Camp Miniwanca
Private
Overnight youth-development camp operated by the nonprofit American Youth Foundation on 360 wooded acres with a mile of private Lake Michigan shoreline near Shelby. Sessions of one to five weeks serve campers entering grades 3-12, with swimming, sailing, canoeing, hiking and water sports on a second inland lake. ACA-accredited, with a philosophy of stretching campers beyond their comfort zone.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Camp Miniwanca directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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Accreditations & licensing
As stated by the camp or listed in the accrediting organization's directory — confirm current status with the accreditor.
Google Reviews
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★★★★★leasa gudderraGreat camp. Excellent staff. Beautiful location.
★★★★★Home PhoneLoved it there, workers nice, camp fun. The reviews I see complaining about walking and hiking and the showers just don’t seem like they are someone who likes camping! Admittedly the food was really bad.
★★★★★Jason GottshallMy children's (16 and 13) favorite place on earth. They absolutely beg to go for the entire summer every year, and cry when we come to pick them up. An affirming, supportive, and transforming environment for youth to learn leadership skills and engage with the outdoors. And my kids surprisingly RAVE about the food (quality and quantity.) Cabin life is rustic, so expect to get sand in everything. Property is enormous, so be prepared to walk A LOT. Philosophy is progressive: originally founded on Christian principles (100 years ago!), has evolved to foster broad "reverential" values rather than focus on any particular religious tradition or doctrine. Also in recent years transitioning away from many appropriative references to Native American culture that had been part of camp tradition. Admittedly pretty expensive, but they do have scholarship programs to help broaden the community across economic demographics.
★Kid ChaosIntroduced themselves with their "pronouns" to my child. This is not a thing we as parents want normalized to our kids, and would have appreciated heads up. This alone would have been a deal breaker for us. I would warn any parents who would like to raise children into God fearing, independent and, productive members of society to avoid this place.
★★★★★Coty BrownSo I am about 2 decades late leaving a review. I was just randomly talking about this place and Googled it. To my surprise you all have a website. Thank you for the best memories as a teenager. 😅 I didn’t pack properly for the weather but I had a great time and kept my blanket with me almost everywhere to keep myself warm. Being by the water and just looking out was so peaceful. I’m so glad to see you all are still around. Once again, thank you for the memories as I wish you and the rest of the staff the best!