Eagle Lake exists to inspire Christ-centered love and commitment through counselor relationships in the midst of exciting outdoor experiences.

Our story, however, didn’t start here. It’s the result of nearly a century of faithful decisions, courageous leadership, and God’s unmistakable provision. We invite you to journey through our history, to see how the Lord has shaped Eagle Lake into the ministry it is today.

After the Civil War, General William Palmer  journeyed west to Colorado—first visiting in 1867, then purchasing the land that would become Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs in 1870. A year later, in 1871, he began building his magnificent estate,  Glen Eyrie , complete with its now-iconic castle. (Fun fact: the original “castle” was actually a 22-room adobe and wood house—painted bronze green!)Just a few miles up Queen’s Canyon, Palmer built a dam in 1906 to create what we now know as Eagle Lake.

Fun side note #1: Glen Eyrie hosted a “Robin Hood Girls Camp” in 1916, long before The Navigators arrived. You could say camping has always been in our DNA!

Fun side note #2: Our Craft Shack was originally constructed as a hunting lodge for one of Eagle Lake’s early owners—though the records are a bit hazy on which one.

A young man named Dawson Trotman first started ministering to young boys while teaching a Sunday School class in 1926. His ministry flourished, and by 1929, he had 225 boys in his boys club. It was for this group of boys that Dawson first designed a memory course with verses to memorize, blank cards to write them on, and a packet to put them in. (Sound familiar? Hello, early TMS!) Dawson, now convinced of the need for one-to-one discipleship, launched The Navigators in 1933.

In 1951, evangelist Billy Graham asked Dawson to help him figure out how to follow up with the thousands of people who were coming to Christ at his crusades. Dawson agreed, and in 1953 Dawson decided to move The Navigators’ headquarters from California to Colorado Springs.

Meanwhile, Glen Eyrie had changed hands several times, and was bought by Texas Oil Tycoon George Strake in 1938. Strake decided to sell it in the early ’50s. Although Billy Graham was originally interested in the property for his ministry headquarters, he decided to pass on it and suggested it to Dawson. However, in order to buy it, Dawson would have to raise $100,000 in six weeks.

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, “Donations came in from all over the world, some in the thousands, but most in the $20 range. Trotman sold his car. A girl sold her wedding dress. Someone donated an accordion. A group of missionaries agreed to go a month without pay. On Sept. 29, the day before closing, they were $22,000 short. Somebody woke up a bank manager about a missing wire transfer. A businessman kicked in $8,000 at the last minute. And The Navigators were able to come up with the down payment.”

At closing, Strake told Dawson that he’d decided to also throw in the mountain property attached to Glen Eyrie via Queen’s Canyon. Thanks to Dawson’s early days working with youth, Eagle Lake Camp was born!

1957 saw the first junior high boys camp at Eagle Lake under the leadership of Cec Davidson. That week, 4 out of the 15 boys received Christ as their Savior! The following year, Director Don Enright launched several one-week camps and, a year later, extended the program to several three-week camps designed for 11 to 14 year old boys. By 1961, five camps were offered in which: “Trained Navigator counselors help the boys develop skill in canoeing, archery, fishing, crafts, swimming and horsemanship, and lead them in Navigator-type Bible study carefully geared to junior high needs and interests. Each boy can get plenty of personal counsel and instruction from his leader.”

In 1962, new director Tom Heeb developed Eagle Lake’s infrastructure, enlarging the dining hall and building a generator house and recreation shelter. 1963, Eagle Lake offered its first Girls Camp!

In the 1970s, Claude Oleyar took over as the director of Eagle Lake. A premier wilderness director, Claude developed incredible programming for our Wilderness Camps. This excellent wilderness adventure camp allowed campers to experience God’s majesty by exploring his beautiful creation in the Rocky Mountains. Traces of this early camp program can still be experienced in our current-day Legacy Programs, particularly in our Rocky Mountain Challenge.

However, a cultural shift occurred in the 1980s. Youth preferred a more comfortable camp experience, and Eagle Lake had to shift its paradigm in order to survive an increasingly competitive summer camp market.

Moving Into Modern Camping

In 1989, Jack McQueeney took over as the director of Eagle Lake Camps to create the classic overnight camp experience that most of you know and love today. Instead of targeting the kids themselves, he shifted the focus to hiring highly qualified counselors who would build genuine relationships with kids, meeting them where they were at to inspire Christ-centered love and commitment.

