Cabin and infrastructure upgrades come to Loon Lake 4-H Camp

Loon Lake 4-H Camp is a hidden gem to many, but manager Jill Kahanek wants to introduce the picturesque spot in Ferndale to others as they continue to renovate for their 4-H campers and summer guests.  

It was a beautiful spring day at Loon Lake last week, where Kahanek and her husband were mowing and tidying up camp. It’s been more than two years since she took the job as camp manager, bringing years of nonprofit experience to the role.  

She said it felt like jumping in the deep end, but these days, she can stand on the shore and proudly talk about the litany of improvements they’ve made to some equipment, cabins and main lodge, with the help of volunteers and 4-H Foundation members.  

“There's a motto for 4-H, which is to ‘make the best better.’ So, I've really taken the values of 4-H to heart here, this place is incredible, it's beautiful, but there definitely are areas that can use love,” Kahanek said. “A lot of the infrastructure is original, the first camp was held here in 1982, so a lot of the systems and things are overdue for either maintenance or replacement.” 

It’s been part of her mission to create greater visibility for the camp, which she hopes will lead to opportunities to bring in revenue and allow them to work on improvements. So far, that includes running new electrical to the cabins, providing new fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, a renovation of their walk-in cooler and adding space heaters, among other upgrades.  

She said Flathead Lake Lodge recently donated $1,000 to take down dead trees and branches on the property, then volunteers helped pick up debris.  

The new electrical was an important recent development, Kahanek said. To pay for this, they pooled donations from Ravalli County 4-H, which donated $10,000 several years ago for camp upgrades, an anonymous donor who gave $10,000, a $6,000 grant from the Whitefish Community Foundation and another $6,000 from Flathead Electric Co-op's Roundup For Safety program. 

“One of the goals that I have is to extend the seasonality of this place. In the past, it's mostly just been available for camps and family reunions and weddings ... like between Memorial Day to Labor Day,” Kahanek said. “But I would like to see this camp be utilized year-round.” 

4-H youth camps start in mid-June, when 4-H chapters from other western Montana counties take turns visiting throughout the summer. She said they typically host the Flathead 4-H campers in July and the stays last around three to four nights.  

There are 12 small cabins, each with four bunks, and a larger, one-bedroom cabin called “the nurse cabin,” where the nurse stays during 4-H youth camps. The main lodge includes the dining hall and a large, finished basement, where the bathrooms and game closet reside.  

While other chapters own land, Flathead 4-H is the only chapter with an operating camp in Montana, according to Carol Olson-Erickson, Flathead 4-H Foundation President. The camp is owned by the Flathead 4-H Foundation, which was created in 1965 after a land donation by George and Lycia Hepburn, in memory of their son Fred Hepburn. A Daily Inter Lake article from the time of the donation said the Los Angeles couple donated the 20 acres to be developed into recreation area as a 4-H club project 

It was named after former 4-H extension agent and first camp manager Darrell Fenner, who Olson-Erickson remembers fondly, along with early days at the 4-H camp when it opened in 1982.  

“It was like fairy tale, because we never had anything like that. It was a place to go and hang out with all of your 4-H friends, that we usually only got to see there. And it was another opportunity for making new friends,” Olson-Erickson said.  

Campers arrive every summer to swim, play, learn and hang out with friends. They’ll do arts and crafts, sing songs and do archery, among other activities. They’ll canoe and learn about safety on the water, as well as bear safety and other outdoor skills. But, Olson-Erickson said camp is not just a place for the “farm kids.”  

“We’re really working hard to make 4-H accessible for town kids. Camp is a great way for town kids and farm kids to come together and find out that they have more in common than what people know,” she said. 

She said the camp looks almost exactly as it did when she first went there more than 40 years ago, aside from the addition of the nurse’s cabin and main building. But the aging infrastructure isn’t as charming, she said they recently replaced their water softening system and a hot water heater. She said the foundation board is always looking for ways to continue growing, not only to tackle these expensive projects, but to eventually be able to offer scholarships to campers too. 

The camp and the nonprofit have come a long way since the pandemic, when Olson-Erickson said they were closed for two years. No campers meant no revenue, but they took the opportunity to make necessary upgrades during that time.  

“All the money that was spent was just on materials, because we have an awesome volunteer base ... so we did a lot of repairs to the cabins, to the camp area, to the lodge,” she said. 

The infrastructure upgrades don’t just keep campers safe and happy, they are also renting out cabins for group rentals, events and weddings and Airbnb bookings. Kahanek said one of the first changes they made was putting a dish washing sink in each bathroom so their rental guests can cook on the premises.   

Currently, they are preparing for the arrival of Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation staff and their seasonal volunteers, who will soon be there for a three-week residency as they welcome everyone and train for summer work. 

It’s one of the connections Kahanek would like to see more of as she networks and spreads the word about what’s going on at Loon Lake 4-H Camp. She recently hosted the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly networking event and said many people were interested in working together.  

“The guests we hope to attract will bring more revenue into camp, but it's also an opportunity to promote local businesses. People come to the Flathead and think about Glacier Park ... but there's so much to do just right here in Bigfork,” Kahanek said.  

She said they’ve also been utilizing tools and resources provided by the Whitefish Community Foundation. Along with networking events and training opportunities, the 4-H Foundation has benefitted from grants from the organization.  

“They are so supportive and amazing. They gave us the $6,000 grant for electrical upgrades in the cabins last year. And then we were also just awarded another community grant for this season to purchase new mattresses,” she said.  

Kahanek would like to take on making the camp ADA accessible, including the lakeshore and docks. Along with mobility, greater accessibility could also mean providing something to accommodate people with no sight or hearing, she said. This project would also include erosion control or other measures to conserve the shoreline. 

There are other long-term goals for the camp, including an outdoor pavilion by the lake, so people can continue to make use of the outdoors if weather sets in. Kahanek said another project she’d like to see down the line a small outdoor amphitheater, which would be built into a sloping hillside on acreage by the camp.  

While Kahanek was discussing future changes, the lake’s namesake made an appearance. A loon ran full-speed ahead across the water for a grand takeoff, only to circle the lake while another loon sounded a warning call repeatedly.  

Kahanek said she’d like to collaborate with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to bring in an educational program about loons for the youth camp. It’s one of many kinds of programs she’d like to see at Loon Lake 4-H Camp, where she is always finding ideas to make the experience better for guests.  

“It kills me, there's so many things to do and so much inspiration here. There’s just so much potential,” she said.  

Anyone interested in learning more about Loon Lake 4-H can visit their website at loonlake4Hcamp.com or by calling 406-298-CAMP. 

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.

    Loon Lake 4-H Camp Executive Director Jill Kahanek on Friday, May 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    The Glacier View 4-H Chalet, one of 13 cabins at the Loon Lake 4-H Camp in Ferndale on Friday, May 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    The Loon Lake Lodge and 13 cabins are available for 4-H activities, youth camps, family reunions, various events and vacation rentals through AirBnB. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Loon Lake at the Loon Lake 4-H Camp in Ferndale on Friday, May 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    One of 13 cabins at the Loon Lake 4-H Camp in Ferndale on Friday, May 9. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)