Travel To/From North Star Camp in Hayward, WI

2025 Travel Dates:
1st Session: June 16 (To Camp) and July 12 (To Home)
2nd Session: July 13 (To Camp) and August 8 (To Home)
8 Week Session: June 16 (To Camp) and August 8 (To Home)

Getting your camper to camp is an important start of their summer experience. These are the four travel options for camper travel to ensure a smooth transition from home to North Star Camp For Boys and back at the end of the session:

• Chicago/Milwaukee/Madison Bus: This is the most popular option for North Star campers in the Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison areas. Some families from other cities may choose to fly or drive to Chicago and have their camper take the bus. The bus will leave from Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel on the first day of each session. Families should arrive by 7:45 AM for a 8:15 AM bus departure. Milwaukee families should arrive by 9:15 AM and be prepared a quick departure (depending on traffic). A location for the Milwaukee pick up will be announced soon. If there are campers in the Madison area, the bus will also stop in DeForest, WI. Families should arrive by 10:30 AM and be prepared for a quick departure.
  • North Star campers travel via a coach bus with air conditioning and a bathroom. There will be multiple staff members on the buses. While we do not assign seats, campers typically sit with other kids in their age groups, start to make friends and learn some camp lingo.  Movies are also shown to make the bus ride a lot of fun.
  • North Star campers should bring a bagged lunch, drinks/water and a few snacks for the bus ride. The bus will stop around lunch time at a rest stop to let the campers eat lunch & stretch their legs.
  • At the end of each session, our bus will stop in the same locations. Timing will vary based on traffic, but approximate arrival times are 12:45 in Madison, 2:15pm in Milwaukee and 3:30pm in Northbrook. Ahead of the end of the session we will send out final details via email, which will include timing for each stop.
• Fly to/from Minneapolis: Most North Star campers from outside of Illinois and Wisconsin will fly to and from the Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Upon arrival they will be met by camp staff. Airlines have unaccompanied minor programs which allow us to escort campers between the gate and our airport meeting spot. Lunch will be provided before the trip to camp. Once all campers who are flying have arrived, we will take a coach bus from the airport and head to camp! At the end of the session staff will escort them to their return flight. For more information about air travel details, including flying as an unaccompanied minor and which camper flights to book, please visit our Air Travel page.

• Minneapolis Bus: Families in the Twin Cities or within driving distance can elect to have their campers take the Minneapolis airport bus. Additionally, some parents may fly with their camper to/from Minneapolis and have their campers take the Minneapolis airport bus between the airport and camp. The designated meeting area is in Terminal 1 of the Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport. Exact meeting details will be shared with parents the week leading up to the start of the session. On the first day of the session, we ask that campers are dropped off at the airport around 11:30 AM. Lunch will be provided before the trip to camp. On the last day of the session, campers will arrive back at the airport in time to be picked up around 11 AM.

• Camp Drop-off/Pick-up: We recommend one of the bus options because it allows kids to connect with others and make friends on their way to camp. Families who are nearby or want to make the trip to Hayward are able to drop off their campers at camp or pick them up at the end of the session. For families who want to see our beautiful camp, we recommend picking your camper up at the end of the session. There will be more time to explore/tour camp during pick-up and the drop off at camp before the session can be very emotional for both campers and parents.