Tamahay Camp for Girls
Tamahay Camp for Girls, 21566 County Road 84, Akeley, MN 56433
About
Tamahay Camp for Girls focuses on camp life in the outdoors, where girls live and play in a supportive community. The program emphasizes living away from the pressures of everyday life and the distractions of modern technology and social media. It is described as full of adventure, including making new friends, appreciating nature, and trying new things.
• Ages: 7–16 years old
• Price: Tamahay Camp for Girls was founded with the intent of providing a quality camp experience at an affordable price.
Tamahay Camp for Girls has been privately owned and operated since 1969. It was founded in 1969 by four teachers from Kansas: Lois Haskin, Jane Besler, Donella Palmer, and Shirley Malcolm, who cleared the land, built the buildings, and designed the program over the course of several years. The camp accepts only 36 campers per session, and its small size means that every counselor and administrative staff member knows each camper. Tamahay Camp for Girls is not a country club for kids and may be the nearest thing to “roughing it” that some campers will ever know. Living in the out-of-doors at Tamahay teaches campers to care for the environment while appreciating and enjoying nature. Former campers have said Tamahay Camp for Girls is more than a place; it is a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that goes with each camper and gives her an inner peace from which she will draw for the rest of her life. The camp describes its atmosphere as judgment-free, allowing young women to try new activities and make new friends without fear of ridicule or bullying. Naomi, the Assistant Director, moved across the road from Tamahay to raise angora goats.
The leadership team includes Camp Director Elaine Denne, Program Director Rachel Hoffelt, Assistant Director Naomi Hoffelt, and Administrative Assistant Anne Pavlik. Elaine has a Bachelor’s degree in physical education and spent several years in hospitality management at Big Sky in Montana. Rachel has a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a Master’s degree in education with a mathematics emphasis, taught high school math for more than 20 years in Northfield, MN, and is currently a math teacher at Bemidji High School. Naomi has a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a Master’s degree in mathematics education and taught outside Chicago, IL, and Baltimore, MD, for 12 years. Anne has a Bachelor’s degree in physical education and taught elementary physical education in Walker, MN, for more than 30 years.
Tamahay Camp states that it is committed to providing a safe, supportive space for girls, encouraging them to explore nature, learn new skills, and develop self-confidence. Its mission remains the same as in 1969: to help girls discover their true potential and empower them to develop into confident young women. The program is based on the premise that young people enjoy learning, doing, and being self-sufficient, with the assurance of adult reinforcement. Tamahay Camp for Girls was founded with the intent of providing a quality camp experience at an affordable price and believes all young people deserve the opportunity to experience and learn to love nature in a nonjudgmental atmosphere that encourages adventure and inspires confidence. Camp life at Tamahay gives girls the chance to live and play in a supportive community away from the pressures of everyday life and the distractions of modern technology and social media, and most of all, Tamahay Camp is away from these distractions, where girls are free to be themselves. Each camper gains confidence as she learns new skills and makes new friends and knows that her contribution to the community is important, and campers learn to work together even as they become more independent and self-reliant.
Last updated February 21, 2026.
• Ages: 7–16 years old
• Price: Tamahay Camp for Girls was founded with the intent of providing a quality camp experience at an affordable price.
Tamahay Camp for Girls has been privately owned and operated since 1969. It was founded in 1969 by four teachers from Kansas: Lois Haskin, Jane Besler, Donella Palmer, and Shirley Malcolm, who cleared the land, built the buildings, and designed the program over the course of several years. The camp accepts only 36 campers per session, and its small size means that every counselor and administrative staff member knows each camper. Tamahay Camp for Girls is not a country club for kids and may be the nearest thing to “roughing it” that some campers will ever know. Living in the out-of-doors at Tamahay teaches campers to care for the environment while appreciating and enjoying nature. Former campers have said Tamahay Camp for Girls is more than a place; it is a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that goes with each camper and gives her an inner peace from which she will draw for the rest of her life. The camp describes its atmosphere as judgment-free, allowing young women to try new activities and make new friends without fear of ridicule or bullying. Naomi, the Assistant Director, moved across the road from Tamahay to raise angora goats.
The leadership team includes Camp Director Elaine Denne, Program Director Rachel Hoffelt, Assistant Director Naomi Hoffelt, and Administrative Assistant Anne Pavlik. Elaine has a Bachelor’s degree in physical education and spent several years in hospitality management at Big Sky in Montana. Rachel has a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a Master’s degree in education with a mathematics emphasis, taught high school math for more than 20 years in Northfield, MN, and is currently a math teacher at Bemidji High School. Naomi has a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a Master’s degree in mathematics education and taught outside Chicago, IL, and Baltimore, MD, for 12 years. Anne has a Bachelor’s degree in physical education and taught elementary physical education in Walker, MN, for more than 30 years.
Tamahay Camp states that it is committed to providing a safe, supportive space for girls, encouraging them to explore nature, learn new skills, and develop self-confidence. Its mission remains the same as in 1969: to help girls discover their true potential and empower them to develop into confident young women. The program is based on the premise that young people enjoy learning, doing, and being self-sufficient, with the assurance of adult reinforcement. Tamahay Camp for Girls was founded with the intent of providing a quality camp experience at an affordable price and believes all young people deserve the opportunity to experience and learn to love nature in a nonjudgmental atmosphere that encourages adventure and inspires confidence. Camp life at Tamahay gives girls the chance to live and play in a supportive community away from the pressures of everyday life and the distractions of modern technology and social media, and most of all, Tamahay Camp is away from these distractions, where girls are free to be themselves. Each camper gains confidence as she learns new skills and makes new friends and knows that her contribution to the community is important, and campers learn to work together even as they become more independent and self-reliant.
Last updated February 21, 2026.
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