Leelanau Outdoor Center celebrates 30 years
From staff reports
This year marks 30 years for the Leelanau Outdoor Center (LOC) on Pyramid Point. To celebrate this milestone, LOC will host a Fall Festival event on Oct. 5, where participants will be able to climb the rock wall, fly down the zip line, go on a hayride, carve a pumpkin, shoot a bow and arrow, and more! The outdoor center will be open to all from 1-5 pm, and it’s just $15/person to access all the activities. Concessions will also be available.
The Leelanau Outdoor Center was founded in 1994 to serve school groups and the local community during the school year. It’s part of the umbrella organization, Camp Leelanau & Kohahna Foundation, which operates Camp Leelanau for Boys and Camp Kohahna for Girls in the summer. The mission of LOC is “to provide outstanding experiential and ecological learning in the natural environment that promotes the discovery and development of leadership and character.”
In 2023, LOC served almost 1,900 students from schools from all over the state of Michigan. LOC provides a safe, hands-on learning environment where students get to push themselves outside their comfort zone, while learning about themselves, their peers, and the natural world around them. LOC is unique in that it focuses just as much on character building as it does on science-based curriculum. This is done through high adventure activities like the high ropes course, zip line, climbing wall, and team building, while making good use of the diverse northern Michigan environment. Ecological activities include Pond Study, where students are taken to a nearby pond with a beaver dam and lodge, as well as going farther afield to the Sleeping Bear Dunes on the Big Blue Bus for Dune School. This exceptional outdoor classroom environment sets all students up for success, even if they aren’t high performers in the traditional classroom. Katie Duntley, the Director of the Leelanau Outdoor Center, says “LOC is the perfect place for kids to be kids, away from the pressures of social media and their devices. Here they learn how to communicate more effectively because they’re spending quality time with each other face to face, as well as stepping outside their comfort zone in a safe and supportive environment. It’s amazing to see the growth in each student during their time here.”
The Fall Festival will be a wonderful way to celebrate 30 years of helping students grow in character, leadership skills, and ecological learning. More details about the event can be found at LOCprograms.org/events.
