Minnesota National Guard Youth Camp
Camp Ripley, 15000 Highway 115, Little Falls, MN 56345-4173
About
Minnesota National Guard Youth/Teen Camp offers a one-week camp session where youth spend seven days experiencing Camp Ripley and its surrounding environment. During each session, approximately 300 youth who are dependents, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren of current and retired Minnesota Guard members attend the Annual Minnesota National Guard Youth Camp. Teen Camp, created in 2001, is a one-week camp for 13 to 15-year-olds that focuses on respect, friendship, leadership, teamwork, self-confidence, self-esteem, and community involvement.
• Ages: 10–15 years old
• Schedule: One-week sessions (seven days) offered Week 1: July 26–August 1 and Week 2: August 2–August 8
A group of Minnesota National Guard members first discussed establishing a youth education program in the summer of 1988, and in September 1989 the Adjutant General, Major General Eugene Andreotti, appointed the Family Program Manager to establish a youth camp program, with a State Coordinator appointed in November. The first planning meeting was held in December 1989, and in August 1991, 104 youths attended the First Annual Minnesota National Guard Youth Camp. In 2001, Teen Camp was created as part of this program.
The purpose of the Minnesota National Guard Youth Camp is to provide a unique and enjoyable opportunity for Minnesota National Guard dependents to explore the environment in which they live and be more responsible in maintaining the environment for future generations, to provide a positive experience in a safe and caring environment, to assist youth in understanding why their Guard member serves in the National Guard, and to help youth cope with the stress and confusion of separation or deployment.
All volunteers are active, retired, spouses, or dependents of members of Army or Air National Guard members. Since its inception, the Youth Camp Program has developed into a Minnesota non-profit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit organization, and a Board of Directors oversees the planning and conduct of all operations, including soliciting, screening, and training volunteers who serve as staff for all youth camp activities.
In October 1992, after a thorough investigation during the 1992 camp session, the American Camping Association (ACA) classified Youth Camp as an accredited camp, making it the first accredited National Guard Youth Camp in the United States, and it continues through the re-accreditation process and remains an ACA camp. Families who wish to write to a camper are instructed to use the address format that includes “ATTN: Camper Name” and to use the camper’s registered name, and they are encouraged to feel free to send mail before camp. Packing lists are provided as a resource for families preparing for camp.
Last updated July 26, 2026.
• Ages: 10–15 years old
• Schedule: One-week sessions (seven days) offered Week 1: July 26–August 1 and Week 2: August 2–August 8
A group of Minnesota National Guard members first discussed establishing a youth education program in the summer of 1988, and in September 1989 the Adjutant General, Major General Eugene Andreotti, appointed the Family Program Manager to establish a youth camp program, with a State Coordinator appointed in November. The first planning meeting was held in December 1989, and in August 1991, 104 youths attended the First Annual Minnesota National Guard Youth Camp. In 2001, Teen Camp was created as part of this program.
The purpose of the Minnesota National Guard Youth Camp is to provide a unique and enjoyable opportunity for Minnesota National Guard dependents to explore the environment in which they live and be more responsible in maintaining the environment for future generations, to provide a positive experience in a safe and caring environment, to assist youth in understanding why their Guard member serves in the National Guard, and to help youth cope with the stress and confusion of separation or deployment.
All volunteers are active, retired, spouses, or dependents of members of Army or Air National Guard members. Since its inception, the Youth Camp Program has developed into a Minnesota non-profit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit organization, and a Board of Directors oversees the planning and conduct of all operations, including soliciting, screening, and training volunteers who serve as staff for all youth camp activities.
In October 1992, after a thorough investigation during the 1992 camp session, the American Camping Association (ACA) classified Youth Camp as an accredited camp, making it the first accredited National Guard Youth Camp in the United States, and it continues through the re-accreditation process and remains an ACA camp. Families who wish to write to a camper are instructed to use the address format that includes “ATTN: Camper Name” and to use the camper’s registered name, and they are encouraged to feel free to send mail before camp. Packing lists are provided as a resource for families preparing for camp.
Last updated July 26, 2026.
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