Hospitality

To us, “hospitality” means providing life-changing experiences through the design, creation, and implementation of the thoughtful reception of our guests. Your reception is always friendly and generous and is always in the best interest of our community and environment.

Retreats and Conferences

Enjoy your next meeting, retreat, or conference in a relaxed, natural setting. Consider Pretty Lake as a venue for life’s meaningful events such as birthdays, graduation, showers, holidays, and family reunions.  When Summer Camp is not in session (mid-August through May), Pretty Lake Camp provides a beautiful setting for your retreat or conference needs, large or small. Your group can enjoy a variety of activities such as hiking, kayaking and canoeing, swimming, and archery in the peaceful surroundings and natural beauty of Pretty Lake. You may also choose to include programs through the Adventure Centre!

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Revenue generated from meetings, retreats, and events directly supports our mission and vision to provide life-changing experiences through free summer camp.

Hospitality News

Step Sisters Recovery Network Return to Pretty Lake

Step Sisters Recovery Network Return to Pretty Lake

Step Sisters Recovery Network returned to Pretty Lake Camp for the third time from March 10 to 12 to hold a Retreat. During the retreat, participants were able to engage in small group meetings, recovery crafts, 12 step yoga, journaling workshops, and other enrichment...

K College Posse Scholars Return!

K College Posse Scholars Return!

Kalamazoo College Posse Scholars returned to Pretty Lake in January of this year for the Posse Plus Retreat, this time utilizing our Retreat Centre and Inpost Cabins with linen service for overnight accommodations! Through our culinary department, Chef Jai and her...

A Beautiful Place to Be

We are located on over 250 acres of nature just a few miles southwest of Kalamazoo. Overnight guests will find a variety of lodging suited to their needs, from all-season cabins to our cozy Retreat Centre. Our food service will enhance your retreat experience by allowing you to relax and focus on your event.

Our entire camp has the capacity to host a group of approximately 225 people. We have a wide range of facilities including our Retreat Centre, conference rooms, winterized cabins, dining hall, and a private outpost lodge. 

Food Service

We welcome and encourage accommodation requests. Allergen Free, Vegan, and Vegetarian menu item alternatives are available for all menu selections. Please discuss any and all dietary accommodation needs with us prior to the finalization of your event contract. Click here to view our Dining Menu.

We create intentional menus that are culturally fitting for our guests and campers, and our menus focus on equitable, inclusive, accessible options. That means many of the menu selections are allergen free, can accommodate medical or religious accommodations, and are crafted with a sensitivity to guests who may be in twelve step programs. All of the food that we serve is clearly labeled so that our guests can identify which foods are right for them. 

At Pretty Lake Camp, no one experiences hunger, and we always provide enough food for our extremely active days. For our campers, we are committed to serving the healthiest versions of the foods that kids want and we let them know that there is more food if they need it. 

Because we recognize that our society has huge wealth and income inequities, we work creatively and collaboratively with clients and guests to create events and retreats that fit their budget. We also use our purchasing power in ways that support economic justice by supporting BIPOC vendors and contractors whenever possible. 

In an effort to reduce our impact on the environment, we are constantly researching new ways to reduce our food waste, to move away from the use of plastics, to use compostable goods whenever possible, and provide robust vegetarian and vegan options.

Adventure Programming

You can also arrange group programming provided by the Adventure Centre that provides team-building activities that inspire, motivate, and challenge our client groups to greater achievement through the building of trust, improved communication, and a sense of collaboration.

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Our Facilities

Retreat Centre

Overlooking beautiful Pretty Lake, the Retreat Centre features a fieldstone gas fireplace, a large covered porch, and a large room perfect for mingling and relaxed fireside discussions. This building includes ten bedrooms with bunk beds and two separate barrier-free bathroom facilities. It can accommodate up to 40 overnight guests or 70 daytime guests.

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Powell Gym & Conference Rooms

Our Conference Rooms are ideal for your day meeting or retreat. The Conference Rooms are located in the Powell Gymnasium building, home to the Adventure Centre’s indoor high-ropes course. Rental includes access to a kitchenette for your use. The two conference rooms combined can accommodate groups up to 75 with nearby barrier-free restrooms.

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Dining Hall

The Dining Hall features a large room with a stunning view of Pretty Lake. With a seating capacity of 200, the Dining Hall serves as the main dining facility for our retreat guests. Its relaxed, casual atmosphere compliments the natural setting. Our delicious meals are served buffet-style. Our pergola with swings are just outside overlooking the lake.

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Winter-Ready Inpost Cabins

Located a short distance from the Retreat Centre, these cabins are surrounded by the comfort of trees. Our six rustic-yet-charming cabins can hold up to 18 individuals each, bunkhouse style. The cabins are fully heated and feature bunk beds, and barrier-free bathroom and shower facilities. A fire pit is nestled in the woods a short distance away for night-time stories, s’mores and much more. 

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The Outpost Lodge

Our private Outpost facility is located approximately 1/4 mile from our main camp. It features a scenic lodge and six three-season cabins, each accommodating ten individuals, bunkhouse style. The Outpost Lodge boasts an informal communal and deck with fabulous views of Pretty Lake. Shower and bathroom facilities are located in the lodge.

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The Great Outdoors

The great outdoors is always available to you, but if you’re looking to host an outdoor event, then you’re invited to reserve the space to assure its availability! You can arrange for the set up of an event tent and arrange outdoor activities with our staff like hiking, swimming, paddling, and archery. Don’t forget to take a walk to our farm to see what’s growing!

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Click through the photos below to see our facilities including conference rooms, gymnasium, cabins and the beautiful outdoors!

Paul Vugteveen (he/him) is proud to serve the Kalamazoo community as Hospitality Director at Pretty Lake Camp! Paul lives in Kalamazoo with his partner Lindsey and their dog and cat Georgia and Wubzy. Not only does Paul have a passion for warm and inviting spaces, he also loves spending time outdoors, paddling in canoes, making photographs with film, and listening to his vinyl record collection.

Use the form below to contact Paul with any questions you have. Paul can also be reached by calling our office at (269) 375-1950.

Information Request Form

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Map & Directions

Where is Pretty Lake Camp located?

Pretty Lake Camp is located just ten minutes from Kalamazoo (southwest of the I-94/US-131 interchange) on Q Avenue in Texas Township.

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