Facilities

facilities at Northwoods

The Northwoods Field Station (Hiawatha Campus) is located on the shore of Cherry Lake in Wetmore, Michigan. The camp has a beautiful lodge and six sleeping cabins (one is reserved for the caretaker during the summer season, June-August). Visitor’s spend their time relaxing on the lodge porch and around the fire pit, swimming, canoeing, and fishing in Cherry Lake, and hiking around the property. At Northwoods, the emphasis is on living in harmony with nature, building community, and a low consumption lifestyle. This rustic camp has basic amenities for visitors while balancing off-grid living.

The lodge is open to camp users and has a large dining space, living room, and full kitchen with stove, oven, and refrigerators. The kitchen is fully stocked with pots and pans, cooking utensils, dishes, cups, silverware, cutting boards, knives, measuring cups, etc. You name it, we probably have it! The front porch offers beautiful views of Cherry Lake.

Each cabin sleeps up to eight people and has a wood stove and firewood for use. The cabins do not have electricity or running water. Cots are available for use in the cabins. Bunk-style beds with mattresses are no longer available. Bedding (sheets, blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows) is not provided. Tent camping is also an option. There is one tent platform and plenty of other space to pitch a tent. Contact the Northwoods Director for costs for cabin rental and/or tent camping.

The lakeshore is accessible on camp property and offers a dock for launching canoes or kayaks and a small swimming area. Canoes are available at camp for use. Fishing is permitted with a fishing license. Cherry Lake is public access.

The sauna was built by Hiram alumni and is a great way to warm-up on cold nights. It is fueled by a wood stove and is located on the north side of camp.

Modern bathroom facilities are available in the lodge as long as you are willing to replenish the water tank via hand-pumping the well. Composting outhouses (privies) and bathing in the lake is the preferred method as we strive to be as sustainable as possible at camp. Privies are for dry compost only and the woods should be used for peeing. Please talk with the caretaker upon arrival if you plan to use the bathroom facilities in the lodge as water is limited and must be pumped in advance and monitored so the cistern does not run dry. Towels and wash cloths are not provided.

Water comes from a hand-pumped well and is potable. We can pump water into a cistern in the lodge and then it gravity flows into sinks, the shower and a toilet.

There is no electricity at camp, except what we generate from solar at the lodge. We rely on the solar to provide some lighting at night inside of the lodge. This is not enough for hair dryers, fans or other electronic devices. With permission from the caretaker, you may be able to use it to charge small personal devices (phones, laptops, iPads, etc.). The solar does not run to the cabins and does not light pathways.