Welcome to Summer 2025 at Clearwater Camp!
We are very excited to welcome you and your camper(s). This Camper Family Guide is designed to provide you with all the information you need to ensure the best summer possible with the resource links below.
As Opening Day approaches, we will send more specific information to help you and your camper(s) get ready. Please keep an eye on your email and check the Summer 2025 Updates page for the latest information.
Lastly, be sure to Like & Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for fun and interesting updates from camp. Please feel free to contact us via info@clearwatercamp.org or call the camp office at 715-356-5030. We are here for you!
Best Wishes, The Clearwater Team
New Families: We are especially pleased to welcome you and are eager to help you and your camper(s) prepare for your first time at Clearwater Camp. We hope you find everything you might need in this guide. However, if you have questions or wonder about the way camp works, we have a generous and knowledgeable group of seasoned camper parents who are available to help. Please select this button so that we can connect you with a current camper family who would be delighted to welcome you to Clearwater.
Clearwater Camp FAQs
What is CampMinder?
CampMinder (AKA Family Login) is an online system to keep track of all your camper’s important information (registration, fees, forms, and documents). A link to CampMinder is on the top left of each page of our website. You will see references to CampMinder in the Parent Handbook. It is also the place where you will find pictures of your camper after camp!
How can we help our daughter prepare for her first camp experience?
Check out our Tips for First Time Campers from the American Camp Association as well as other Summer Camp Prep Tips from experts like Dr. Chris Thurber, noted clinical psychologist and camp expert.
How does my daughter sign up for activities?
Campers fill out a Preference Form found in CampMinder before coming to camp, and our Program Director develops a personalized schedule. We also have “free activities” several times each week when campers choose from among additional activities. Extended horseback riding and extended water skiing available for an extra charge (these extended activities programs fill quickly and often have waitlists). See our Activities section to read about our activities.
Where will my daughter live at camp?
Clearwater’s cabins are intentionally rustic, providing girls with a wonderful sense of living simply in nature. Our small cabin groups are unique; four to six campers live in each cabin with a counselor. Our youngest campers live on the mainland in the Harbor unit, slightly older girls live on the lower end of the island in the Cape unit, and our oldest campers live on the upper end of the island in the Point unit. You can view our MAP to see all our cabins!
What unit will my daughter be assigned to?
We organize our campers by grade completed and below you can find a handy guide to our units:
Harbor (completed grades 2nd-4th)
Cape (completed grades 5th and 6th)
Point (Completed grades 7th -10th)
Can my child request the same cabin as their friend?
One of our goals at Clearwater is to create a community where our campers meet and get to know as many of the other campers as possible. We find that assigning friends from home to different cabins helps them learn how to make new friends. Unlike other camps, Clearwater does not have campers do every activity, nor eat meals solely with their own cabin. However, they have plenty of opportunities to hang out with their friends from home during other activities.
Who are the counselors?
We grow our own staff! The majority of counselors were campers themselves, and often were Leaderships (counselors-in-training). All of our counselors have completed at least one year of college and hail from alma maters ranging from the University of Illinois to Harvard University. In addition, we have a good number of counselors who come from other countries and bring a great fresh perspective. See our Staff section to read more.
Are cell phones, computers, iPods or other electronics allowed at camp?
Camp is a place to connect with people in real and meaningful ways and to enjoy nature’s beauty and unique sounds. We do not allow cell phones, computers, iPods or other electronic devices. Campers may bring electronics for travel to and from camp. All electronics are collected upon arrival and returned to the camper at the end of camp.
Can I communicate with my daughter while she’s at Clearwater?
We believe in correspondence the old-fashioned way – with letters and cards! Camp is a wonderful opportunity to begin written correspondence with your daughter. Campers love to receive mail at camp. You are welcome to send one care package per session, but please do not send food items. On Sunday evenings, campers present the Director with a letter home as their “ticket” into the meal. We want to make sure parents know about all the fun campers are having at Clearwater! If your camper is from another country, email their letters to you so that you receive these before camp ends and we will print off your return emails to give to them.
Will we see photos posted daily like their sibling’s camp?
The short answer is “No”. Clearwater encourages our campers to tell their own stories to their families via their letters home and their conversations with their family after camp. As an electronics-free camp, we practice this by providing minimal updates on our social media, especially when camp is in session. In addition, just by the fact that we are located in a rustic setting, our Internet is not reliable! You can read more about our policies about photography in the Parent Handbook.
Can I send vitamins to camp with my child? What about prescription medications – how is that handled?
Yes, but these must be handed over to the camp nurse for distribution. Please review the Healthcare Policies in the Parent Handbook.
Does the cook accommodate vegetarians and gluten-free campers?
Yes. If your daughter has specific allergy needs, our professional kitchen staff does a great job of providing alternate menu items. Please make sure that you indicate any special dietary restrictions on your camper’s health forms.
Can my two-weeker camper stay for 3 1/2 weeks if they like camp?
Maybe. Depending upon availability of space, we may be able to accomodate your two-week camper for the whole three 1/2 weeks. You may want to discuss this with your camper before they leave home so that they know it is possibility to stay longer if they like. We will contact you before the end of the 2-week session if we have room and your camper has let us know they want to stay longer to discuss if this is possible and to make arrangements.
Does Clearwater have a religious affiliation?
Clearwater is a nondenominational camp and we welcome campers from all religious affiliations. Each Sunday, campers present a quiet, reflective program at Sunday Service, held on a beautiful wooded hillside overlooking Tomahawk Lake.
I have other questions, where can I find more information?
After reviewing all the information on this 2022 Camper Family Guide, please feel free to contact us at info@clearwatercamp.org or if you are a new family, you can sign up below to connect with a current family who would be happy to help you out.
Connect with a Camp Family
If you have more questions after reviewing all these resources or just want to learn more, we can connect you with a current camper family whose experience might be useful to you. Please fill out this form so that we can pair you up!