Nature & Lost Lake
Some of the most important land here is the land left undisturbed.
Along with its history and chapel tradition, Camp Cleghorn has always maintained a wilderness preserve. Lost Lake is nestled between the cottages and Cleghorn Road — and this portion of woods and wetlands will never be developed.
Stewardship pledge
Lost Lake will not be developed.
Although relatively small — just under 20 acres — the area provides a secluded refuge for wildlife. Lost Lake is visible only in winter when the foliage is off the trees. That isolation is wonderful for deer, foxes, and other small critters looking for a place to relax. Even the frogs get a piece of heaven.
The camp works in partnership with the Wisconsin DNR to maintain the wilderness area as a viable resource for native plants and wildlife.
Why this landscape belongs in the camp story
Camp Cleghorn is often understood through its cottages and chapel, but the natural setting is just as central. The woods around Lost Lake shape the pace, atmosphere, and memory of the place. It is one of the pleasant surprises the camp has to offer visitors who look past the shoreline.
Preserving that area supports wildlife, protects the visual and ecological character of the camp, and reflects a view of stewardship that is both practical and rooted in the camp's values. What is not built here matters as much as what is.
The commitment to Lost Lake is not incidental — it is part of the same obligation Camp Cleghorn holds to its children, its neighbors, and the natural beauty of the Chain O' Lakes that all of them share.
The Lay of the Land
Tucked between the lake and the road.
The camp's 41 cottages and chapel sit on the southeast corner of Columbia Lake, reached by Camp Road. Just behind the cottages — hidden in the woods between camp and Cleghorn Road — lies Lost Lake, the small preserved water and wetland at the heart of the camp's stewardship pledge.
An illustrated view of camp, traced from real shorelines and roads. Not to scale — and Lost Lake, true to its name, is easy to miss.