What do we do at 4–H Camp?
- Arts and Crafts
- Low Ropes Team Challenge
- High Ropes & Zip Line
- 3-Sided 50' Tall Climbing Tower
- Rappelling
- Night Zips and Night Climbs
- Creek Walks
- Day & Night Hikes
- Nature Center Programs
- Outdoor Camping Skills
- Outdoor Cooking
- GPS and Orienteering
- Paper Rockets
- Campfire Programs
- Archery
- Air Rifles
- Atlatls
- Field Sports & Water Games
- Swimming in our Jr. Olympic size pool
- Kayaking
- Pond Canoeing
- River Canoeing
The Iowa 4–H Center consists of over 1,100 acres of native prairie, woodlands, meadows, bluffs, wetlands, and fields in the heart of the scenic Des Moines River Valley . The area is home to deer, wild turkey, raccoons, migratory waterfowl, and birds, making it a haven to many wild species. Richardson 's Creek borders the 4–H Center property to the east and flows into the Des Moines River bordering the property on the west and south. The 4–H Center also includes several miles of hiking trails and a small pond. On this large and beautiful site, the summer program of the Iowa 4–H Center serves youth of all ages, teaching life skills through nature education and team challenge programs.
Our site is divided into five private villages, each with its own main lodge. Campers and counselors live in cabins with electricity and use centrally located bathrooms. Instructional staff live in Cedar Lodge complete with a kitchen, air-conditioned lounge, computer & Internet, TV/VCR, deck, fire ring, and laundry facilities.
Campers come from all over Iowa and about 50% are 4–H members. You do not need to have been in 4–H to work at our camp.
We are offering the following programs this summer for a mix of ages:
Day Camps - weekly themed sessions running Monday thru Friday for campers 6-10 years old.
General Sessions - half-week and week-long resident camps for campers who want to spend time in a different program area each day (waterfront, crafts, shooting sports, outdoor camping, and challenge course)
Specialty Camps – half-week and week-long resident camps for campers who want to specialize in a topic of interest for 3-4 hours each day
Outdoor Camps – week-long resident camps for campers who want to experience a rustic setting, cook 2 meals a day outdoors, and have a 4 campers to 1 staff ratio.
Leadership Camps – Leaders-In-Training (LIT Camp), Counselors-In-Training (CIT Camp), and Camp STARS sessions for youth ages 15+
Family Camps – Bring a Big Person, Father/Son, Mother/Daughter, and Family Camp
For a complete list of our summer camp events see our camp descriptions