Dells Christian Campgrounds: My Memories

Dells Christian Campgrounds was started by a group of men around the same time my twin and I were born.  I grew up there during every summer.  It was my home away from home.  I have many memories to relive. 

The merry-go-round is one of my earliest memories.  It is still standing today.   We would get that thing spinning as fast as we could and jump on.  Sometimes we would grab on to the heavy chains connecting the seats to the top frame.  As we spin our feet would leave the seat and we would be horizontal.  As a mom and a grand mom I am hoping my kids nor grandkids never do anything so stupid. 

The cave is another memory.  It is located on the Wisconsin river just a short distance from the camp’s little sandbar.  As a kid you could gain access to it by climbing up a tree roots then crawling along a narrow ledge to the cave.  I do not think it is possible to get to the cave by land anymore.  You can get there by boat but the cave is high up in the rocky cliffs and you may need a ladder.  Why go through all the trouble to get to the cave?  Because it is a nice little cave and you can see carvings in the cave from people who visited the cave in the early 1900’s.

The Big and Little sandbars is what we called the two sandbars when I was a kid.  The big sandbar is no longer accessible to the people at the camp because it belongs to a condo company and they have fenced off the land.  It was called the big sandbar because it was usually larger than the sandbar on the camp’s property.  It was a great place to swim because the sandbar came out into the river in a V shape and it provided a channel along the cliffs that was deep enough for swimming yet out of the current of the river so it was safer to swim.  We used to have a rope swing from the cliffs.  So many good memories.  In August there would be a large area of blackberries just waiting to be picked.  Yum!  The little sandbar is on camp property and you used to be able to drive down to it and put your boat in the river.  Years of rain washing out the road has made that impossible and now the road is overgrown.  There is a path from the camp to the river and when you get to the river there is a staircase leading down to the sandbar. 

My valley was a place I called my own as a child but I am sure others visited when I was not around.  It was probably an old logging road but I called it my valley.  It was down by the little sandbar off the main road down to the water. There was a fallen log laying across the valley just high enough for me to sit on and reflect.  It was a quiet place where I could go to reflect on God’s creation. 

The Dining Hall and cabins which stand on the campground have stood almost since the beginning of the camp.  While there are a few new ones most are in their original location.  Over the years they have gone through renovations to update them.  While still rustic in nature the cabins sport really nice bathrooms and complete kitchens in most of them. 

The dining hall has likewise gone through some renovations.  However, many of the components are still in the same place.  The dining area still have the long tables which seat up to eight people.  There is chairs in place of the long benches we used to sit at as a kid.  The large passthrough window is still there along with the triple sinks in the corner.  The huge cook table is still there.  I remember the older cook as a child who would make wonderful meals and made from scratch sweet rolls on that table.  The dining hall still is used by large groups who rent the camp.

The Water Hole still stands and it is where the well is which supplies the entire camp.  It has the sweetest water.  It is just steps away from the bathrooms.  When my kids were in grade school I bought a large tent and a bunch of camping equipment and we camped near the bathrooms and watering hole.  I am glad my kids got to experience some of the things I got to experience as a kid.

When I was a kid the campgrounds would have old fashion revival meetings every year.  It started in a huge tent which was set up in a field.  They had evangelists from around the country come.  The meetings were held for up to three weeks a summer.  They built a large screened in building and called it the tabernacle.  We had old theater seats to sit on and a stage where the evangelists would pound the pulpit and beg people to come to Jesus. 

Now the camp is going strong.  One of my brothers and his wife oversee the day to day upkeep of the camp.  While the camp no longer holds revival meetings it is rented out by groups and families all summer long.  It still maintains the Christian atmosphere as it’s humble beginnings.  You can find out more by visiting the camps website at:

www.dellschristiancampground.com