camp manitowa

Name

camp manitowa

Legal name

Camp Manitowa

Website

https://campmanitowa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Summer Camps and Retreats

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), Adventure Base Camps (Trek/Climb/Expedition Camps) (THAGAOAG)

Keywords

• Overnight summer camps
• Youth camp programs
• Adventure trip programs
• Cabin rental retreats
• Group retreat venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Benton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Tuition: Primary revenue stream from youth summer camp programs. Session I runs 3-weeks at $3,595 or 2-weeks at $2,610. Session II offers weekly options at $1,495-$1,550. Teen Town programs available at premium pricing. Smoky Mountain Adventure Trip priced at $1,825 for 9th graders.
2. Cabin and Yurt Rentals: Year-round revenue from private cabin and yurt rentals through Airbnb and direct booking. Accommodations include yurts, cabins, and glamping options for families and groups seeking outdoor retreats.
3. Camp Canteen Merchandise: Online merchandise store selling camp apparel, accessories, and keepsakes. Proceeds support the Camp Manitowa Scholarship Fund.
4. Group Retreats and Event Rentals: Revenue from corporate retreats, school groups, weddings, and special events. Includes custom retreat merchandise services for groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Camp Manitowa operates a coed overnight summer camp for youth entering grades 2–10, a weekday day camp, and teen adventure trips on a 40-acre lakeside campus between Lake Hamilton and Rend Lake in Southern Illinois. Year-round, it rents yurts, cabins, and themed accommodations to families and small groups, and hosts customized corporate, nonprofit, school, faith-based, and themed retreats (e.g., Girls Empowerment, Mother Daughter, Women's Adventure, homeschool field trips). Merchandise is sold online via the Camp Canteen, with proceeds supporting a camp scholarship fund.

Product overview

Camp Manitowa is a family-founded summer camp and year-round retreat center operating as a single unified service brand. The core offerings consist of youth overnight summer camp programs (2nd-10th grade), day camp, and teen adventure trips, supplemented by year-round retreat and cabin rental services. Accommodations include 10 modern yurts and multiple themed cabins (Saluki, Shady Rest, Big Muddy, Little Red, Green Lodge, White House, Mammoth, Sassy Sadie Camper) available for rent. The company also operates themed retreat programs (Girls Empowerment, Mother Daughter, Women's Adventure, Homeschool Field Trips), hosts the annual Sugar Creek Music Festival, and maintains a merchandise store (Camp Canteen) that funds a scholarship program. All offerings are unified under the Camp Manitowa brand identity and share the same 40-acre lakeside campus near Rend Lake in Southern Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Overnight Summer Camp Traditional coed overnight summer camp for campers entering 2nd through 10th grade, featuring cabin accommodations, lake activities, high-adventure programming, and camp traditions on a 40-acre property near Rend Lake.
• Day Camp Day camp experience for local campers offering swimming, lake activities, sports, arts and crafts, and classic camp programming from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
• Smoky Mountain Adventure Trip Week-long adventure trip for 9th graders to the Great Smoky Mountains, including kayaking, zip lining, hiking, cliff jumping, camping, and whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River.
• Retreats & Cabin Rentals Year-round retreat destination offering private cabin and yurt rentals, group retreat programming, wedding venues, and event spaces on a 40-acre lakeside campus near Rend Lake.
• Group Retreats Customizable corporate, nonprofit, school, and faith-based retreat experiences with facilitated activities, team building, and private property rentals.
• Girls Empowerment Retreat Weekend retreat for 6th-8th grade girls featuring confidence-building workshops, outdoor adventures, team challenges, and leadership activities led by Camp Manitowa staff.
• Mother Daughter Weekend Lakeside weekend retreat for mothers and daughters featuring bonding activities, adventure experiences, and cabin accommodations at Rend Lake.
• Women's Adventure Retreat Women's empowerment retreat led by Sally Drake featuring guided workshops, leadership sessions, wellness activities, and lakeside gatherings.
• Homeschool Field Trips Outdoor education field trips for homeschool groups featuring hands-on adventure, team building, and nature-based activities adaptable by age group.
• Sugar Creek Music Festival Annual lakeside music festival at Camp Manitowa featuring live bands, acoustic sets, campfire jam sessions, and community celebration.
• Camp Canteen Store Online merchandise store selling camp apparel, keepsakes, and accessories, with proceeds supporting the Camp Manitowa Scholarship Fund.

