Great Lakes Family Camps Offer Affordable Summer Vacation Fun. Campfires and s’mores, scavenger hunts and hayrides, canoeing and archery, family camp is about enjoying the fun stuff with your kids.

Here's the scoop. If your family vacation schedule is flexible then now is the time to secure a much coveted spot at a family camp. In Wisconsin hike the pine needle pathways of the north woods and in Minnesota go  muckwomping. This is the fun stuff. 

YMCA Camp Pinewood in Michigan. Spread across 20 acres of rolling hills on the westernmost side of Michigan family camp weekends (Friday evening through Monday morning) are designed to provide the perfect atmosphere for quality time with your family in the outdoors enjoying a variety of activities together. As a family Campers have the opportunity to: boat, canoe, fish, sing songs around a campfire, roast marshmallows, practice archery, climb the wall, go on hayrides and horseback riding, do arts and crafts projects, and just relax. Wait for it! If summer does not work, they also offer an annual winter camp experience in the snowy hills. Pinewood's warm, cozy cabins, heated lodge and blazing fireplace provide a perfect winter setting from which to enjoy the “lake effect” snow. Go snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, ice fishing and reconnect with camp friends and staff over a cup of hot chocolate. Make it happen. 4230 Obenauf Road Twin Lake,MI 49457. (231) 821-2421 or www.camppinewood.com.

Camp Wehakee Family Camp in Wisconsin. Each August it is family camp time with five days reserved for moms, dads, grandparents, sisters, brothers and cousins – real the whole family is welcome to share in the fun on the shores of beautiful Hunter Lake. Enjoy a family-centered, fun-filled adventure in the beautiful north woods of Wisconsin this summer. Located on the Chippewa Flowage at the edge of the Chequamagon National Forest and not far southeast of Hayward, this faith based family camp welcomes all faiths and denominations. The fun includes horseback riding, swimming, sailing and windsurfing, canoeing and kayaking, art’s and crafts, soccer and archery, and talent shows. Wait for it! There’s also a family camp session only for girls. The WeHaKee Mother/Daughter Camp is open to moms and daughters, grandmothers and grand-daughters or aunts and their nieces. Here’s the deal! Children younger than five years of age may attend with family at no charge. Make it happen. N8104 Barker Lake Road, WI 54896. Toll-free 1-800-582-2267 or (608)787-8304 or www.campwehakee.com.

Camp Lake Hubert in Minnesota. Located on more than 700 wooded acres next to the lake, this is a family camp supreme. For those looking to find the quintessential north woods experience, complete with the rich aroma of conifers, the whispering of wind in the pines and the echoing sound of loons, this is it and with no extra charge for mosquitoes. Each family group has a chalet style cabin with three families sharing a central living room with a fireplace and a bathroom. Everyone gets three hearty meals, a fresh salad bar and home-baked breads and treats are also on hand every evening. Each family will enjoy as much activity or as little as they choose. Relax on the waterfront of spring fed Lake Hubert or join in an action-packed schedule of fun activities. Make it happen. Lake Hubert, MN 55456. Toll-free  1-800-242-1909 or (218) 968-2339 or www.lincoln-lakehubert.com.