Camp Deer Trails — located in Harrison, less than 2.5 hours from metro Detroit and two from Grand Rapids — isn’t your typical campground or wedding venue. This former Girl Scout Camp has a tremendous history and offers something for everyone — a lake, cabins, rustic or modern camping, many gathering spaces and more.
While there are many fun facts about Camp Deer Trails, we compiled 10 of our favorites to help you learn more about us:
- We have a private island! Moose Island is owned by Camp Deer Trails and is available for our guests to explore and enjoy. We have rowboats, canoes and kayaks for rent to help you get there, or feel free to bring your own!
- We serve our guests with … wait for it … 32 outhouses! They’re all original to the Girl Scout Camp and are distributed throughout the property (not all are operational). Even though most of our cabins have private bathrooms and the camp has a bathroom building, you’ll never be without a facility when you need one!
- Our three, white-sand beaches span a half mile of lakefront. If sunbathing or building sandcastles are your jam, we’ve got you covered.
- In the woods, you can find a walking bridge built by Girl Scouts. We love that this walking bridge still stands today — and we hope you find it!
- We’re part of a program to help sustain healthy forests. This program provides grants for us to plant trees and seeds for the native bee population and to keep our forest healthy.
- More than 40 couples have gotten married here. Camp Deer Trails has several unique spaces to get married, including the beach, an amphitheater and a rustic cabin. Our lodge holds up to 160 people for your reception and has an indoor/outdoor bar and a huge deck overlooking the lake. We’ve also hosted sports teams, reunions, community events, engagement and birthday parties, and more.
- You can stay with us year-round. While many campgrounds close during the winter months, many of our cabins are available for rent in the colder months.
- Bobcats, turkeys and bears, oh my! We have an abundance of wildlife at Camp Deer Trails. On any given day, you might see bald eagles, turkeys, muskrats, rabbits, squirrels, and, VERY rarely, you might spot a bobcat or bear. And we can’t forget about the deer!
- We’re wifi-free. What!? There are places in the world without wifi? Yes, we’re proud to say we do not have wifi, allowing our guests to truly disconnect from the stresses of everyday life. If you still need to connect, cellular service usually works. That said, we recommend connecting with friends and family around a campfire or curling up with a good book!
- We’ve been around for almost 90 years. That’s when the Girl Scouts acquired the property and began their camp, attended by hundreds of girls over several decades. We know, however, that there’s even more to our story. How far back does it go? Well, arrowheads used by Native Americans have been found here, too…