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Visit Our Big Lake Youth Camp Website
Camp Office Phone: (503) 850-3562
Business Office Phone: (503) 850-3583
Business Office Fax: (503) 850-3483
office[AT]biglake.org
26435 Big Lake Rd
Sisters, OR 97759
WINTER (OFF-SEASON) OFFICE ADDRESS:
Big Lake Youth Camp Office
19800 Oatfield Rd.
Gladstone, OR 97027
CAMP VIDEO LINK:
Watch Our Big Lake Youth Camp Video
CAMPER AGES: 7 - 17
TYPE OF CAMP: Overnight/Sleepaway. 7-day residential camp.
CAMPER GENDER(S): Coed Campers.
AFFILIATION(S): Christian.
BRIEF CAMP DESCRIPTION: Building relationships, learning new skills, and having fun in a positive environment has been Big Lake Youth Camp's goal since 1962. Each summer our carefully selected staff lead hundreds of young people on a seven-day journey of adventure. A week at Big Lake provides campers with the environment and the opportunity to gain better self-awareness, set and achieve goals, and have a blast. Our Christ-centered program illustrates that faith in action is fun!
SPECIAL NEEDS CAMPERS: Abba's Child Grief Recovery Camp:
Big Lake offers a camp with support-based counseling for children ages 7 to 17 who have experienced the death of an immediate family member. This loss can be overwhelming for anyone and kids need to know that they are not alone as they deal with new and sometimes scary feelings. Abba’s Child in many ways is a typical summer camp offering a wide variety of supervised activities. From swimming, canoeing, and the “Sea Wolf”, to archery, horseback riding, and sports – there is fun and adventure throughout the day. Two hour support group sessions are scheduled daily for children to interact with peers who are facing similar loss. Art, crafts, music, story telling, writing, and games are designed to assist with the healing process. Afternoons and evenings are spent rotating through an awesome array of camp activities.
CAMP INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES OFFERED:
Theater, Music/Band, Fine Arts/Crafts, Video/Filmmaking/Photography, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Gymnastics, Horses/Equestrian, Swimming, Waterfront/Aquatics, Sailing, Volleyball, Team Sports, Adventure, Wilderness/Nature, and more.
Archery
BMX Biking
Canoeing
Digital Photography
Horsemanship
Mountain Biking
Rock Climbing
Surfing
Survival Adventure
Volleyball
Wakeboarding
Waterskiing
White Water Rafting
Windsurfing
CAMP LOCATION: Big Lake is located 20 miles from Sisters, Oregon on a beautiful 250-acre lake at the base of Mt. Washington.
CAMP FACILITIES: Big Lake Youth Camp's lakefront property is a pristine and convenient location for activities of all types. Just steps from our Lodge is the lake where campers get to experience aquatic activities such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, swimming, canoeing and much more! An archery range, ball field and horse corral are tucked away among the many fir trees that surround the Camp. Our over 20 rustic A-frame cabins provide a comfortable place to rest after a day of outdoor adventure.
CAMP PROGRAM INFO: REG Camps:
REGular Camps are the core of what we do. Imagine seven action packed days of fun and learning at our main camp on the shores of Big Lake. Days are filled with excitement, challenge, reflection and loads of friends, both new and old. Campers experience the best of what Big Lake has done for over 50 years … creating fun and building kids. REG Campers sign up for a primary activity they focus on each morning, Monday-Friday, and they rotate with their cabin mates through the other activities we offer each afternoon.
RAD Camps:
For those seeking extra moments of awesomeness, RAD Camps go beyond our REG Camp program, offering you both an on and off-site experience. Sign up for a RAD Camp and spend all day doing what you love! With your mornings and afternoons spent conquering your RAD Camp of choice, you are sure to learn some great new skills. Whether it’s on water, wheel, stone, or stallion, you’re in for an intense week of fun! RAD Camps are for teenagers 13-17 years of age.
Adventure Camp:
This REG Camps is designed to introduce younger children into the world of summer camping. Adventure camp offers a slower pace and the week is a little shorter. Adventure campers get a taste of everything Big Lake is about. Instead of selecting one primary activity, your camper will get to try them all!
Abba's Child:
This free week of camp is specifically designed for kids who have experienced the death of an immediate family member in the recent past. Abba’s Child campers get to hang out with other kids who know what they are going through, participate in support-based counseling, and get to experience many of the awesome activities Big Lake offers. Whether you would like to nominate someone to attend, or donate to keep this camp going, we’d love to hear from you. Our goal for Abba's Child is to offer a place where kids can meet others experiencing similar emotions, receive accepting support from professionals, and have a blast at camp.
