Ok, I might be a little old to be writing this review, but I just can't leave Maplehurst without a…read morelittle love. I started going to this camp when I was only eight years old. I went until I was sixteen and each year I stayed the entire time of eight weeks. Maplehurst was definitely the scene of some my greatest moments of all time. Someitmes, when I try to explain it to other people I always come back to one word, mystical. I could go into glorified details about the late nights, the first kiss, the first friend lost but every child in their life goes through these shape setting stages...I was just lucky enough to have them at Maplehurst. So, even when times were bad, and life felt tough I can always look back at those moments with fondness because of Maplehurst. I've met the best of friends there, and it seriously shaped me into the person I am today. Growing up in a cookie cutter town Maplehurst was my escape and allowed me to meet all kinds of people and experience "life on my own". I am not going to pretend that Maplehurst taught me hiking techniques, and survival skills for the mountains but it made my childhood happy, and it made my summers unforgettable. Maplehurst...I owe it all to you.

Addyson was the perfect trail guide the farm has the most amazing vibe. There were chickens,…read morekittens ponies perfect place to take your family for a trail ride and play with the animals. Can't Addison took a wait to go back again!

Maple Ridge Stables is one of the best places offering riding that I have ever been to. Having…read moreowned horses before, I understand the amount of time, effort and cost associated with keeping horses fit, and trained. The horses here are so well taken care of and they are trained so well that you feel safe! I highly recomend this stable! The owners are also super nice and informative!

I truly can't imagine a more beautiful, peaceful and FUN to spend summers. I was lucky enough to…read morespend my childhood summers as a camper and then many as a counselor. I learned many new skills, how to be (somewhat) self sufficient & (most importantly) established lifelong friendships. 18 years later (yet feels like I was siting around the campfire yesterday) it's time to start looking into overnight camps for my own kids. I heard Liz, who has now taken over camp from her father, is going to be in the North Shore giving a presentation. While I wasn't ready to send my daughter away quite yet, figure I could start the brainwashing since I can't imagine sending my kids to any other camp than this one. I drag my very reluctant 7 year old daughter there who tells me in the car "I'm not going. Walden is your dream, mom...not mine." However, 5 minutes within Liz's presentation she tells me she's going for the entire summer and has already listed out all her activities...lake swimming, horseback riding, nature. She also informs me she won't be showering the entire time. Lovely...that part not part of my "dream" The brainwashing worked so well that she insists on going to Walden this summer. However, I still think she's too young so compromise by saying we'll make the drive up to camp so she can see it and we can spend a few days in Northern Michigan. We also conveniently time our visit with when a few of my lifelong camp friends will be picking up their older kids from the 2 week session. After a 7+ hour drive from Chicago to Northern Michigan with a 7 year old in tow I begin to wonder if the trip was really worth it. However, within minutes of stepping onto camp grounds I realize it was so worth it. Camp looks more beautiful than ever (hello new Mess Hall!). I felt like I was in a time warp when I saw that all the Area Heads (Waterfront, Athletics, Horseback Riding, etc) are STILL there. And these people don't seem to age...perhaps I need to start drinking Cheboygan water? And everyone was so smiley and friendly...both staff and campers. Like my future campers there are so many 2nd generation campers there living the same dream their parents lived many years ago. And every camper or counselor we chatted with seemed to be on their 6th, 7 are so many 2nd generation campers are there. My friends kids who we picked up were all smiles after their first Walden experience. My daughter loved visiting camp even more than she loved Liz's presentation. We ran into Liz within minutes and she was extremely welcoming and really made the effort to chat with Devon and get to know her...and her husband, Scott, was very friendly as well. She was also in awe of all the (messy) cabins and made me take pictures of all the cool stuffed animal holders, pillows etc that she wanted to bring to camp when she was lucky enough to attend as a camper. She even revised her previously made schedule to include waterskiing and tubing after watching the fun. One of things I love about walden is that you get to make your own activity schedule so you can do all the things that you really love to do! I also love that it's not overly competitive when it comes to sports and activities so everyone feels like a winner at camp...I appreciated that philosophy as a camper and even more as a parent of future campers. They are very flexible with the length of camp- perhaps more flexible than when I was a camper. Campers have the option of staying 2,4, 6 or 7 weeks. And they even offer a mini mini 3 day camp for their youngest campers, which I really hope they continue to offer since I think it's a great way to get a taste of Walden..and have heard from others who have sent their kids that it's a really well run program (just like the rest of their programs). So excited for my future campers to make memories at this magical place during future summers! As the saying goes...Walden Days. Walden Nights...there's nothing to do back in the city.

Life changing 3 weeks for my 11 year old son! He grew into himself and worked through the…read morechallenges of being homesick the first week. He came home more confident and comfortable in his own skin. He loved kitten and bunny care, water sports, and outdoor cooking. He will return this year and he can't wait. Thank you Camp Walden!!!!!

After the CEO got involved I did receive a full refund. That doesn't excuse their major medical…read moreoversight, but at least we didn't have to pay for such an experience.

Amazing place for young boys and men to learn leadership. They have so much to do. Sailing,…read moreswimming, archery, rifles, high-ropes, camping, kayaking, crafts. Plus out of camp trips to Alaska, Caribbean and Canada.

