Another year of Girl Scouts is upon us—let the planning begin!
Lots of you may have spent some time at camp this past summer, we hope you did! Whether it was staff-led troop camp, a volunteer-led day camp, or just a weekend with your girls, River Valleys’ camps are the perfect place to connect with nature and learn new skills in a safe and fun environment. While there are many summer camp options to choose from (and we know they’re all awesome!), did you know that you and your girls can rent camp facilities during the off-season?? River Valleys has a variety of cabins, platform tents, program centers, dining halls, kitchens, bunk rooms, and yurts (that’s right, YURTS!) to choose from!
If you’re looking for an affordable place to hold a fun overnight where your girls can try their hand at Gaga Ball, practice those campfire cooking skills, and let the trees whisper them to sleep (by the way, there’s a word for that, it’s “psithurism”—how cool is that!), check out camps Lakamaga, Elk River, Singing Hills, and Northwoods on the River Valleys online reservation site to see options, amenities, locations, and availability for September-May. Many of our buildings and sleeping spaces are heated, so don’t rule out those winter months!
River Valleys also has two year-round options for a more urban camp experience: Camp Lockeslea and Sagata Troop House both offer overnight rentals and free troop meeting time-slots. They both have indoor fireplaces and outdoor fire rings, as well as indoor bathrooms and kitchens. These two facilities are open for reservations during the summer while our other camps are holding summer camp—they’re a great option for getting your troop together for a fun summer outing!
Renting space for an overnight at camp provides an excellent opportunity to encourage your girls to plan their own meals and activities. Take some time at a meeting or two to plan out your menu and what you’ll be doing: girls could choose to work on one of the new Art in the Outdoors badges, go on a hike, play games, or just hang out! Check out our volunteer training resources for cooking and overnights.
Our online reservation system makes reserving part or all of a camp easy to do right from home. If you have questions about booking a facility or just want to chat about options, feel free to call us at 1-800-845-0787 or email us at girlscouts@girlscoutsrv.org. Visit the Rentals page of our camp website for more details about each camp and for rental information.
Idelle Erickson – Idelle is the Camp and Program Services Coordinator at River Valleys, where she works with volunteers to help girls have great outdoor experiences. Idelle has a background in outdoor education and loves to spend her time hiking, canoeing, camping, and exploring Minnesota and Wisconsin’s beautiful city and state parks. Idelle’s other interests include music, cooking, travel, and her big fluffy cat, Marley!