Summer Camp

Registration can be completed online or by calling the YMCA Family Camp Nawakwa staff at 715-588-7422. A $50 deposit per week is required upon registration. For registrations made after May 1, the full payment for the Summer Camp session is due at the time of registration. 

For more information about our payment policies and payment options, click here.

After registering, you can click here to access your account and make updates.

Located in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, Family Camp Nawakwa is just a car ride away. We are approximately 6.5 hours from Chicago, 4 hours from Milwaukee, 3.5 hours from Madison, 3 hours from Green Bay, and 4 hours from Minnesota’s Twin Cities.

Camp Maps

• Camp Directions
• Camp Map

Weekly reservations are Saturday-to-Saturday. Campers can arrive any time after 5 p.m. on their check-in Saturday and must check out by 10 a.m. on the following Saturday. Please check in at the Welcome tent or Camp Store after 5 p.m. to pick up your program schedule and cabin key. If you check in after 8:30 p.m., your cabin will be unlocked and the cabin key and program schedule placed inside. 

At YMCA Family Camp Nawakwa, we offer full-day programming that’s packed full of fun activities for the whole family, such as tie-dyeing T-shirts, kickball, nature hikes, capture the flag, and so much more! Check out our sample summer schedule to see what kinds of activities we have in store.

At YMCA Family Camp Nawaka, camper welfare comes before everything else! 

Our staff are trained in CPR, First Aid, and AED, our lifeguards are American Red Cross trained, and all activities operate under strict policies and procedures. 

YMCA staff are also thoroughly trained in emergency and security procedures. All visitors must check in at the camp office before entering. Directors are in constant communication with our lakefront staff and other activity supervisors. Emergency response plans are reviewed during Camper Orientation every Sunday, and all campers, new and returning, are encouraged to attend the session.

Cabins are equipped with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers. The camp maintains well-equipped first aid kits in the Welcome Center and in the South Camp Lodge. If there is a serious emergency, the staff is trained in basic first aid, and the EMS is located in town. There is also a hospital and clinics in Minocqua.

YMCA Family Camp Nawakwa has two handicap accessible cabins (Bridge Builder and Pines) that have features to accommodate campers with special needs. Please call us at 715-588-7422 to learn more.

If you require a modification due to a disability to participate in any of our programs, please inform camp staff at the time of your enrollment and make sure to select the request on your enrollment paperwork so that a member of our inclusion team can reach out to you.  Questions? Email [email protected].

Yes! YMCA Family Camp Nawakwa offers use of our motorboats at a fraction of the price of other community rental shops. We have pontoon, 15hp fishing, and 9.9hp motor boats. Summer weekly rental periods start on Saturday nights after 5 p.m. and end on the following Friday at 3:30 p.m. Daily rental periods are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and cannot be reserved in advance of your stay. Rental parties must be at least age 18 and abide by all Wisconsin boating regulations. 

By Wisconsin law, all persons are required to wear and properly secure a life vest when in a boat, canoe, kayak, fun yak, paddle board, etc. At least one throwable seat cushion is required to be on board all rowboats and rental boats. Life jackets are available at North Camp, South Camp, and Sugarbush Lake. 

Reserve a boat online or call us at 715-588-7422. For more information, please click here.

We offer swim tests for any and all campers below the age of twelve on the first two days of camp. The purpose of the swim test is to evaluate each camper’s skill and endurance level in the water so that they can be safe during all activities. If a child does not take a swim test, they must wear a life jacket at all times in our swim area. All campers (no matter their age) and staff wear life jackets when boating, and aquatic activities are always supervised by American Red Cross-trained lifeguards. It should be noted that if a family takes kayaks out on the lake beyond the sight of our beach area, they are adventuring at their own risk.

Swim Test Details

Blue Zone swim test: Campers must swim six lengths in our swim area without touching the bottom, tread water for 1 minute, and then put on a lifejacket while treading in deep water to swim in our Blue Zone without a lifejacket.

White Zone swim test: Campers must swim two lengths in our swim area without touching the bottom to swim in the White Zone without a life jacket. They must wear a lifejacket in the Blue Zone if they are a White Zone swimmer.

Red Zone swim test: Our Red Zone does not have a swim test. All campers are categorized as a Red Zone swimmer if they do not take a White Zone or Blue Zone test. They must wear a lifejacket in the Blue and White Zones.

We strive to make camp a positive experience for everyone. Our staff are trained to monitor camper behavior and are mandated reporters if they see or hear suspicious behavior. However, at all times, parents, guardians, or caretakers are responsible for their own behavior, as well as the behavior of their children. YMCA Family Camp Nawakwa staff will intervene only in the event of imminent danger or injury. 

We work hard not to dismiss campers from Summer Camp. However, some cases require us to send a camper home, such as if they begin to endanger others or if they require an unsustainable amount of attention from one or more staff members. 

For packing efficiency, we recommend soft-sided luggage. You will need to bring bath, dish, and beach towels, as well as bedding or sleeping bags and pillows for your family. Also, you will need to bring soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, shaving supplies, first aid, flashlight, etc. Please bring insect repellent. We recommend Coppertone Bug & Sun Lotion for kids. We sell some of these items at the camp store.

The weather in northern Wisconsin is variable at any time of the year. We encourage campers to bring clothes that can get dirty and to bring enough clothing to last the entire session. Bring walking shoes or hiking boots, swimsuits, rain gear, and warm clothes for cool nights. Coin operated washers and dryers are located in the North Camp Laundry. Laundry soap is provided free of charge.

