Camp Chickagami has a story of transformation and resurrection.

The Founding: In 1928, the Fletcher family—who had made their fortune in lumber—approached the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan with an extraordinary offer: land that would make a perfect boys' camp. The Diocese accepted, and in 1929, Camp Chickagami opened with its first camping sessions that were run using tents. For over 50 years, from 1929 through 1980, Camp Chickagami served as a diocesan boys' camp under the Diocese of Michigan, offering summer camp sessions, family camps, church camps, and retreats.

The Transition: In 1980, the Diocese of Michigan made a strategic decision to consolidate its camping programs. They closed both Camp Chickagami (the boys' camp in Presque Isle) and renamed Camp Holiday, their girls’ camp, to be Camp Gordonwood, a new co-ed camping program. (Camp Gordonwood would later close in the early 2000s, and the Gordonwood property was eventually developed for other uses.)

The Wilderness Years: For two decades—from the 1980s through the early 2000s—Camp Chickagami sat largely unused, though families, churches, and other groups occasionally rented the facility for their own programming. Resilient volunteers cared for and tended the property throughout this time, with hope for its future.

The Revitalization: In the early 1990s, the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan was formed (a split from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan), and with the restructuring also came re-allocation of properties, including this Presque Isle gem. In the early 2000s, the Diocese of Eastern Michigan (now part of the Diocese of the Great Lakes) recognized the treasure that lay dormant in Presque Isle. A dedicated group of people brought Camp Chickagami back to life with vision and determination. Diocesan youth camping resumed as a co-ed program with just one week of summer programming. That single week grew to two weeks, then four, then six, and now stands at the summer-long list of diverse programming per summer for youth, families, and adults.

Ownership & Leadership: Camp Chickagami was owned by the Diocese of Michigan from its founding in 1929 until approximately 1993, when the Diocese of Eastern Michigan was formed and ownership transferred to that diocese. With the recent formation of the Diocese of the Great Lakes in October 2024, Camp Chickagami is now owned and operated by the Diocese of the Great Lakes.

Throughout its nearly 100-year history, Camp Chickagami has been served by dedicated directors and leaders who stewarded the facility and programs with care and vision. During the boys' camp era (1929-1980), documented directors included Bob Ouellette, Tom Grove, Lee Alden, and Dave Carlson, along with several other early leaders whose names remain part of our institutional memory but are not fully documented.

During the wilderness years (1980s-early 2000s), the facility was primarily rented to other groups. When the Diocese of Eastern Michigan began revitalizing the camp in the early 2000s, the Rev. Thomas Smith and Brian Ouellette provided leadership during the revitalization period. In recent years, McKenzie Bade-Knill has served as Executive Director. During McKenzie's parental leave in 2024, the camp was supported by co-directors Kay Leclaire, Sierra Gore, and Evan Knill, who stepped into leadership roles to ensure continuity and care for the camp community.

Today: For nearly a century, Camp Chickagami has remained a constant presence in the lives of Michigan's young people and families. It continues to serve as a "thin space"—a place where the boundary between heaven and earth feels particularly close—where young people discover who they are, build lifelong friendships, and encounter the divine in creation, community, and faith.

In recent years, the Diocese of Michigan has recommitted to investing in and partnering with our programs, strengthening Camp Chickagami's ministry, and expanding our reach. Additionally, partnerships like our work with Crossover Outreach in Flint have brought new campers into our community—young people who might not otherwise have access to this transformative experience.

Camp Chickagami remains a diocesan-owned facility and an essential hub for our camping ministry. It hosts a large portion of our youth overnight programs, all of our day camps, adult retreats, and intergenerational offerings. Its legacy endures in every cabin, every waterfront lesson, every meal shared. This camp carries the vision of the Fletcher family, the steadfastness of decades of Episcopal ministers and volunteers, and the hope of everyone who believes in the transformative power of community gathered in nature and faith.