How Wilderness Adventures Foster Lifelong Success

By Alex Kvanli
March 18, 2019 (comments)

How can we teach children that failure is not the end of the road? Our mindset, or attitude, governs nearly everything in our lives. It determines the way we live, experience the world, and make decisions. Our mindset shapes the way we view ourselves and subsequently what we can accomplish. According to Stanford University psychologists Carol Dweck, there are two types of mindsets: In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and...

New Studies Praise the Health Benefits of Saunas

By John Burgman
March 11, 2019 (comments)

If you follow along with the latest health and fitness trends, you’re likely to encounter some unique and unfamiliar concepts: Wearable Technology, Cryotherapy, Foam Rolling…Control Pause Breathing. That’s not to say that there are not benefits to each of those; it’s certainly important to always keep in mind that health and wellness practices are always evolving. But a surprisingly familiar concept to many summer camp alumni has been getting a lot of attention from the mainstream lately. Within the past year alone, the practice of taking a sauna has been purported to have benefits ranging from lowering the risk of...

My First Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

By John Erdmann
March 06, 2019 (comments)

Your first overnight adventure is guaranteed to be a stretch. One astute camper captured his first Boundary Waters trip for posterity in the 2018 Paddle Post newspaper. My First Boundary Waters Canoe Trip I have been to multiple national parks and forests, but I didn't know what to expect here at Camp Voyageur. The first few days at base camp we practiced canoeing and fishing nearby, then we headed out for six days with counselors Alex and Evan bound for the Canadian border and the Crooked Lake fishing grounds. I felt this trip would be difficult, but I was excited...

A True Well-Rounded Education

By Alex Kvanli
February 28, 2019 (comments)

Don’t trust the gradebooks.

2018 Paddle Post

By John Erdmann
February 20, 2019 (comments)

Have you read the latest Camp Voyageur Paddle Post? Be sure to catch up with the latest summer happenings with the 2018 digital edition!

2019 Trip Options

By Alex Kvanli
January 26, 2019 (comments)

Register for trips by emailing the Camp Voyageur Trip Director, Alex at

Nature's Effect on Our Brains and Well-being

By Alex Kvanli
January 21, 2019 (comments)

Why are we drawn to nature? What makes the great outdoors so great?

The 2nd Annual Youth Woodsmen Competition Begins

By Alex Kvanli
June 14, 2018 (comments)

The 2nd Annual Youth Woodsmen Competition kicked off today and hearts were racin’, muscles were pumpin’, and legs were stretchin’. The Woodsmen is a competition that dates back to the early 1950’s, when President John F. Kennedy said that “physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” President Kennedy’s famous words resonated with the whole nation, and as a result many of today’s mainstay fitness competitions emerged from this Golden Era of physical fitness. The Youth Woodsmen is a fitness competition between the...

Wise Words From Our Past

By Peter Grunawalt
June 05, 2018 (comments)

In the 1980’s Camp Voyageur’s founder and director Charlie Erdmann wrote an article in the local Ely Echo. We believe his words are as relevant now as they were back then, and would like to share them with you. Here is the word-for-word article:

In-Depth Gear Guide

By CV Staff
May 29, 2018 (comments)

Alright parents, yes only parents; unfortunately even if you tell your children to read this they probably won’t, this will be an in-depth look at different types of gear your child will need for camp, and will likely use outside of camp. I still recommend you go over camp’s checklist, linked here. However, if you’re looking for specific recommendations, or need help choosing between different brands, then you’re in the right place!   These recommendations are based on my six years as a camper and three as a counselor, so I've been around the Boundary Waters block. My experience has...