Palisade, MN
Since 1963, Long Lake Conservation Center's mission has been to encourage the exploration, conservation, education, and appreciation of nature. Every day we work to connect people with nature, encouraging them to develop a lifelong stewardship of the environment.
Explore on the camp’s website ↗Expect a lot of excitement, new relationships and a lot of fun in general. Don't worry about it being scary because as long as you're with your friends and your classmates, it's always a good time. — Claire W.
Long Lake Conservation Center sits on 760 acres and features a private lake, miles of hiking trails, ski trails, a bog boardwalk, geocaches, and more. On the map, Long Lake Conservation Center is in the heart of Aitkin County, south of Palisade, between McGregor and Aitkin.
The Orienteering Race is one of Long Lake's best-loved traditions. With compasses in hand, a flight of students dash to the starting board. 'Yellow course, 253 degrees!' The orienteers take off into the woods in pursuit of their next clue in one of LLCC's most exciting activities. When they all return, we'll compile the results and hold an awards ceremony, to see if anyone set a new World Record.
Phenology is nature observation as it relates to climate — what is happening in nature this week that wasn't happening last week. These observations are the curriculum thread that connects all we do at Long Lake Conservation Center. Long Lake contributes Phenology Reports to KAXE Radio's Phenology Show with John Latimer, and to a broader network of citizen scientists who help paint the ever-changing picture of nature in the Northland.
Explore on the camp’s website ↗In the 2025–26 school year, 3,515 students visited Long Lake for an immersive nature experience — up from 3,061 the year before. A total of 53 schools attended, with 3,208 students on overnight nature field trips and 307 students on nature day trips. Hundreds more learned about nature when LLCC took programming directly to schools or into the community.
Explore on the camp’s website ↗Our archery field is designed with safety as top priority. At their turn, students practice the coordination and concentration necessary to hit the target.
Read more on the camp’s website ↗Scholarships are available to attend summer camp at Long Lake Conservation Center. The Minnesota Astronomical Society has donated funding for Astronomy Camp. Minnesota Outdoor Queer Adventures has donated scholarships for LGBTQ+ youth. The Long Lake Conservation Foundation has donated scholarships so that any youth can attend summer camp. Contact your local MDHA Chapter for scholarships to Forkhorn I Firearms Safety Training Camps.
Read more on the camp’s website ↗Chef Joel Hoppe and the culinary team at Long Lake prepare fresh restaurant-caliber meals, served either buffet or family style. This is not typical cafeteria school food! You're sure to enjoy Joel's made-from-scratch favorites including cinnamon rolls, oven-roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade chili, hand-tossed pizza and more.
Read more on the camp’s website ↗Long Lake Conservation Center is committed to expanding access to outdoor education. Qualifying schools may be eligible to receive funding assistance for overnight Outdoor School trips. Funding assistance is made possible through Minnesota's Outdoor School for All legislation and the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. In the 2025–26 school year, $284,280 was awarded in financial assistance to schools, students and teachers across 53 schools.
Read more on the camp’s website ↗