Welcome to Camp Warren, where girls and boys have been creating memories and friendships for over 80 years! Located a couple hours north of the Twin Cities near Eveleth, Minnesota, Half Moon Lake and Camp Warren’s 480 acres offer the perfect setting for girls and boys to experience a one, two, three, four or five week adventure filled session at camp.
Life at Camp Warren
Camp life at Warren is based on long-standing traditions dating back to 1927. A typical cabin group consists of 10 campers plus two staff members. Girls attend camp from June to mid-July, and boys attend mid-July through August. Warren, in a beautiful northwoods setting, empowers campers to be their best.
- Progressive skill-development in activities
- Each camper is encouraged to chronicle their weekly progress and record thoughts about favorite activities, developing friendships, and much more.
- In partnership with lead staff, program professionals assist in waterfront, arts and crafts, health services and administration, plus much, much more.
- Our kitchen staff prides themselves on creating a well-balanced and good-tasting menu. A salad bar is provided at dinner an fresh fruit is offered each day.
- Campers eat family style as a cabin group.
Character Counts
We nurture character development in campers by teaching the values of respect, caring, responsibility and honesty. Our well-trained staff members lead quality programs that are safe, fun and enriching. With Camp Warren, your campers will:
- Develop integrity, self-reliance and leadership skills in a single-gender environment.
- Build lifelong friendships.
- Enrich their spirit, mind and body through challenging and fun camp activities.
- Gain an appreciation for the natural environment.
- Experience a sense of community by living with campers in age-appropriate small groups with trained staff.
Cabin Placement
Campers are organized into cabin groups by age. We will honor up to two friend requests provided that the requests are made in advance and the campers are within two years in age. The majority of our campers come alone and make friends quickly.
Foods
Camp menus are carefully selected to provide a balanced diet. Meals are hearty and campers are given “seconds” on most items. Meal times are 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Below are a couple sample meal options. A supplemental cereal bar is offered at breakfast and a salad bar is available at dinner.
Breakfast Sample Meals
- Pancakes, Bacon, Apple Juice
- French Toast, Sausage, Grapes
- Cereal bar
Lunch
- Chicken Stir Fry, Rice, Egg Rolls
- Baked Chicken, Roasted Red Potatoes, Bread, Green Beans
Dinner
- Grilled Cheese, Tomato Basil Soup, Melon
- Tacos
- Salad bar
If your child has any food allergies or dietary needs, please note these on their medical forms and we will do our best to accommodate. A phone call to the Camp Director well in advance of the camper’s session is also appreciated.
Reflection and Daily Devotions
YMCA Camp Warren welcomes campers and staff of all faiths. In addition to daily reflection time, we bring the camp together on Sundays during a two week session for a non-denominational service consisting of inspirational readings, stories and songs. In holding with YMCA Camp Warren tradition, campers are asked to wear “Sunday Whites” for the Sunday service. This set of clothing does not need to be fancy or expensive, just simple and white or light-colored.
Lanyards and Pins
Campers are engaged in enriching activities and opportunities to learn age appropriate curriculum while at camp. We visibly recognize this skill development progression through a lanyard and pin program. To start the program, every camper who attends camp will receive a Camp Warren lanyard and pin free. Campers are encouraged to add more pins to their lanyard through special events, achievements or by using the 4 Core Values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. When your camper completes a skill, special event or core value, they can purchase the pin at the camp store. Your camper can purchase pins for $3.00 each. Here are some examples:
- Camper attends all possible days of early morning Polar Bear swimming and receives a certificate and a Polar Bear pin.
- Camper completes their pollywog rank in sailing.
We are excited for you to see what your child has accomplished and participated in while at camp. We hope the lanyard and pins become a “talking point” for parents and campers and encourages further skill development and progression.
Waterfront
Each camper's swimming ability will be evaluated upon arrival at camp. Swimming is a camp activity but swim lessons are not. If you are interested in swimming lessons, please contact your local YMCA for their swim lesson information.
Overnights
We see great value in the overnight camping experience. During two week sessions, every camper will have the opportunity to go on a one night overnight trip to a campsite that is across the lake from the main site (a 15 minute paddle). Campers will learn basic camping skills including outdoor cooking, setting up tents and practicing minimum impact camping. Campers will be provided with all group equipment necessary to make their overnight experience a success, but they will need a personal sleeping bag.
ACA Accreditation & Licensure
We are American Camping Association (ACA) accredited. This assures you that camp practices have been measured up against 300 national standards that go a step beyond our state's basic licensing requirements. ACA accredited camps voluntarily go through a rigorous risk-management process to provide a supervised, positive environment with controlled boundaries where children can grow.
YMCA Camp Warren is accredited by the American Camping Association and is visited every three years to assure compliance with the ACA standards. Why is this important?
