On the shores of Lake of the Woods, YMCA Camp DeBoer is a brand new camp and conference center just an hour’s drive from Ashland.
With its sparkling facilities, heated cabins and gorgeous lake views, Camp DeBoer is quickly becoming a go-to destination for outdoor school in southern Oregon.
“People are really excited about the new facility,” says Will Robinson, Camp Operations Director for the Ashland Family YMCA. With a capacity of 120 campers, the camp fills an important niche in southern Oregon for large outdoor school groups, especially week-long programs.
In 2020-2021, the Ashland Family YMCA used funding from the Gray Family Foundation to hire an outdoor school director and design a robust place-based curriculum.
“We’re working on our own curriculum that’s specific to the site,” Will says. The camp is located on the lakeshore and features a large marsh. Several hundred yards away, the forest looks entirely different, providing students the opportunity to compare ecosystems.
“It adds diversity to our area when you have a marsh, lake and forest all in walking distance,” Will says.
Come spring, safety permitting, YMCA Camp DeBoer hopes to welcome 500-600 students from around southern Oregon to outdoor school.
“It’s just a cool spot, and I think schools and teachers are going to be excited to be up there.”