In the mid-90’s, we launched several new programs: we started a partnership with the American Diabetes Association to host a week of camp for kids with diabetes; we launched an excellent horse program which we sadly had to discontinue in 2014; and we started Crew, our most in-depth, discipleship and service-based program for high-school students. In 2001, we joined with our sister property to create the Glen Eyrie Group, and Mark Heffentrager stepped in as our On-Site Director, and later promoted to The Director of Eagle Lake Camps in 2019.

In 2011, with our overnight camp thriving, our hearts were moved to extend our reach and ministry; thus Day Camp in Your Community was born. Through Day Camp in Your Community, we bring the best parts of Eagle Lake to local churches around the country, equipping them to reach out to their surrounding communities and to invest in the next generation.

However, all of this was threatened in 2012 with the onset of the Waldo Canyon Fire (cool video in this link!). Starting June 23, this devastating fire tore through Pike National Forest and Colorado Springs. Thankfully, it started on a Saturday and all campers and staff were off property. Although thousands of acres and many homes were burned, people all over the world gathered together to pray for the safety of Eagle Lake, and God graciously protected our mountain property.  

Head firefighter Mike Vasquez remembered when he first arrived at Eagle Lake: “We were pulling onto the property and the fire came over the hill. We got out and prepared to start fighting it. About halfway down the hill, it stopped without explanation and moved west, circling the camp property. As I drove the rest of the way into camp, I realized why: on the hill above the lake, the old wooden cross stood, surrounded by scorched earth yet untouched by flames. God protected this place.” Today, you can still see the miraculous lines around camp (and encircling our cross!) where God stopped the fire from entering. 

Moreover, our team was able to put all their time and energy into our new day camp program since the overnight property was closed in 2012, which allowed our Day Camp On Location program to truly launch and thrive! At its peak, we partnered with churches and Christian ministries across the midwest to host day camp at over 70 locations in 10 states. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, we—like so many other ministries—faced incredible uncertainty. With our overnight programs paused and travel restrictions in place, it seemed camp might not happen at all. But God made a way—our Day Camp On Location programs were able to continue under careful health guidelines, allowing us to keep sharing the Gospel with kids and supporting local churches in a time when hope was desperately needed. What could have closed our camp instead became a season of resilience and creativity!

Life as We Know It Now

In the years that followed, the Lord began leading us to plant deeper roots in the communities we were already serving. Our original Day Camp, launched in 2004 at Glen Eyrie, was designed as a fixed-location model where we could build lasting relationships with families, campers, and the surrounding community.

Between 2012 and 2019, our focus shifted toward expanding Day Camp On Location, taking the Eagle Lake experience to churches and communities across the country. God used that season to introduce thousands of new campers to the hope of Christ and the joy of camp.

Now, we sense Him leading us into a new season—one focused on depth over breadth. We’re returning to the heart of our original model, launching additional fixed-location Day Camps in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Kansas City. This approach allows us to invest long-term in local partnerships and create environments where discipleship and community can flourish year-round.

At the same time, we refreshed our Overnight Camp programs to better serve campers who return year after year. What were once “Rez(ident)” and “Excursion” Camps have been reimagined as Base Camp (ages 8–11), Ascent (ages 11–13), and Highlands (ages 14–17). Each program is designed to meet campers where they are and help them grow mentally, physically, relationally, and spiritually as they progress through their camp journey.

At the heart of these exciting changes is our current Director, Jenny Dordal, whose story beautifully reflects the heart of Eagle Lake. Jenny first came to camp as a two-week Rez camper in 1998, returning throughout her high school years before joining the full-time staff in 2002. Over the past two decades, she has faithfully served in a variety of roles before stepping into the role of Director of Eagle Lake in 2023. Her journey reflects the heart of Eagle Lake—igniting a passion to know Jesus deeply and equipping the next generation to share His love with others.

Jenny’s leadership is marked by deep love for people, contagious joy, and a steadfast passion for helping others encounter Jesus. Having grown up in this ministry, she carries its heart in her bones—believing that camp is one of the most powerful places for life transformation. Her leadership is both visionary and personal: she’s as passionate about shaping the future of Eagle Lake as she is about investing in the next generation of leaders who will carry its mission forward.

Through every season—fire, pandemic, and growth—God has remained faithful to preserve and multiply this ministry. Our dedicated and highly qualified staff intentionally meet campers where they are, investing in them personally and pointing them to Jesus. As hearts are transformed, campers leave inspired to know Christ deeply, follow Him faithfully, and make Him known to others. Eagle Lake exists to fuel a Gospel movement, raising up disciples who make disciples for generations to come.

*Special thanks to Donald McGilchrist, whose Briefing Paper on The Navigators’ High School Ministries Around the World provided most of the information about the early decades of The Navigators and Eagle Lake Camps, and who checked the article’s facts!