Camp Firwood is a Christian summer camp situated on Lake Whatcom, southeast of Bellingham, Washington. It is part of "The Firs", a Christian camp and retreat ministry that is in good standing with the Christian Camp and Conference Association. [1] [2]
Camp Firwood was founded by Otis and Julia Whipple, who gathered 35 people for a five-day retreat at their property overlooking Lake Whatcom in July 1921. This was the start of what would become a multi-site, multi-program organization now called "The Firs". In 1954, a group of 30 Junior High campers paddling on Lake Whatcom landed on a camp site which they called "White Sands". With the permission of the property owner, the first week-long resident camp took place on this 80-acre (32 ha) property, which soon become known as Camp Firwood. In 1955, Camp Firwood was purchased for $35,000. [3]
Today, Camp Firwood runs a summer camp for youth 7–18 years of age, and houses up to 260 campers a week. The camp now encompasses 118 acres (48 ha) of beautiful forest, 4,500 feet (1,400 m) of waterfront, and its own private island. [3] They host day camps and resident camps, both of which are co-ed. [4] In 2010, they opened a new 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m2) dining hall, dubbed the Centerhouse, to more adequately accommodate the growing number of campers. [2]
Also in 2010, the camp finished in the Top 5 for "Best Fun Place for Kids in Western Washington" by King5's Evening Magazine . [5]
Although its main attractions are at the waterfront, Camp Firwood also hosts a variety of other activities including paintball, arts and crafts, a 10-stage high ropes challenge course, a 20 ft (6.1 m) climbing center, archery range, soccer field, basketball court, 3.8 ft (1.2 m) and a beach volleyball court. Water activities include a swimming beach, two aqua jump trampolines, an aqua swing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and tubing. [3] They also have a "blob." [6]
Bellingham is the county seat of Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It lies 21 miles (34 km) south of the U.S.–Canada border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, 52 miles (84 km) to the northwest and Seattle 90 miles (140 km) to the south.
Whatcom County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland of British Columbia to the north, Okanogan County to the east, Skagit County to the south, San Juan County across Rosario Strait to the southwest, and the Strait of Georgia to the west. Its county seat and largest population center is the coastal city of Bellingham. Whatcom County is coterminous with the Bellingham, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 226,847.
Lake Whatcom is located in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It is the drinking water source for approximately 85,000 residents in the city of Bellingham as well as Whatcom County. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) in length and 1 mile (1.6 km) in width at its widest. Lake Whatcom is located and managed within three political jurisdictions: the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District. The lake is a popular area for motor boating, swimming, fishing, and other recreational activities.
YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps is an arm of the State YMCA of Michigan which administers a pair of camps in northwestern Michigan. Started in 1904 with the founding of YMCA Camp Hayo-Went-Ha for Boys, the organization provides year round outdoor activities. The primary focus of both camps is the summer program, which offers two to four-week, single gender camp experiences for children in 3rd through 11th grades. Other functions include outdoor education and challenge course retreats for local schools and cross-country skiing.
Perlman Camp is a Jewish summer camp located in Lake Como, Pennsylvania, United States. The camp first opened in 1954 on the site of the former Camp Windsor; it has also been known as Camp B'nai B'rith (CBB) and B'nai B'rith Perlman Camp (BBPC). Before being acquired by B'nai B'rith January 1954, the 365-acre (1.48 km2) campground with a 13-acre (53,000 m2) lake was known as Camp Windsor.
Camp Orkila is on the northwest shoulder of Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington, overlooking Presidents Channel, and the Canadian Gulf Islands. It has been in operation since 1906.
Camp Sealth is owned and operated by Camp Fire, a non-profit youth organization, and located on Vashon Island, Washington. Sealth hosts resident and day camp during the summer, environmental education for school groups during the spring and fall, and is a year-round conference and retreat center. Camp Sealth is accredited by the American Camp Association.
Surprise Lake Camp is a non-profit sleepaway camp located on over 400 acres (1.6 km2) in North Highlands, New York. It is the oldest Jewish summer camp in the United States.
Sehome is a neighborhood in Bellingham, Washington, United States. It was the first town on Bellingham Bay and was founded in May 1858 by coal mine manager Edmund C. Fitzhugh, who named the settlement for his father-in-law, S'Klallam chief Sehome. The townsite was originally owned by the Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad, which operated the Bellingham Bay Coal Mine until it closed in 1878. The town of Sehome was amalgamated in 1891 with three other settlements into New Whatcom, which was later renamed to Bellingham.
The Mayflower Council of the Boy Scouts of America serves the MetroWest and southeastern regions of Massachusetts.
Camp Whitcomb/Mason is a year-round facility located near Hartland, Wisconsin, approximately 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Lake Keesus. Founded in 1911 and owned and operated by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, it is the oldest Boys and Girls Clubs camp in America.
Larrabee State Park is a public recreation area located on Samish Bay on the western side of Chuckanut Mountain, 6 mi (9.7 km) south of the city of Bellingham, Washington. It was created in 1915 as Washington's first state park. The park covers 2,748 acres (1,112 ha) and features fishing, boating, and camping as well as mountain trails for hiking and biking. It is managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
YMCA Camp Fitch is a year-round camp in North Springfield, Pennsylvania, owned and operated by the YMCA of Youngstown, Ohio. Prior to 1914, all summer camps operated by the YMCA of Youngstown were experimental and temporary in nature. Since its founding in 1914, Camp Fitch has hosted campers every year to date. Originally a program of the YMCA's downtown branch, Camp Fitch now exists as a YMCA branch owned by the YMCA of Youngstown.
The Wilds Christian Association, Inc. is a Protestant Christian organization, based in Brevard, North Carolina, United States. The organization was founded by a group of Christians at Bob Jones University who recognized the need for a Christian camp in the Southeastern United States. In 1967, the group purchased a 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) property near Brevard, North Carolina and established The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center about two years later. Today, The Wilds is one of the largest Christian camps in the United States. About 21,000 people attend annual retreats, while summer camp averages 1,100 to 1,200 campers per week.
Squalicum High School is a public school in Bellingham, Washington, United States, and is part of the Bellingham School District. The school serves the northeast population of Bellingham, including the area surrounding Lake Whatcom. Squalicum takes students from Shuksan Middle School and Whatcom Middle School.
The Antiochian Village Retreat and Conference Center/Camp was founded in 1978 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Owned and operated by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, it consists of both a Camp and a Retreat and Conference Center. In 1994, the Antiochian Village was the site of the Ligonier Meeting, an unprecedented and historic gathering of all Eastern Orthodox Christian bishops in the United States. The Antiochian Village also hosts other faith-based retreats, meetings and educational gatherings.
The St. Methodios Faith and Heritage Center is a 223-acre (90 ha) camp run by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston and located in the town of Hopkinton, New Hampshire near the village of Contoocook. The site occupies the former village of Cloughville and had previously been home to Camp Merrimac.
Hume Lake Christian Camps is a non-denominational, nonprofit parachurch organization and is one of the largest operators of Christian camps and conference centers in the world. Hume operates year-round camps and conference centers at multiple locations with programing for youth, family, and adults and has hosted more than 1 million visitors. Hume's camps focus on Bible teaching and worship services.
The Salvation Army has maintained camps in various locations throughout Canada. While some of these sites have ceased operation over the years, many are still in operation.
The New York City's YMCA Camp is a former recreational and educational overnight camp in Huguenot, New York that belonged to the YMCA of Greater New York. While the YMCA operates day camps in the five boroughs of New York City, the Huguenot Camp was the only overnight camp of the YMCA of New York City. The camp was created in 1918.