The Leelanau Outdoor Center (LOC) will host a fall festival Oct. 5 to mark its 30th year in operation.
The center was founded in 1994 to serve school groups and the local community during the school year. It’s part of an umbrella organization, Camp Leelanau & Kohahna Foundation, which operates Camp Leelanau for Boys and Camp Kohahna for Girls in the summer. The mission of LOC is “to provide outstanding experiential and ecological learning in the natural environment that promotes the discovery and development of leadership and character.”
In 2023, LOC served nearly 1,900 students from schools from all over the state. LOC provides a safe, hands-on l;earning environment where students get to push themselves outside their comfort zoning, while learning about themselves, their peers and the natural world around them. The center is unique in that it focuses just as much on character building as it does on science-based curriculum. This is done through high adventure activities like the high ropes, zip line, climbing wall, and team building, while making good use of the diverse northern Michigan environment.
“LOC is the perfect place for kids to be kids, away from the pressure o f social media and their devices,” LOC director Katie Duntley said “Here they learn how to communicate more effectively because they’re spending quality time with each other face to face, as well as stepping outside their comfort zoning in a safe and supportive environment.
“It’s amazing to see the growth in each student during their time here.”
The Oct. 5 celebration will includes opportunities to climb the rock wall, fly down the zip line, go on a hayride, carve a pumpkin, shoot a bow and arrow, and more.
The center, located at 1653 Port Oneida Road, will be open to all from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 to access also the activities.