With regards to food, ​​you will need to purchase groceries in either Minocqua or Woodruff. Cabins have a refrigerator, four-burner gas stovetop, oven, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, and dishes. Camp Nawakwa provides an outdoor grill for outdoor cooking. Milk, bread, eggs, soda, pizza, candy, chips, etc. are a few of the food items sold in the camp store. Unfortunately, Camp Nawakwa does not provide food services to groups at this time.

Campers are responsible for their own belongings. Parents are encouraged to mark their child's belongings with their name. During camp, lost items are gathered, and we will take time to return items throughout the week. We do our best to locate and return lost items, however, we will not reimburse families for lost clothing or other items brought to camp. We will hold all items left at camp for one month.

We provide campers with the opportunity to purchase snacks and souvenirs at our camp store. While we do accept cash and card for payment, we prefer that campers create a store tab during the summer, which will accumulate over the week. The lump sum of this store tab can be paid at your departure. 

Store items include:

• Candy
• Ice Cream
• Pizza
• Nachos and Cheese
• Pretzel Sticks and Cheese
• Limited Grocery Items (mainly dry goods)
• Drinks
• Bottled Water
• T-Shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Postcards
• Firewood
• Bags of Ice
• Hats
• Limited Toiletries

Summer Camp at YMCA Family Camp Nawakwa is designed to be a place for families to connect and enjoy activities and nature. While we cannot stop campers from bringing their electronics, we encourage everyone to unplug for the week. We provide WiFi access in the Welcome Center and South Lodges as a convenience for campers who still need to work remotely or take classes. 

We do not provide meals. Families prepare their own meals in their cabins and can socialize with other families during meal times if they choose to. Refrigerators, ovens, stoves, dishware, cooking utensils, and campfire pits are provided. We do offer breakfast for an additional fee every Wednesday for sessions during Weeks 1-11. You must sign up for this service in advance. 

Guardians are responsible for their child’s food restrictions and/or allergies. We offer dairy-free ice cream, and all candy is individually packaged in the event of a nut allergy. Please inform our staff in advance of any severe allergies you or your family members(s) might have.

Yes! YMCA Family Camp Nawakwa is for the whole family, including your furriest friends. Prior to arrival at camp, pet owners must provide a $135 fee as well as documented proof of their pet’s rabies vaccine, as required by Wisconsin state law. DHPP, Bordetella, and Lyme vaccines are recommended but nor required. Your family is responsible for all damages incurred by your pet. For more information, check out the Nawakwa Pet Procedures in our Policies and Procedures Guide.

According to DNR regulations firewood must be from Wisconsin and must be from less than 25 miles from where you plan to burn it. Firewood is sold at the camp store during store hours. 

PAYMENT POLICY 
Registration can be completed through the ONLINE WEB PORTAL, paper registration or by contacting the Nawakwa staff. $50 deposit per week required upon registration. Registrations made after May 1st: full payment is due at time of registration. 

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

In Full: Full payment can be made at time of registration or choose one of the payments plans below. 

Monthly Payment Option 

• Remaining balance divided between equal monthly installments, beginning the month after registration (payments auto charged as agreed). 
• Final monthly payment due May 1 2024.  

Three Payment Option 

• The first payment will be auto charged on October 1st. 
• The second payment will be auto charged on February 1st 
• Third payment will be auto charged May 1st. 

Two Payment Option 

• The first payment will be auto charged on October 1st. 
• Final Payment will be auto charged on May 1st. 

PLEASE NOTE: If a payment plan is not selected, your account will default to monthly, and it will automatically begin in October. All accounts will begin payments by October. 

SUMMER DEPOSIT AND CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY 
SUMMER REGISTRATIONS: A DEPOSIT MUST ACCOMPANY THE REGISTRATION FORM TO BE ACCEPTED. The deposit and subsequent payments are applied to the balance due and are refundable, less a $75.00 cancellation fee, for cancellations made before December 1, 2023. After December 1, 2023, deposits and any payments made are not refunded unless the cabin is rebooked, at Full Price, by A NEW FAMILY NOT YET REGISTERED. If a cabin is rebooked, with a new family, a $200 cancellation fee will apply.  We give Camp Nawakwa permission to charge our credit card per the agreed payment plan. Multiple cabin registrations are assessed a multiple cabin cancellation fee. Regarding multiple cabin cancellations; if you cancel one cabin, the fee you have paid on the cancelled cabin will rollover only after the cabin has rebooked by a family not yet registered. All accounts must be fully paid by 5/1/2024. 

Fall, Winter, and Spring Deposit/Payment/Cancellation Policy 
FALL, WINTER, & SPRING REGISTRATIONS: $50.00 MUST ACCOMPANY THE REGISTRATION TO BE ACCEPTED. Deposit is applied to the balance due. We give camp permission to charge our credit card per the agreed upon plan. 50% payment is due 120 days prior to your stay and the remaining 50% is due 30 days prior to arrival.  Minimum stay is two nights, unless otherwise agreed upon. Deposit and all subsequent payments are refundable less a $25 cancellation fee, if cancellation occurs 120 days or more days prior to your stay. You will forfeit 50% of the total fee, if cancellation occurs less than 120 days prior to your stay. If cancellation occurs within 30 days or less of your stay, you will forfeit the full balance.