The daily schedule varies slightly by age range. Please visit the daily schedule posted in the summer camp section pages.

Clearwater Forest is a ministry of Christ called to provide faith-building programming, nurture active Christian community, and be a faithful steward of God’s creation. We will worship, sing, pray, and study the Bible in small groups. However, we respect each individual camper’s right to make their own decision regarding any important spiritual matter and welcome campers from all faiths and backgrounds.

Our compassionate and dedicated summer staff make sure every camper is given individual attention and is included in the experience at camp. Your child will be in a cabin with others of similar age, and our counselor-to-camper ratio ensures their needs will be met. Our highly-trained counselors emphasize the importance of teamwork, safety, and respect; and they build a strong culture of inclusion throughout the week. We provide a safe and encouraging place for your child to learn and grow in their spirituality and relationships with others!

Homesickness is completely normal… and we have lots and lots of experience in dealing with it! We even put together a blog article to help parents in dealing with a homesick camper.

Even in the digital age, we are keeping the tradition of sending mail at camp. Campers love to receive snail mail, open a letter, or read a postcard from home. Campers will receive mail before their rest hour each day after lunch, so if you want to communicate often, we’d advise you to send early!

The camp office is open between 8am-4pm each day (218-678-2325), so please call this number in case of an emergency. Outside of these hours, please call Erin Anderson at 218-820-8386.

Please send sunscreen with your camper. Our counselors will ask them to re-apply sunscreen after lunch if the cabin is scheduled to be outside. We also encourage campers to bring a reusable water bottle to camp. There are drinking fountains in the summer camp area and the dining hall. We provide a water cooler at the high ropes/archery area.

At Clearwater Forest, we welcome and embrace all kids.

If your child has special needs, we ask that you make camp aware. There is an area during online registration that can be completed with details about your child’s needs. Please note that we are not licensed as a specialized camp, but will do our best to accommodate what we can. It may also be helpful to call ahead of time and discuss any questions you may have with a director (218-678-2325).

If your child has special dietary restrictions, we can accommodate! During the registration process, please fill in the information completely regarding what your camper can and cannot eat. We have provided for gluten/casein/soy free diets, a wide variety of allergies, and all types of vegetarian options.

All medications need to be turned in to the health officer in the original container during check-in on opening day. Counselors will be given a list of camper medications and the time they need to take it. During the camp week, medication will be distributed at mealtimes by the health officer. If medications are taken outside of mealtime, the health officer will ensure that the camper receives the medication. The staff is very aware of medical needs and is in communication with the support staff and director at all times.

Clearwater Forest has instituted a voluntary three-tier fee program. You may choose the tier that is most suitable for your financial situation. All participants receive the same Clearwater Forest experience no matter what they pay.

Tier I ($540/week*) is our historically subsidized rate and does not reflect the true cost of operating summer camp programs.

Tier II ($600/week*) is our partially subsidized fee for those who can pay a little more but still cannot afford the actual cost of camp.

Tier III ($660/week*) more closely accounts for the true costs of camp, including wear and tear of facilities and grounds.

You can pay by cash, check or credit card. A $100 deposit is required to register. If you have not paid in full, the final payment will be withdrawn on or around June 1, from the financial institution that you provided during the registration process. If you register within 10 days of the start of a session, you will need to pay for camp in full.

We also offer a variety of scholarship options to those who are unable to afford the Tier I cost of camp. Please contact the office to inquire about scholarship possibilities. Phone:(218) 678-2325 Email:office@clearwaterforest.org

*These are the rates as of 2021, subject to change year over year.

Each camp fee includes a minimum non-refundable deposit of $100. Camp fees may be transferred to another session of camp or refunded (minus the $100 deposit) up to 10 days prior to the start of any session.

Any amount of financial assistance received for a camper that cancels will be refunded only to the provider of the financial assistance.

Cancellations due to sudden illness, injury, or extreme weather will be refunded the full amount at Clearwater Forest’s discretion.

The discount comes in the form of the tiered pricing schedule.

When any of the camps reach their capacity, the online system will create a waitlist. This list is filtered by the date that you register your child. You will be contacted when a spot becomes available. You will have a limited amount of time to respond to register your camper. If there are no remaining spots for that camp, we encourage you to look at the other programs that are offered.

If your child will be attending more than one week of camp in the same summer, the experience will be similar; however, they will have different cabin mates and different counselors for both weeks. If they register for a different program (e.g. a specialized camp such as sailing camp), the activities and experience will vary a bit more.

The camp store is open during check-in and check-out and offers clothing (t-shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, etc.), hats, blankets, and stuffed animals.

All necessary registration forms are completed online, including a health form, photo waiver, high adventure activity waiver, and release permissions. If the physician’s signature form is not mailed, emailed or faxed to the camp prior to your camper’s arrival, then it must be turned in at registration.

Check-in begins at 3pm for each session of camp. Parents and campers will confirm registration information, complete a health screening, and get assigned to their cabin and counselor. We will begin the week with opening worship in the Pavilion at 4pm, which families are invited to stay for!

Please plan to join us for a closing worship at 2 pm on Friday! Campers may depart after their parents have checked with their counselor. The camp store will be open after worship.

Please notify the summer program coordinator at check-in on Sunday. You may also call the camp office to make arrangements. Office: (218) 678-2325

Download our packing list of what to bring and what to leave at home. Please note that comfortable, worn clothing makes sense for all the fun we have at camp!

Yes, we would love to show you Clearwater! Check out our camp tour video on YouTube. If you’d like to do an in-person tour, please call the office to schedule a time, or you may see the facility through the eyes of your camper when you pick them up from camp! Office: (218) 678-2325

Clearwater Forest is more than a summer camp. We offer year-round programming that includes: youth retreats, women’s retreats, Family Camps, service and/or mission opportunties, Camp Create, and much more. You can find out more at by visiting the other parts of this website!

We only hire the most dedicated and caring summer staff that we would put with our own children. We strive to find people that are spiritually and emotionally mature to ensure that your child is not only in good hands, but in good hearts.

Each staff member has been personally interviewed, reference checked, and background checked before they even set foot on the property. Once here, they receive 10 days of intensive job-specific training which includes every topic from camper care, behavior management, preventing and/or identifying child abuse, activity and small group facilitation to leading Quest, and much more.

If you’d like to join our team next summer, check out our summer employment page.

We encourage you to leave your family pets at home where they likely feel safer. Please be aware that there are many children and others who are either allergic or fearful of many animals (especially large dogs).