Quantifiable outcome

• Campers develop increased confidence, independence, and social skills through intentional programming and small community sizes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ocoee Adventure CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional whitewater rafting outfitter partnered for the Smoky Mountain Adventure Trip. Provides epic whitewater rafting experience on the Ocoee River as the culminating activity of the 9th grade trip.
• Navitat (Knoxville)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZip lining adventure provider partnered for the Smoky Mountain Adventure Trip. Provides professional outfitter services alongside Camp Manitowa-trained trip staff.
• Ijams Nature Center (Knoxville)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature center partnered for the Smoky Mountain Adventure Trip. Provides kayaking experiences at the Ijams Nature Center as the first stop on the trip.
• Benton Farmers MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farmers market partnered for sourcing fresh produce for camp meals. Supports the camp's commitment to local sourcing and mindful eating.
• Forestry CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal small-batch roastery near Benton where Camp Manitowa's Manitowa Magic coffee beans are roasted. Thoughtful sourcing and expert roasting for camp merchandise.
• Franklin Hospital (Benton, IL)minorOthersNearest medical facility located approximately 10 minutes from camp. Camp is located just 5 minutes from Franklin Hospital for any medical emergencies.
• Camp Kesem at Saint Louis UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual hosting partner providing free camp experiences for children impacted by a parent's cancer. Camp Manitowa provides facilities and programming for this meaningful annual retreat.
• Urban InitiativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based nonprofit organization that empowers youth through sport, play, and teamwork. Hosts annual retreat at Camp Manitowa.
• Illinois Art Education Association (IAEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization hosting immersive summer programs for art educators at Camp Manitowa. Annual retreat for professional development and creative recharge.
• Washington University Rodriguez ScholarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership and community retreat program from Washington University in St. Louis hosting annual retreat at Camp Manitowa for diverse students.
• STL Yoga CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellness organization hosting Rooted Retreat weekends at Camp Manitowa. Provides yoga sessions, wellness workshops, and nature-based community experiences.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Camp Ondessonk: Catholic-based traditional residential summer camp in Southern Illinois operating cabin-based overnight programs with similar adventure and waterfront programming to Camp Manitowa. Same regional market, same family demographic, same multi-activity traditional camp positioning.
• Camp Pinnacle: Traditional coed residential summer camp in the Southeast operating multi-activity programming centered on cabin life, waterfront, and high-adventure activities. Closest model-comparable to Camp Manitowa's product structure, though serving a different geography.
• Camp Livingston: Traditional overnight summer camp in Bennington, Indiana previously run by Camp Manitowa co-founder Andy Brown as Executive Director (1996–2007). Same multi-activity residential camp format and Midwest youth market; founder-overlap makes it a directly comparable peer.
• Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI): Jewish summer camp in Indianapolis, Indiana where co-founder Dan Grabel previously served as a camp professional. Operates a traditional residential multi-activity format directly comparable to Camp Manitowa's programming model.
• Camp Sabra (St. Louis JCC): Jewish Community Center overnight camp affiliated with the St. Louis JCC, serving the same St. Louis metro catchment that anchors Camp Manitowa's 90-minute draw radius. Operates as a traditional multi-activity residential camp directly competing for the same family demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Ramah Camps: Network of Jewish summer camps across North America providing traditional residential overnight programming, including Ramah in the Midwest. Establishes the broader specialty-camp competitive set and comparable overnight programming model.
• Camp Cedar (Milwaukee JCC): Residential summer camp operated by the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Milwaukee, serving Midwest families with a traditional multi-activity camp format and group retreat capabilities — same broader Midwest residential camp market as Camp Manitowa.
• YMCA Camp Lakewood: Large traditional residential summer camp operated by the YMCA of Greater St. Louis on a 5,000-acre lake property in the Midwest. Broader scale and amenity breadth, but comparable cabin/waterfront/adventure programming and shared Midwest family market.

Others

• Coolidge State Park / Rend Lake State Park Cabins (IDNR): Alternative family cabin/glamping and lakeside lodging options in Southern Illinois operated by Illinois DNR near Rend Lake. Represents the supply-side alternative for the 'family lakeside retreat' use case that competes with Camp Manitowa's Airbnb-distributed cabin rentals.

Regional players

• Tom Sawyer Camp: Long-running traditional day and overnight camp in the greater St. Louis area serving the same family base as Camp Manitowa. While day-camp-heavy, it competes for the same summer enrollment dollars within the St. Louis 90-minute catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/campmanitowa
• Facebookfacebook.com/camp.manitowa
• Instagraminstagram.com/campmanitowa/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@campmanitowa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-manitowa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 camp manitowa