Q: Where is Camp Nicolet?
A:
Camp Nicolet is located outside of Eagle River, Wisconsin within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Eagle River is approximately seven hours north of Chicago. Bus transportation is provided from the Chicago and Milwaukee areas.
Q: How many campers are there?
A:
Camp has a capacity of 95 campers per session. East End campers range in age from 7-10; West End campers are between the ages of 11-14. Senior, or Leadership Program, campers are ages 15-17.
Q: Where do campers come from?
A:
Nicolet campers come from all over the world. They represent most every area of the United States, as well as countries such as Mexico, Germany, Russia, Spain, and France.
Q: What is a camp sister and when will I be assigned one?
A:
All campers new to Camp Nicolet are assigned a “Camp Sister.” Your Camp Sister is a returning camper who helps answer any questions you may have about a summer at Nicolet. You are sent her contact information in May and she is provided with yours.
The first Monday night of your camp session, you are invited to a Camp Sister party with games, boat rides, and s’mores!
Q: What are the cabins like?
A:
Camper cabins house 8-12 campers and 2-3 counselors each. They are fully equipped with bunkbeds, dressers/drawers, a table and chairs, a fireplace, a screen porch, and a bathroom with sink and toilet. Showers are taken in our nearby shower house facility.
Bathrooms have running cold water in the sinks and toilets, so you don’t have to leave the cabin in the middle of the night to use the restroom.
Many cabins and cabin bathrooms are recently renovated!
Q: Where do counselors come from?
A:
Staff also come from all over the world. While most of our staff live stateside, approximately 25% come to us internationally from places like Ireland, Hungary, New Zealand, Australia, and more.
Counselors and activity instructors are typically between the ages of 18 and 24, are attending or have graduated from college, and have experience and a passion for working with kids like you!
All Staff responsible for the daily care of campers are certified in First Aid/CPR/AED. Waterfront staff have an American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard certification. Water Skiing Staff are USA Water Ski Level 1 Instructor certified.
A registered Nurse lives on-site, and our Northpoint Adventures Director is certified in Wilderness First Aid.
Q: What kinds of activities will I get to do?
A:
Your activity schedule consists of “core” and “elective” activities. Nicolet’s core activities include Water Skiing & Wakeboarding, Horseback Riding (optional), Swimming, Smallcraft (sailing, canoeing, stand-up-paddling, windsurfing), Sports (of all kinds), Tennis, and Arts & Crafts. Additionally, you get to go to the Canteen (camp store), and Showers are scheduled into your schedule three times each week.
Nicolet also offers a wide variety of “elective” activities – some traditional to camp, and some based on the talents and interests of the Staff specific to the summer at hand. You attend most core activities by ability level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert) and you get to choose electives during “sign ups” once per week.
You receive a personalized schedule when you arrive, with your core activity hours. Then you get to “fill in the blanks” with electives. These include mountain biking, trampball, archery, podcasting, mad scientist, newsletter, creative writing, stable management, musical theatre, and many more!
Nicolet also offers a variety of wilderness trips, ranging in difficulty from beginner canoe trips to top-level alpine backpacking. This program is called Northpoint Adventures, and you can enjoy participating in NPA trips summer after summer!
Q: What do we do on weekends?
A:
Saturdays are “normal” activity days, so you continue enjoying all the fun of regular activities – based on your Monday/Wednesday/Friday & Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday activity schedule.
On Sundays (that aren’t the beginning of a session), we have a special “All Camp Activity.” A theme is chosen by the staff committee and Campers are divided up into teams to compete throughout the day in various activities.
Past all camp activities include The Amazing Race, Nicolet Eco-Challenge, Carnival Day, Paul Bunyan Day, SpongeBob Day, and Counselor Hunt.
A Nicolet tradition, Marathon Day is an exciting annual event, and every four years we compete in the Camp Nicolet Olympics!
Q: When am I eligible to go on trips?
A:
Northpoint Adventures is Camp Nicolet’s exciting wilderness tripping & outdoor adventure program for campers ages 10 and up!
The consists of trips tailored to different skill levels and abilities, including backpacking, canoeing, and sea kayaking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting. Please see the Northpoint Adventures section of the website for more information on wilderness tripping opportunities.
Q: Are there any programs for older campers?
A:
At age 15, you are eligible for the Camp Nicolet Leadership Program. This program consists of three levels: Advanced Camper, Counselor-in-Training I, and Counselor-in-Training II. Please see the Leadership Program section of the website for complete details!
Q: What kind of food will I eat?
A:
Campers and Staff eat together three times daily, with table assignments drawn at random each Monday and Thursday. We serve buffet style and have a salad & fruit bar available at each meal.
Camp’s Chef takes pride in providing well-balanced meals to ensure everyone has plenty of energy for the day. During mealtimes, you have full decision on what to eat, and “having seconds” is quite popular!
Once per session we have special “Dining Hall Nights” hosted by a staff committee. These nights provide an opportunity for dressing up, trying special theme-related foods, and having some fun! Past dining hall nights have included the Camp Nicolet Haunted Mansion, Twin Night, and Fiesta.
At Camp Nicolet, we are able to accommodate special dietary needs, including nut-free, lactose-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian. Please help us to provide a well-rounded menu for you by disclosing these needs on Medical Forms which your parents help complete.
Learn More on the Food & Dining Page »
Q: What happens if I have a birthday during camp?
A:
Having a birthday at camp is a special occasion! If you are the “birthday girl,” you receive a special birthday sign crafted by your counselors, a birthday cake (flavor combination of your choice), and prepare for camp’s traditional birthday song!
The party continues in the evening when you take more cake back to the cabin to share with friends! We encourage your parents to contact the camp office for approval to send a special care package and to set up a birthday phone call.
Q: What do I wear at camp?
A:
Comfy clothing appropriate to the activity in which you’re participating is encouraged. It’s best to bring a good supply of shorts, jeans, and t-shirts to camp. The traditional Camp Nicolet uniform (a Camper polo shirt, tan/khaki shorts, and white tennis shoes or sneakers) is worn on a handful of special days and for various events during the summer – but not everyday. Phew!
Q: Can I bring my electronics?
A:
Soooooo… Camp Nicolet is “tech-free.”
We believe that you (and the Staff) benefit from time to disconnect from electronic devices in order to reconnect with ourselves and others face-to-face. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) you may not bring electronic devices, including phones, laptops, tablets, video games, e-readers (Kindles), video cameras, or smart watches connected to cellular signal or the Internet.
Campers found with such items are asked to turn them into the office, where we will keep them safely until departure. In an effort to lead by example, Staff are also not allowed use of the above items within earshot or sight of you. We do allow digital cameras, as long as they are not able to connect to the Internet.
We allow the use if iPods or MP3 players for Campers who would like to use them while falling asleep. Have your parents contact the Camp Director for approval. Such devices are used only while you are in your bunk.
Q: Can my parents visit?
A:
Despite the wane of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Parent Visitation at Camp Nicolet remains suspended until future seasons.
Working to keep the virus out of the camp community continues to be one of Camp Nicolet’s operational goals.
Our Leadership Team is open to maintaining connections between Campers and parents. If your parent(s) wishes to discuss any special circumstances with us, please ask them to contact the Camp Director.
Q: Can I call home?
A:
Part of the importance of the summer camp experience is fostering independence by learning how to be away from home.
While many believe that contact with home helps you settle into camp life and ease homesickness, it’s our experience that the opposite is true; phone calls home tend to increase the length and severity of homesickness.
For this reason, we do not allow phone calls at camp. The only exception is for campers who have a birthday while at Nicolet.