Sweyolakan Home

Overview

Summer Schedule & Pricing

Registration/Refund Info

Living Units & Programming

Extra Spicy Options

Sweyolakan Outdoor Experience Programs

Leadership Programs

Sweyolakan Day Camp

You & Me Kid Weekends

Womens' Weekends

You Bet I Can (special needs)

Other Events

Online Registration

Brochures and Forms

Employment Opportunities

Photo Tour

Summer Camp Overview

Ages

Camp Sweyolakan is open to all boys and girls and young adults, ages 6-18. Programming for campers with special needs (You Bet I CAN!) is offered until age 25.

Session Lengths

• 3, 4, 6, 7 and 11-night options.

Program

Campers are in small groups and placed in units by grades.  Campers who wish to be placed together must be in the same program and within one grade.  The unit programs are camper-driven and are designed with age-appropriate progression of skills.  Campers have the opportunity to earn ranks (awards) as they increase their skills.  Extra program options and other trip components are also available.  See Extra Spicy and Outdoor Experience Options.

History

Established in July 1922, Sweyolakan is a Native American word which means "sigh of the pines". Sweyolakan is owned and operated by Camp Fire USA Inland Northwest Council.  Membership is not required to attend programs offered by the camp.

Activities

• Water Sports

  • Swimming (American Red Cross instruction),
  • Canoeing, Kayaking, Sailing, Funyaks, Rowboating
  • Aqua Jump®
• Adventure
  • High and Low Ropes Courses, Trail Biking,
  • Rock Climbing, Giant Swing, Horseback Riding
• Camp Craft
  • Outdoor Skills Instruction and Ranks
  • Outdoor Cooking, Overnights
• Creative Arts
  • Arts and Crafts, Wood Crafts, Papermaking,
• Outdoors
  • Hiking, Archery (instruction and ranks sanctioned by the Junior Olympic Archery Development (National Archery Association)
  • Nature Lore
  • Challenge Course - high and low ropes, bouldering wall
  • singing in the Dining Hall, around the camp fire, in the canoes, in the shower
  • and Much More!

Exciting Optional Activities

• Rock Climbing
• Hiawatha Bike Trail
• Aowakiya overnights
• Week-long Sailing Unit
• Silverwood/Boulder Beach
• Wrangler Horse Program - Beginner & Intermediate
• Mountain Horse Pack Trip
• Ranch Camp
• Whitewater Rafting

Trips Out of Camp

• Mineral Ridge Nature Trail
• Cataldo Mission
• Sierra Silver Mines
• Gold Panning
• Kayak
• Emerald Creek Garnet Mines

Setting

The main camp area includes the McCornack Dining Hall and kitchen, the Annette Francisco Lodge (AFL) for programming, health cottage, camp store, camp office, director's cottage, Tamarack staff lounge building, housing for program specialists and the caretaker's cottage and shop.

The Camp"Health Cottage," is located in Main Camp.  The healthcare staff hold and dispense all medications while campers are in our care.

Sweyolakan has a Coeur d'Alene physician on call.  Urgent care/minor emergency centers and a fully equipped hospital/medical center are located in Coeur d'Alene, just minutes from Camp.  In an emergency situation, Northwest MedStar can be at camp within 24 minutes of a phone call.

We recommend a physical examination within 24 months prior to arrival at camp.  Our Health History Form is required yearly.

Food

Meals at Sweyolakan are served family style in McCornack Dining Hall and campers may sit wherever they choose.  We feature a salad bar selection in addition to the entrees.  Snacks are provided mid-morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening.  Special dietary needs can be accommodated and vegetarian alternatives are offered at every meal.

We strive to meet any special needs your child may have--dietary, medical, social, etc.  To help ensure that your child receives a quality experience, please contact the Camp Director and advise her of the camper's needs.

Please contact the Spokane Camp Fire office if there is a severe food allergy and note it on the health form.

Accreditation & Standards

Compliance with hundreds of standards and regulations is required for accreditation by the American Camp Association and various government agencies. Camp Sweyolakan meets or exceeds these standards in all areas (health and safety, program quality, transportation, qualifications of staff, food service, sanitation and site/facility issues). In addition, Camp Fire USA has high internal standards.
Camp Sweyolakan staff members come from diverse backgrounds, much like the campers they serve. They are carefully screened and have background checks.

In accordance with the Federal and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272  or (202) 720-6382 (TTY).  USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Camp Fire reserves the right to cancel any camping session or program.

Sweyolakan campers receive American Red Cross swimming instruction and are eligible to work on ranks sanctioned by the Junior Olympic Archery Development program (JOAD).

Registration Info | Downloadable Brochure and Forms

Please contact Camp Fire USA Inland Northwest Council for more information.