Retreats

Retreat Centers Near St. Louis

Camp Manitowa's retreat center offer facilities, programming, and staff that will provide your guests with an unforgettable time away. The 40-acre property is nestled between Lake Hamilton and Rend Lake. It's just 90 minutes from St. Louis, 4 1/2 hours from Chicago, and 3 hours from Nashville, TN

Camp Manitowa-Rend Lake's facilities were renovated in 2010 and can accommodate up to 175 in yurts, 60 in a variety of cabins and dorms.

Camp Manitowa offers all guests lake activities, 50’ climbing tower/high ropes course & 400’ zip line, hiking & biking trails, sports fields, arts and crafts building, indoor rec spaces, a commercial kitchen, and a dining hall.

2025 Retreats

Father / Son Retreat - April 5-6 

Spend a night in a yurt with your son. Choose from a great variety of activities to do together from zip lining, canoeing, archery, tie-dying, hiking, sports, campfires, and more! 

Manitowa Family Retreat - May 2-4

Each family stays in their own yurt! Camp activities include canoeing, rock wall & zip line, tie-dying, arts & crafts, hiking, campfires, and friendly family contests! 

Mother / Daughter Retreat - May 17-18

Our longest running retreat, this special weekend is back. Spend a night in a yurt with your daughter. Choose from a great variety of activities to do together from zip lining, canoeing, archery, tie-dying, arts & crafts, hiking, sports, campfires, and our famous trail mix bar! 

Adult Summer Camp Retreat May 23-26

Leave your adult responsibilities at the front gate, get out in nature, and come play at camp! 

We offer a variety of rental options:

  • ½ day
  • Full day
  • Overnight/multiple-night
  • Manitowa base camp for Southern IL Adventure trips
  • Venue rental
  • Whether you're a small business, major corporation, youth group, or school, Camp Manitowa Retreats are ideal for groups to get away from the day-to-day and refocus. We offer a variety of programming, from team building to experiential/outdoor education to adventure sports to camping experiences. Pricing varies, please contact us for details.

Weddings

If you're looking for an absolutely beautiful, unique, and fun venue for your wedding, Camp Manitowa is an ideal location if you're interested in creating your own event from the ground up. We offer maximum flexibility, a beautiful natural setting, a variety of accommodations you can use for the celebration, and all of our camp activities that we will facilitate for you.

You and your family and friends will have exclusive private access to either of our properties. We have an excellent professional chef on staff who will work with you to create an amazing reception dinner and a full menu where we'll serve camp-themed meals throughout the weekend.

We'd love to help you with your next event!