CAMP LEADERSHIP CIT/LIT PROGRAMS: RAD to Staff:
Big Lake Youth Camp's RAD to Staff program is designed specifically for teens ages 15-17. As a RAD to Staff camper, teens are given special leadership training while experiencing one of our awesome RAD Camp activities alongside fellow campers. Through mentorship with a Big Lake Youth Camp staff member, RAD to Staff campers will develop valuable leadership skills and knowledge. Upon successful completion of the RAD to Staff program, campers will be given a certificate of achievement. If you are interested in working at Big Lake Youth Camp someday, participation in this program is recommended because it helps you see what it takes to work at Big Lake and it allows our staff to get to know you in a unique and important way.
Counselor in Training (CIT):
As a Counselor in Training you will be assigned to assist one of our amazing Big Lake counselors with their cabin of 7-9 year old campers. This camp will give you the incredible opportunity to observe and experience first-hand what is involved in being a camp counselor. The focus of this camp is learning what it takes to be a staff member in charge of supervising campers. We hope as a CIT you will learn skills that can be used throughout your life and enable you to work more effectively with children.
Staff in Training (SIT):
As a SUT you will have the opportunity to observe and try out a number of staff positions including instructor of land activities (examples: art, digital photography, drama, survival adventures), instructor of water activities (examples: swimming, canoeing, waterskiing), office/headquarters staff and maintenance staff. SITs are not able to observe camp counselors. Please sign up for the CIT camp if you would like to experience being a counselor. SIT campers are asked what type of job they are interested in, and they are able to try it out! We hope this camp will help you learn life skills such as organization, work ethic, personability, and effective child communication. Have fun while you work side by side with Big Lake staff as your mentors.
Wrangler in Training (WIT):
Experience the fun of camp while learning what it would be like to work at Big Lake! As a Wrangler in Training you will have the opportunity to shadow and work with Big Lake’s awesome wranglers and beautiful horses. You will be able to assist Big Lake’s wranglers as they teach campers in our horsemanship program. If you are passionate about horses and are interested in working at Big Lake someday, this camp is a great fit for you because it allows our staff to get to know you and your skills! Please note that some basic horse experience is required for this camp.
*NOTE: Participation in the RAD to Staff, CIT, SIT and WIT programs does not guarantee a future position as a Big Lake Staff Member. However, participation is encouraged if you are interested in working at Big Lake Youth Camp because it helps you understand what it is like to work at Camp, it demonstrates your interest in working at Camp and it allows Big Lake's staff to get to know you and observe your skills and work ethic.
CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Campership Funds:
Kids come first at Big Lake and we believe no child should be turned away due to financial need. Our Campership Fund, made possible through donations, is available to families seeking financial assistance. Those who qualify to receive a Campership Scholarship can attend one of our REG Camps, including Adventure Camp, for a discounted price. Funds are limited, so please apply early.
FAMILY CAMP SESSION(S): Family Camp
Family Camp is a great and affordable way to enjoy nature, experience outdoor activities, and reconnect with your family. Get the total camp experience without the stress of organizing activities or cooking meals. Stay in one of our A-frame cabins and enjoy awesome activities on our main campus such as waterskiing, canoeing, archery, art, horsemanship and more at this 5-day camp.
YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS: Big Lake Youth Camp rents to the public mid-September to mid-November and mid-December through the first weekend in April. We do not rent to the public April-August as we run our own summer camp program. Please visit our rentals page at Our Camp Website Link: biglake.org and send us an email if you have questions.
OTHER CAMP INFO: Building relationships, learning new skills, and having fun in a positive environment has been Big Lake's goal since 1962. Each summer our carefully selected staff lead hundreds of young people on a seven-day journey of adventure. A week at Big Lake provides campers with the environment and the opportunity to gain better self-awareness, set and achieve goals, and have a blast. Our Christ-centered program illustrates that faith in action is fun!
Big Lake Youth Camp operates under a special use permit with the Willamette National Forest and is an equal opportunity outdoor recreation service provider. Big Lake Youth Camp strives to operate in a professional way and is held accountable in this goal through its membership in the Association of Adventist Camp Professionals (AACP), Christian Camp & Conference Association (CCCA), and its accreditation by the American Camping Association (ACA).
CAMP SESSION DATES & FEES:
For session dates and fees please visit our website: Our Camp Website Link: www.biglake.org
Go to The Best Oregon Family Camps Directory to Find More Summer Family Camps Near Sisters, Oregon.
Be sure to check each camp listing under INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES OFFERED for the range of Special Interest Activities and Programs provided by each Oregon Family Summer Camp or Summer Family Recreation Program.
Many Oregon Day and Sleepaway Family Camps offer professional level instruction in a wide-range of Family Activities.
For a complete List of Oregon Special Interest Family Summer Camps & Summer Family Recreation Programs scroll down to the big black bar at the very bottom of this page.
You can go directly to any of our other 2024 Special Interest Camp Directories from the list in the black bar at the bottom of this page.
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