Hayo-Went-Ha Camps

TRAILBLAZER PROGRAM

As Trailblazers, campers participate in a variety of in-camp activities from archery to outdoor cooking. Your child will make new friends and hone new skills during her two weeks at camp. The highlight of the session is an overnight canoeing trip down the nearby Boardman River. Campers learn how to paddle and maneuver their canoe on Lake Arbutus in preparation for their trip. On the river, each canoe will be accompanied by a counselor in the back of the boat for safety. Your child will learn to set up a tent and assist staff in cooking dinner over an open fire before spending one night at a nearby State Forest Campground.

The Trailblazer Program is also available in a 4-week session if you register for 2 x two week sessions. Please note that the trip and activities will be repeated but with different staff, cabin mates, and the opportunity for the campers to provide leadership and insight along the way. You will need to pick up your camper between each two-week session as there will not be the staff available for supervision and programming at this time.


TRIP LOCATION
The Boardman River winds its way through beautiful Northern Michigan forests and flows all the way to West Bay in Traverse City. Its gentle flow is perfect for first time paddlers and its popularity provides many access points along the way. The Trailblazers will camp out at a State Forest Campground.


Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha

YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha Camps is an all girls YMCA overnight camp that offers a dynamic combination of wilderness experiences and traditional in-camp activities. Located on 120 acres on the shores of beautiful Arbutus Lake, YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha has 109 years of tradition and experience to provide incredible adventures campers remember for a lifetime.

Campers learn to work together, to support each other and to respect what each member of the cabin has to offer. The wonderful variety of camp trips reinforce the value of teamwork. Cabin groups of two cabin leaders and eight campers meet the challenge of extended canoeing and hiking trips to Michigan’s north country, the Canadian wilderness or biking along trails across the Upper Peninsula, all the while learning to appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. Trained and experienced staff lead our trip programs.

The morning schedule allows campers to work together as a cabin unit. The time is also used to teach campers about the camping equipment, trip location and safety before their trips. The afternoon allows each camper to individually select any one of the following activities: sailing, swimming, canoeing, paddleboarding, kayaking, arts and crafts, archery, nature studies, soccer, pickleball, gaga, tennis, basketball, and newspaper.

Our camp motto, Each for All...All for Each is evident in all we do. The cabin group is the essence of the camping experience. We emphasize and follow the seven core values of our YMCA of Caring, Honesty, Respect, Inclusion, Teamwork, Environmental Stewardship and Responsibility in all that we do.

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