Camp Van Vac 

About

The lively town of Ely is 6 miles away with bait and grocery stores and shopping for art, mukluks, pasties and canoes. Visit wildlife at the International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center and drink root beer at the Dorothy Molter Museum.

At Camp, walk trails through spring wildflowers and brash red maple leaves. Enjoy the raw beauty of wind, sunshine and sunsets punctuated by loon call. Camp Van Vac is a niche in the natural world where you are invited to come and be yourself. If you enjoy simplicity of place and the authenticity of the northwoods, Camp offers log and stone housekeeping cabins built by our Finnish neighbors in 1917.

Your cabin may sleep 2-10, with summer rates from $440 to $1400 and a 20% discount in May, June and September, after Labor Day. Your kitchen has a stove, refrigerator, cookware and dishes. Wood stoves provide heat, and outside you’ll find a grill and small campfire burner. Most cabins have a lake view.

You can rent a motorboat, canoe, kayak or pontoon to explore sky blue Burntside Lake with its 100 islands, where you’ll find walleye, lake trout, northern, bass and pan fish.

Kids love swimming, tubing and playing on the swings. You can find a quiet spot to watch the Milky Way or join other campers for a sauna, summer nature programs and potlucks. Sunbathe, fish from the dock or curl up in front of the wood stove with a good book. Our new 30-foot yurt is a place to gather indoors for a big family meal, play cards on a rainy day or start a ping-pong match.

WiFi is available and the young folks have gotten us on Facebook, where you can see narratives and fabulous photos in the group, "Camp Van Vac is where it's at."