Loooooooove Camp Barakel so much. We have had many great weekends here while enjoying couples and…read morefamily retreats. This is a Christian camp, and they preach God's Word and apply it in a meaningful way. They tell about God's grace and Jesus's forgiveness, and bring it full circle to teach about improving and healing relationships. Every time we have attended, we have been blessed by it. Thank you!!!!! They are on a beautiful spring-fed lake, and there are tons of activities and opportunities to get back to nature. And as a true Yelper I can honestly attest: The food is good, too! Some of the sleeping accommodations are more rustic than some newer ones, but they are in the process of renovating every cabin, as I understand. The newer lodges are really nice!! I'm sure they can fully fill you in about where you would stay if you call. Life is simple here and it provides an opportunity to focus on what is most important. I have huge respect for their dedicated staff. They treat others with such love, and you can feel an attitude that demonstrates their care and dedication in their ministry. I have seen their worship leaders gracefully serving others as staff in the dining hall. There is a lot of walking involved. My dad went with a walker and could get around, but some places were a little harder than others, and a few were just too hard. There are two camps, one on each side of the lake, so they can run two different camps at once, or one big camp. I also love singing hymns in chapel, especially Ancient Words. It really sums up what they are trying to do here. Holy words long preserved for our walk in this world, They resound with God's own heart Oh let the ancient words impart. Words of Life, words of Hope Give us strength, help us cope In this world, where e'er we roam Ancient words will guide us Home. Ancient words ever true Changing me and changing you, We have come with open hearts Oh let the ancient words impart. This is not just a summer camp or a lake getaway. Barakel means "The place where God has blessed" and we have encountered Him here. Barakel is not fancy, but it's real, and I mean that in deepest and best sense of the word.

I just spent a weekend fishing while at a Christian Men's Retreat at Camp Barakel in Fairview, Mi…read more(near Mio in Oscoda County), and I wanted to blog my experience because I could find no fishing information for the camp's privately owned Shear Lake. https://www.bing.com/maps?q=shear+lake+michigan&FORM=HDRSC4 https://www.campbarakel.org/ Shear Lake is a shallow, clear water, spring fed lake with a sandy bottom and sparse aquatic vegetation. The perimeter of the lake is peppered with many lay downs of fallen trees. While staying at Camp Barakel, the campground provided small rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats for recreational use. At peak times of the day, there can be a lot of campers using the small lake, so fisherman will need to be patient with the recreational users who are attempting to paddle around it. Prior to fishing on Shear Lake, the only fishing information that I could find was that the lake contained Blue Gills. Having fished the lake last fall and this spring, I can verify that Shear Lake has Large Mouth Bass, Rock Bass, Perch (some are jumbo size, being12 inches or larger), and Blue Gills. The lake is rumored to have Pike, but I am not aware of any being caught. Although the lake may contain only a few lunkers (last fall, I failed to set the hook with a weedless frog on what was probably around a four pound bass), the overall Large Mouth Bass fishing seems to be quite good. Some 16 to 18 inch bass were caught while while standing on the docks. Even though the lake has sparse vegetation, the lake's shallowness makes it easy for lures that come in contact with it's sandy bottom to constantly pick up clumps of plant material and algae. Also, it's easy to get hung up on the many branches and tree trunks that line the shore. Consequently, weedless lures (like a Texas-rigged soft plastic worms), plus mid-water and top-water lures (which are fished away from the shore) work well. I caught ten Large Mouth Bass (12 to 16 inches) and one Rock Bass last weekend on a Texas-rigged soft plastic worm. Some had good luck using spinners or top water lures that worked in the mildly windy conditions, like Jitterbugs. Others had good luck with live baits such as Big Red Worms or Minnows. Last fall, I had some luck swimming small curly tail jigs, but I now now prefer to drag Texas-rigged worms along the lake's bottom, near the many fallen trees.

I honestly wouldn't recommend this place. The people here are some of the most entitled I've ever…read moremet--they clearly don't like new people and make it very hard to feel welcome. The food is extremely bland. On top of that, upper management seems totally inexperienced, which is shocking considering how many years they've supposedly been running this place. Overall, a huge letdown. T

I grew up as a second week camper and am back now with my family for the second year in a row…read more.. (second week again). This is by far one of the most magical places ever. I have so many incredible memories from my time here as a child, and I'm loving creating new memories with my family now as an adult... The camp has everything you need and more and there is something for everyone from babies to kids at heart no matter what age. Activities include archery, arts and crafts, boating, field sports, nature, pickle ball, riding, riflery, swimming, tennis, yoga, and so much more. There are optional faculty forums, book clubs, and educational opportunities, as well as plenty of time to relax, schmooze with other campers, read, etc... Camp Michigania is the one place that my family can spend time together without electronics, enjoy the outdoors, meet new friends, build relationships with old friends and family we don't see often, and everyone can go out and do what they want during the day and reconvene at night. The cabins are comfortable but not over the top. Staff is fun and attentive. If you're lucky, you might even have a unicorn sighting during your week at camp. I hope to continue coming to camp for years to come.