The daily morning plunge into Arbutus Lake is a dare-turned-tradition at YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha for Girls. Many campers insist it’s the best way to start the day.
It’s one of many small rituals that help a new camper feel part of something bigger. Camp Arbutus has welcomed girls for more than a century, and the camp’s motto, “Each for all, all for each,” is practiced in real time.
“Campers leave here with the knowledge and feeling that they have become a part of something that spans through the decades and across the globe, bringing them into a camp community that is here for them through thick and thin,” says Camp Director Mackenzie Morison.
A typical day at Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha
Located in Traverse City, Michigan, YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha serves girls ages 8-17 with overnight two- and four-week sessions running June 14-August 8.
After a cold lake plunge and breakfast, each cabin chooses activities as a team. Afternoons open up free-choice time for campers, including specialty clubs, swimming and freeplay areas to socialize with friends beyond their cabin.
After the sun starts to drop, campers gather together for a different evening program every night. “The day many look forward to is Super Saturday, an all-day theme party where campers and staff can dress up and get silly,” Morison says.
Wilderness adventure trips that broaden horizons
Every camper takes a wilderness trip while at YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha, a defining part of the experience that builds grit and leaves them “grinning from ear to ear and brimming with stories.”
“There’s nothing like the accomplishment and pride campers come off the bus with after three days on the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, or two weeks on Isle Royale National Park,” Morison says.
Pathways to growth through new challenges
YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha is tech-free, which can feel like a relief once campers settle into real friendships and full days outdoors.
“By unplugging from technology, we offer kids the opportunity to plug into the world around them and the people, too,” Morison says.
“Campers are learning important interpersonal skills when it comes to things like relationship building and conflict resolution, skills that they take home with them at the end of the session.”
Each camper’s resilience grows the same way. “By showing campers new places and introducing them to new activities, we broaden their horizons and teach them how to work through new and unfamiliar situations,” she says. “This allows them to identify their strengths and teaches them that you don’t have to be good at something right away. That it’s okay to try again, and with people that you trust to help you through it.”
Camp at a glance
- Camp name: YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha
- Location: Traverse City, Michigan
- Address: 1380 E Arbutus Lake Rd, Traverse City, MI 49696
- Ages: 8-17
- Camp type: Overnight camp
- Session length: Two- and four-week sessions
- Dates: June 14-August 8
Families interested in the broader YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps can also find tradition and wilderness adventure at [YMCA Camp Torch Hayo-Went-Ha for Boys] on Torch Lake.
This content is sponsored by YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps. To learn more, visit the YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha website and discover more camps in and around metro Detroit in the Best Camps Guide.
