1939
Summer Camp For Girls
For over 80 years our beautiful little niche in the Northwoods of Minnesota has served as the ideal spot for girls to sink into nature and venture into their own self. With over 25 amazing activities to choose from, campers are able to learn a variety of skills. Most importantly they become part of a loving community that supports each other long after summer is over.
It Takes A Village
Our true mission is to provide an opportunity for girls to gain self-confidence and build resilience through hands-on experiential learning. The foundation is built upon choice. Camp provides a safe and supportive environment to make this happen. Campers gain strength, independence, and self-worth. Socioemotional development is at the heart of our curriculum.
Birchwood campers are active participants in their own lives. They make their own choices and this is the heart of our mission and their experience. They express themselves. They take healthy risks. They challenge themselves to try new things. They practice kindness and respect. Birchwood girls step up as leaders and support each other as they build a sense of community. The Birchwood magic evolves.
Every aspect of our program is designed to provide a stepping stone to self-growth and to cement the skills necessary for a happy and fulfilling future. Birchwood lays the groundwork for the future by reminding us that no matter what you face, you have what it takes. The ability to overcome adversity in healthy ways builds character.
The History of Camp Birchwood
In 1939, Camp Birchwood was founded upon the vision of Lucy Goss. She was an artist, stonemason, plumber, engineer, and, above all, an inspiring teacher. She was self-taught, an innovator truly ahead of her time, with unmatched ambition. If you’ve been to Birchwood and seen the lodge - that is the masterpiece of her masonry work, a true spectacle and testament to her skill. The kind of person who would start a legacy and role model for the next generation of women. The camp began with a few small cabins, a dining hall, and was limited to 36 girls. It originally offered 15 activities and today offers double that. In 1958, Jim and Nancy Bredemus were able to purchase Camp Birchwood under two conditions - it remained a camp for girls and the name be kept Birchwood. And so they did. And so we will. Jim and Nancy met working at a summer camp (Lincoln and Lake Hubert) and this was a dream come true for them. For the next five decades, they improved the facilities and added activities that girls could not only enjoy their whole lives, but that would also instill a strong sense of self. They kept up with the trend of summer camps and succeeded. They preserved the heart of Birchwood, continued Lucy’s vision, and built upon her kernel of beauty. Camp Birchwood has touched nearly 10,000 camper’s lives and forged friendships that have stood the test of time. Today, Camp Birchwood’s community continues to grow based upon the initial networks built by the Goss and Bredemus Families and the magic the happens everyday in Camp!
