What makes Camp Pepin’s Family Camp “on Demand”?
For the past few years, we have rented camper cabins out to individual families to enjoy the location and have a great weekend vacation at Camp Pepin. Our guests have had a great time, but many of the activities that make Camp Pepin special weren’t available for them to use; things like the archery range, climbing wall, zip-line course, and more.
During our “on Demand” sessions, families can pick and choose from a long list of camp activities led by our camp staff. Families simply pay for each activity per participant at the end of their stay - like an a la carte menu of fun! Days are unstructured, and families are free to come and go as they please to visit nearby attractions and restaurants, rent a boat on the lake for the day, or simply relax in a hammock by the waterfront.
What could an “On Demand” session look like?
The Soper Family has booked the Friendship Cabin for Session 2, so they pay $420 for their 3-day, 2-night stay. With a noon arrival on Day 1, they move into their cabin, then decide to take the kayaks out on the lake for the afternoon. They enjoy paddling so much, they decide to purchase watercraft access for the entire stay; for $20/person, they get unlimited use of canoes, kayaks, and standup paddleboards during their session.
At 3 PM the Camp staff offer the climbing wall ($10 per person, two-hour session) and friendship bracelets ($5 per person, one-hour session). The Soper family splits up – Dad and Grandpa go climbing with the kids, while Mom and Grandma learn how to make friendship bracelets.
For dinner, the family heads to a local restaurant for pizza and decides not to participate in the evening camp activities of outdoor survival or archery. They return just in time to enjoy the camp’s bonfire on the beach with s’mores (free), before heading into their cabin to play some cards.
The next day, the adults do some morning paddleboarding before making breakfast. Dad mentions to a staff member that the family would be interested in participating in the Low-Ropes teambuilding challenge ($20 per group, one hour), and after breakfast they head to the backwoods. After successfully completing the challenges, the family loads up in their car and heads to Wabasha to visit the National Eagle Center to learn more about the bald eagles that call the river bluffs home. After lunch in Wabasha, the family returns to camp; the adults head to the beach to nap in the sun and try their hand at fishing. The kids meet the archery instructor and a few other guests and head down to the range ($5 per person, one hour session). They learn the basics of range safety and archery techniques before testing their accuracy, all under the supervision and guidance of trained camp staff.
Before dinner, the grandparents take the kids on a canoe trip down to the Point, while Mom and Dad comb the beach for agates. Dinner is just getting started when the paddlers return – they’ve worked up an appetite! When the kids are done cleaning up after the meal, the whole family decides to participate in the evening orienteering scavenger hunt – a friendly competitive activity between other families, maybe? The Sopers then spend the rest of the evening fishing and enjoying a campfire at their cabin’s firepit.
The next morning, the kids decide to join in a game of gaga ball that has formed among the other guests. Dad and the grandparents go on one last paddle before it’s time to pack up and head home. While they’re enjoying the water, the kids convince Mom that the Zip-Line would be fun and participate in the course ($20 per person, two-hour session).
While the family enjoys one last meal at the picnic table overlooking the lake, the grandparents meet with a camp representative to go over the activities from their stay, pick up some Camp Pepin sweatshirts from the store, and settle the final bill. During lunch, the family all share their favorite parts of the stay and agree on how much fun they had - “Can we come back next year?!”
Where do we sign up?
If you have already created an account with our CampInTouch system (registered campers at Camp Pepin), you can log in here and complete a family/adult application.
If you do not have a CampInTouch account, you can create one here in order to register.
If you need assistance or have any questions, please reach out to Erik Burton at eburton@redwingymca.org or call 1-651-800-9316.