Two Camps,
One tradition
Camp Thunderbird for Boys and Camp Thunderbird for Girls: located in Northern Minnesota on picturesque Lake Plantagenet. Two sleep-away camps, only miles apart, with a spirit of cooperation in a place that we call home.
Hear From Campers
Our campers live and breathe Thunderbird. They say it best!
All About Thunderbird
Rooted in a tradition dating back to 1946, Thunderbird continues to stay true to its past. We have always and continue to provide campers with a safe place to spread their wings, chart their path, forge profound friendships, and explore all the outdoors has to offer. Join our camp family and find your way home.
Program experience
Looking for a program that will hold the interest of your child from seven to seventeen? Our multi-specialty and adventure program combination experience is unparalleled in the Midwest and perhaps across the country.
See our facilities
Camp Thunderbird for Boys and Camp Thunderbird for Girls are set on 700 acres and more than three miles of our undeveloped and pristine shoreline that separate the two camps. With almost no daily boat traffic except for our own, our waterfronts and camp settings are ideal.
Meet our leadership
By pairing a deep understanding of the world your child navigates, with a philosophy rooted in 7o plus years of camping tradition, we foster the ideal environment for fun, growth, and adventure!
The Best Job You’ll Ever Have
If you’re looking for a summer job that just might change your life, you’ve found it. See what it takes to be a Thunderbird staff member.
Wilderness Adventure
Does the backcountry beckon? Are you up for the challenge of leading our older campers on one of our extensive multi-week adventure programs across the US and Canada? Well if you have the training and drive then you’ve come to the right place!
Journey Home Again & Again
Once a Thunderbird camper, always a Thunderbird camper. With over 70 years of tradition, Thunderbird allows for campers to share the camp experience with parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. Each generation comes together to be part of the Thunderbird community and family.
Thunderbird What You Are
Whether you’re introducing that TBird magic to your kids, giving the gift of it to others, or just recapturing a bit for yourself, home is always right where you left it.
Make a difference
Donate to The Camp Thunderbird and John Austin Cheley Charitable Foundations