LAKE HURON RETREAT CENTER

What LAKE HURON RETREAT CENTER does

Lake Huron Retreat Center is a faith-based hospitality and retreat operation located on the Lake Huron shoreline in Burtchville, Michigan. It is owned and operated by Michigan Area United Methodist Camping (dba Grace Outside), embedding the facility within a regional United Methodist camping and retreat ministry network. The center offers overnight accommodations across two lodges (Littleton Lodge, 56 guests; Ragland Lodge, 48 guests) plus a six-person cottage, with dining capacity for 120 and dedicated meeting/event spaces. Programming includes traditional religious retreats, the God's Treasures Camp for adults with disabilities, and weekday corporate or business meetings.

The core product is curated retreat experiences grounded in a waterfront setting, with on-site amenities including private Lake Huron beach access, a prayer labyrinth, and WiFi connectivity. Pricing is published per-person per night, with rack rates starting at $96, structured for group bookings rather than individual leisure travelers. The center accepts reservations for multiple years out (currently open through 2027), which functions as a forward demand signal.

The business model is a nonprofit ministry model: revenue is generated through retreat fees, lodging, and dining charges, supplemented by denominational support, donor contributions, and shared infrastructure through MAUMC. Go-to-market relies on direct booking via the center's website, denominational referral pipelines through Grace Outside, and a multi-channel social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X/Twitter, LinkedIn). Customer segments are principally Methodist and other faith-based group retreatants, supplemented by corporate meeting groups, family reunions, and disability ministry participants.

Name

LAKE HURON RETREAT CENTER

Legal name

Michigan Area United Methodist Camping

Website

https://lakehuronretreat.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lake Huron Retreat Center is a faith-based retreat facility in Burtchville, Michigan, operated by Michigan Area United Methodist Camping (Grace Outside). It serves Methodist and other religious groups, corporate meetings, and disability ministry participants with overnight lodging, dining, and waterfront programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retreat & Conference Hospitality Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Nature Lodges (THAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marina & Waterfront Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAK), Cabins & Cottages (THAMADAA)

Keywords

• Retreat facility rentals
• Faith-based hospitality
• Conference venue services
• Lodging and meal services
• Spiritual retreat hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Burtchville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retreat Accommodation and Food Service: Full-service retreat center generating revenue through overnight accommodations and meal service. Pricing starts at $96 per person per night including lodging and meals. Offers multiple facility options including hotel-style rooms, private cottage, and group meeting spaces. Revenue is consumption-based based on group size, length of stay, and number of meals included.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lake Huron Retreat Center is a nonprofit, full-service retreat facility on the Lake Huron shoreline in Burtchville, Michigan, offering overnight accommodations (Littleton Lodge, Ragland Lodge, and a private cottage), meeting and event spaces (Poole Chapel), full dining service (Kresge Dining Hall), and outdoor amenities (private beach, prayer labyrinth) to faith-based groups, religious organizations, individuals on personal retreats, and weekday corporate/event clients. Pricing starts at $96 per person per night including lodging and meals, with custom quotes based on group size, length of stay, and meals.

Product overview

Lake Huron Retreat Center is a full-service retreat facility operated by Grace Outside (Michigan Area United Methodist Camping). The center offers a coordinated portfolio of facilities and services: lodging accommodations across three properties (Littleton Lodge with 14 rooms sleeping 56, Ragland Lodge with 8 suites sleeping 48, and the private At the Water's Edge Cottage), meeting and event spaces including Poole Chapel (seats 120) and multiple meeting rooms, full dining services at Kresge Dining Hall for up to 120 guests, and diverse outdoor spaces featuring beach access and a prayer labyrinth. Personal retreat packages provide individual accommodations with flexible programming. The center operates year-round and hosts special programs such as God's Treasures Camp for adults with mental and physical challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Poole Chapel Flexible meeting and event space seating 120 theater-style or 72 at 8 round tables, used for group gatherings, worship services, and meetings by faith-based groups, organizations, and corporate clients.
• Kresge Dining Hall On-site dining facility with seating for up to 120 guests, offering custom menus including accommodations for special dietary needs, available as part of retreat packages.
• Outdoor Spaces Outdoor retreat areas on the Lake Huron shoreline featuring a beautiful beach, prayer labyrinth, swings, and Adirondack chairs, available to retreat guests for recreation, prayer walks, and reflection.
• Littleton Lodge Lodge facility with 14 hotel-style guest rooms (sleeping up to 56 guests) and 2 meeting rooms, used as overnight accommodations for retreat and group bookings.
• At the Water's Edge Cottage Private cottage with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, offering secluded accommodation at the water's edge for families or small groups.
• Ragland Lodge

Quantifiable outcome

• Flexible meeting space accommodating up to 120 theater-style or 72 at round tables in Poole Chapel
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Michigan Area United Methodist CampingcoreOthersLake Huron Retreat Center is operated as a ministry of Michigan Area United Methodist Camping, an independent nonprofit organization. This parent organization oversees multiple camp and retreat properties including Lake Michigan Campground, Wesley Woods Camp & Retreat, and Lake Huron Retreat Center. The organization operates under the Grace Outside brand and provides centralized administrative functions including registrars for each property.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Pine Lake Christian Camp: Midwest Christian camp and retreat center offering overnight accommodations, group meeting facilities, and faith-based programming for churches and families. Comparable mission, bundled service model, and group-retreat customer base.
• Lake Pointe Conference Center: Michigan retreat and conference center offering overnight lodging, dining, and meeting facilities to church and nonprofit groups. Directly comparable group-retreat business model and regional footprint to Lake Huron Retreat Center.
• Cove Retreat Center: Faith-based retreat and conference center offering overnight lodging, dining, and meeting space for church groups and individuals seeking spiritual renewal — highly comparable faith-based group retreat model, though located in Arkansas.
• Camp Copneconic (YMCA): Michigan-based camp and conference center offering overnight accommodations, meeting spaces, dining service, and outdoor programming for groups. Comparable in scale, geography, and bundled lodging-plus-program model, though faith-agnostic rather than denominationally affiliated.
• Camp Michawana: Michigan Christian camp and retreat center serving church groups, schools, and families with overnight accommodations, meeting facilities, and outdoor programming — directly overlapping Lake Huron's faith-based group retreat offering.
• Wesley Woods Camp & Retreat: Sister property under the same Michigan Area United Methodist Camping / Grace Outside ministry. Operates a comparable camp-and-retreat model targeting faith-based groups in Michigan, sharing centralized registrars and brand-level marketing with Lake Huron Retreat Center.
• SpringHill Camps: Michigan-based Christian camp and retreat organization offering overnight lodging, meeting space, and faith-based programming for groups and individuals. Closely comparable mission, geography, and group-retreat customer base to Lake Huron Retreat Center.
• Sandy Cove Ministries: Waterfront Christian conference and retreat center on the Chesapeake Bay offering lodging, dining, meeting space, and faith-based programming — directly analogous waterfront retreat model to Lake Huron, though serving a different geography.
• Lake Michigan Campground: Third property in the Grace Outside network alongside Lake Huron Retreat Center. Offers waterfront campground accommodations in Michigan for faith-based guests, operating under the same parent nonprofit with shared administrative and marketing infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Cokesbury United Methodist Camp & Retreat Network: Broader United Methodist camp and retreat ministry network providing denominational programming, shared resources, and benchmarking across multiple camp properties similar to Lake Huron Retreat Center's Grace Outside affiliation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GraceOutside
• Facebookfacebook.com/umcamping.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/graceoutside_letsgo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-huron-retreat-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LAKE HURON RETREAT CENTER