Wilderness Canoe Base

Wilderness Canoe Base borders the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Seagull Lake near the end of the Gunflint Trail, about 50 miles from Grand Marais, Minnesota. [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Grand+Marais&daddr=12477+Gunflint+Trail,+Grand+Marais,+MN+55604+(Wilderness+Canoe+Base)&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=47.961755,-90.57241&sspn=0.478191,1.001129&ie=UTF8&z=10] Part of the camp is on the northern half of Fishhook Island and another tract resides on nearby Dominion Island. [http://www.pcyc-mpls.org/perspectives/Past/nov05_soultrail.htm] It has been under the management of Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp, Inc. since 2002. [http://www.campwapo.net/wcb/]

Ham Lake Fire

Almost one third of the 138 structures destroyed by the Ham Lake fire in May of 2007 were part of Wilderness Canoe Base. Of the camp's 60 structures, 40 were consumed by flames, including outhouses and staff cabins. A year later Wilderness raised nearly $200,000 to rebuild the camp. Another $100,000 came in the form of matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Reconstruction and fund-raising are ongoing as many of the structures have yet to be rebuilt. [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/05/20/gunflint_fire_anniversary/]

History

The first piece of land purchased in 1956 for $12,000 by Plymouth Christian Youth Center, included the upper half of Fishhook Island. Camp directors, Ham Muus and Bob Evans, lead 120 boys in a camping experience which included little or none of the facilities that the camp enjoys today.

By 1958 the amount of facilities available at the camp increased several fold. Among many other structures, three log cabins, a boathouse, fourteen sleeping units, and a trail shack were all built by campers and volunteers. Most of these structures were erected in the course of a single year, beginning early in 1958.

Fully accredited by the American Camping Association in 1963, Wilderness Canoe Base operated as a subsidiary of Plymouth Christian Youth Center until it was acquired by Camp Wapogasset, Inc. in 2002 [http://www.campwapo.net/wcb/index.php?subj=2]

Address

Wilderness Canoe Base, 12477 Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais, MN 55604

External Links

* http://www.campwapo.net

References