Little Elk was built in 1975 on the rolling, wooded acres outside of Browerville, Minnesota. The 1,000 acre ranch on Coal Lake is surrounded by an abundance of wildlife, beautiful pines and forested trails. Over the years, Little Elk has grown with the times. With a potential capacity of 80 campers per week, Little Elk Ranch is one of the largest youth camps in the Midwest.

The guiding philosophy of the camp is to show young people that there are plenty of clean, fun activities left in this world - all they have to do is learn how to enjoy what is already here for them. Above all, they are taught responsibility, and that fun and responsibility are intertwined.

The horse program at Little Elk is just one of the opportunities to develop a sense of responsibility in the camper. Each camper is assigned their own horse to groom, saddle and ride every morning under the close supervision of the trained staff. We look to build self confidence and pride in improvement so each camper can look back and see how far they have come.

Little Elk stresses team work and unity, not individual competition. Each camper competes with herself/himself and as part of a group/team. The horse show on Saturday morning concentrates on team drills where individuals can demonstrate what they have learned at camp. We emphasize individual improvement; not how much better they are than someone else.

Sessions Schedule

Campers are welcome to come for more than one week. Weekend stayovers include programming and meals. There are no weekend stayovers on the 15th or 29th of July.

Daily Schedule

Morning - Horseback Riding (Arena Instruction and Trail Riding)

Afternoon - Choice: Swimming, Canoeing, Archery, Arts & Crafts, Games, Pets

Evening - Recreation, Carnival, Talent Show, Hay Ride, Western Hoe Down