After 104 years of ministry, Camp Michigamme, a United Methodist camp in the Upper Peninsula, has suspended operations and will not reopen in 2026.
The leadership of the Northern Skies District of the Michigan Conference has announced that Camp Michigamme, located on the shores of Lake Michigamme in the Upper Peninsula, will not reopen for the 2026 season due to financial challenges, including declining membership, reduced attendance, rising maintenance costs, and insufficient reserves.
The camp’s closure marks the fifth camp in the Michigan Conference to close since 2019. Camp consolidations included Crystal Springs, Judson Collins, Kinawind, and Lakeview. Michigan Area United Methodist Camping, also known as Grace Outside, continues to run successful camps at their three facilities: Wesley Woods Camp & Retreat Center, Lake Huron Retreat Center, and Lake Michigan Family Campground. Two other United Methodist-related camping sites also continue at Bay Shore Camp & Family Ministries and Lake Louise Christian Community.
Over the next six months, the Northern Skies District Leadership Team will lead a discernment process to determine the camp’s future. This includes securing the property, hosting three listening sessions in January and February 2026, and making a final decision by March 2026. The team will also explore options for preserving structures and significant items at the camp as part of honoring its legacy.
For more than a century, the camp has been a spiritual home for children, teens, families, and volunteers across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Many remember learning about faith while canoeing across the lake, singing in the open-air chapel, or staying up late sharing stories around a campfire. Parents have expressed gratitude for the safe, nurturing environment where their children could grow spiritually and emotionally, while volunteers cherish decades of shared ministry and community service.
Camp Michigamme is unique in that it is the only district-owned camp in the Michigan Conference. And it started that way from the very beginning, thanks to the vision of Rev. George Olmstead, who was the district superintendent of the Marquette District at the time.
According to Alan Larsen’s history of Camp Michigamme, Olmstead felt there was a great need for a central location to build a meeting place for youth ministry in the Upper Peninsula. Larsen wrote, “He also had a desire to bring the adults of this large district together with the youth so that they could mentor the young people and get to know them and each other.”
In August 2022, over one hundred people gathered to celebrate the camp’s 100th anniversary, reflecting on a century of memories, from youth campers experiencing their first overnight stay away from home to families returning year after year, and volunteers who dedicated decades to keeping the camp alive. “This camp shaped who I am,” one former camper shared. “It taught me about faith, friendship, and community in ways I carry with me every day.” Read this earlier news article about the centennial celebration.
The Northern Skies District Leadership Team encourages all Michigan Conference members to hold this ministry in prayer and to participate in the upcoming listening sessions to share stories, memories, and hopes for the future.
Last Updated on October 28, 2025