A Meaningful Experience at Camp Mihaska

For more than 75 years, The Salvation Army’s Camp Mihaska has offered endless opportunities to explore over 800 acres in Bourbon, Missouri, just an hour outside of St. Louis. Our engaging kid, tween and teen camps offer tailored activities to build character and lasting friendships, and guide them on their faith journey.

Tucked among the Ozark foothills, Camp Mihaska provides campers with unique trail hiking, cave exploration, fishing and paddle boating experiences. While at our week-long overnight camp, we invite you to soak up the sun at our state-of-the-art pool with water sprays, a large slide, a lap pool, vortex, and an in-pool bubble tub. Basketball, volleyball and tennis are available day or night, as well as outdoor paintball games and miniature golf.

We also provide music camps and conservatory courses for those interested in expanding their talents, learning from seasoned musicians and instructors. From piano and guitar to chorus and music technology, we have a wide range of opportunities for children at every level of musical experience.

Sending a child to camp can mean their first trip away from home – ever. Their first faith encounter. Their first time swimming, or fishing or paddle boating. Their first time seeing a forest. Their first time playing a musical instrument. It’s transformational – and every child should have that experience.

Watch and learn more about Camp.

“We have this wild idea that if we’re able to serve the community – serve children – we won’t have to serve them when they’re adults,” said Major Adam Moore, General Secretary and Greater St. Louis Area Commander. “A camp experience can be so meaningful to a child that it helps them see the future, or a way to rise above their circumstances. It helps bring them closer to God and fills them with hope and a spirit of adventure.”

Part of God’s Plan Capt. Matt DeGonia, Midland Division Youth Department Leader (2021-2025)

At Camp Mihaska, children from across Illinois and Missouri come together to experience the joys of camping and learning about Jesus. For some, it’s a one-time visit; for others, it becomes a stepping stone to new interests. But for a few, it becomes a place they never want to leave.

I was one of those few. I grew up in Granite City, Illinois, a blue-collar steel town just a few miles from St. Louis. I’m the second of five kids and often shared a room with either my

sister or one of my brothers. Though I was fortunate to have both parents at home, it didn’t always feel that way.

My father struggled with alcoholism for much of my childhood, spending more time at the tavern than at home until he suffered a stroke in 2016. My mother, a stay-at-home mom, worked hard to make ends meet, but it wasn’t easy when my dad would drink away the money that should have paid the bills. This left my mom feeling inadequate and distant at times. I vividly remember peanut butter and crackers for dinner, losing power in the middle of the day because the bill wasn’t paid, moving every couple of years due to eviction, and being sent into taverns to ask my dad for grocery money.

Without money for traditional vacations, Camp Mihaska became my vacation spot. It was a magical place with other kids to play with, cool places to explore, and even a pool! Once I arrived, I felt like I could do anything or be anyone. It was there that I learned to swim, fish, do archery, and read music—practical skills that shaped my confidence.

More than that, I learned kindness from my cabin counselor, who gently helped me after a late-night accident. I learned it was okay for boys to cry when I saw a male Salvation Army officer weep with another young man in the camp chapel. And most importantly, I learned that Jesus was real and that He loved me through the countless acts of kindness and love I experienced. Camp Mihaska became my safe place—steady and unmoving, unlike the constant instability of home. It quickly became my preferred home.

As I grew older, my connection to camp deepened. I attended every chance I got, dreading the Fridays when I had to leave, knowing I’d be back again on Monday. The moment I was old enough to work at camp and live there all summer, I jumped at the opportunity.

During those summers, I learned responsibility: showing up to work on time, saving money, keeping people safe, and living away from home for the first time. I also learned what it meant to live in Christian community. Having grown up as a camper, singing camp songs, attending Bible studies, and participating in praise and worship, I was now leading campers in those same practices. Through it all, I realized that God could use someone like me.

Today, I’m a grown man with my own family, called by God to be a Salvation Army officer. I could never have imagined that God would use me once again at Camp Mihaska—this time, as a leader. Growing up there, working there for five summers, and now leading there is a story that doesn’t make sense to me, but I know it’s part of God’s plan.

I thank God for Camp Mihaska. It’s a place of great transformation in my life and continues to teach me lessons I carry to this day.

Because children attend Camp Mihaska at low or no cost, The Salvation Army is dependent on the generosity of donors like you. The cost for lodging and meals for one camper, for one week, is $483. Make a transformational gift today.