The Voyageur Spirit

By John Erdmann
May 02, 2024 (comments)

As the French Canadian Voyageurs of old toiled to open the northwoods, so too are you encouraged to travel new waters at Camp Voyageur. The Voyageur Spirit is an unselfish one. Certainly your stay will be enjoyable. Yet part of the enjoyment is its cooperative nature. This means thinking of other people rather than just yourself. By giving a helping hand, however small, you grow too. By lightening the burden of another all benefit. The camaraderie of friends is obvious. Yet that spirit goes deeper here. The Voyageur Spirit includes an appreciation for camp. The neat grounds, stacked sauna wood,...

2022 Paddle Post

By John Erdmann
February 03, 2023 (comments)

That latest edition of Camp’s newspaper recounts our 71st summer.

Alex and John B. Launch Camp Podcast

By John Erdmann
December 16, 2022 (comments)

Years ago, John Burgman and Peter Grunawalt unveiled the W.ELK Podcast, which featured chats with Camp alums and explored various camp-related topics. The show proved to be extremely popular, despite its limited run of episodes. Now, with podcasts more popular than ever, the show has returned under a slightly different name—The Camp Voyageur Podcast.

Trip Stories: First Timers on the "Bussin'" Little Triangle

By John Erdmann
November 03, 2022 (comments)

Our hearts filled with joy, we paddled off from the Mess Hall dock. Alex Kvanli led the trip consisting of James (going for his Big Man), Harrison, bicyclist Deven, wild man Luke, and Eian “Genius” rounded out our crew. We paddled hard up the meandering Kawishiwi River. Our first night was quiet, and the wind soothed us as we played Spyfall. Deven won almost every game. The next day we were hit by a thunderstorm, and I regretted leaving my rain jacket back at Voyageur base-camp. The storm brought in extreme heat and I was thankful that our second campsite...

2021 Paddle Post

By John Erdmann
March 13, 2022 (comments)

The latest edition of Camp’s newspaper recounts our 70th summer.

Beyond the Tower

By John Erdmann
February 19, 2021 (comments)

Believe it or not, a few years ago there were no cell phones. Hard wired phones (remember telephone poles) have been around for over a century. At first callers asked an operator to literally patch them through to another telephone. At a central office, she would plug two lines together. When rural houses shared a “party line,” if you picked up the phone to hear people talking, you’d hang up and try when the line was not in use. No biggie, but people preferred a private telephone line, eventually adding multiple telephone sets, some children even got personal land lines....

Work, Play, and Make a Difference

By John Erdmann
January 08, 2021 (comments)

Join the Camp Voyageur team.

Camp Voyageur 2021

By John Erdmann
October 26, 2020 (comments)

Looking ahead. Families are eager to register their campers and learn more about the 2021 Camp Voyageur season. As you know our program emphasizes outdoor activities and the camp peninsula is naturally isolated. We will welcome campers following COVID-19 guidelines from the Federal, State and County governments. Camp Voyageur’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan relies on guidance from the CDC, Minnesota Department of Health, American Camp Association, and other health professionals. For 2021 we have streamlined session offerings to minimize exposure to our camp community. Masks will be required indoors for campers and staff, and outdoors when social distancing is not possible....

The 2020 Camp Voyageur Summer

By John Erdmann
September 08, 2020 (comments)

Fortunately, we have taken advantage of this most unusual summer to spruce up camp, preparing for 2021 (Voyageur’s 70th anniversary) and beyond. With summer in our rearview mirror and fall in the air, we’d like to again thank the families, alumni, and staff who supported camp during this summer season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, work camp lasted all summer long. While we did not have campers in a traditional sense, we made lemons out of lemonade with the help of many collaborators. The season kicked off when alumni and seasoned volunteers like Jim Bergman assisted with numerous projects, including...

Virtual Programming Unveiled

By John Erdmann
June 18, 2020 (comments)

Campers will be happy to know that Bill Burgman will be reprising his role as Bill Burgman. Our dynamic staff – lead by licensed teachers Mikey Meves and Alex Kvanli, M.S.Ed. – along with a host of outlandish characters are leading the program, which includes various “How To” videos along with interactive camp favorites such as WELK Radio Show, Olympics, Word of the Day, and Bean Auction. All campers and alumni are invited to join our free 8-week virtual session this summer. To participate: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and/or YouTube so you can catch the latest updates. Have access...

John Erdmann

Director