NEAR MONARCH — Volunteers from the Great Falls Rotary Club braved wet weather to get Camp Rotary ready for the upcoming summer season in the Little Belt Mountains.
Cleaning gutters was just one of the tasks needed to prepare the campsite. Members of the Great Falls Rotary Club worked through the elements to make sure everything was in order before campers arrive.
Tim McGonigal reports - watch the video here:
For well over a hundred years, Camp Rotary has provided outdoor experiences for youth from Great Falls and north central Montana through a special use agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.
Camp Rotary Committee Chairman John Juras said the annual cleanup is a labor of love for the volunteers who make it happen.
"There's hundreds and hundreds of kids who come in here and have a great time every year, and we play the consequences at the end of the year. So this is our chance to make it ready for them again the following year," Juras said.
The camp is used by several groups who return year after year — not only to enjoy the facility, but to help maintain it.
"We've been so fortunate in our community to have donors and (Great Falls) Rotary has built atop notch facility. So we know in order to maintain that and keep it looking great and functioning well, many hands make light work," Camp Francis Director Kathy Van Tighem said. Camp Francis is a bereavement camp for children who have lost a loved one.
Camp Rotary can accommodate up to 130 guests in the main lodge and features nine sleeping cabins. Amenities include a modern bathhouse with multiple stalls for men and women, a commercial kitchen, a covered pavilion, fire pit, games area, and a separate cook’s cabin.
Broadwater County MSU Extension Agent Allison Kosto brought her kids along to help with the cleanup effort.
"We truly appreciate all the work that camp that Rotary and the Rotary Clubof Great Falls does. The campsite is beautiful. And it'sa great resource for us to be able to come up here and use it. The 4-H camp experience is wonderful and unique. I did it when I was a kid, and now I get to contribute as an adult. And it really is it can be life changing for certain kids," Kosto said.
For more than 20 years,proceeds from the club's annual Harvest Howl have helped fund the camp. Longtime camp users say it is money well spent.
"I can't say enough about the Rotary Club and what they've done with this place. In the old cabins, the old lodge, there was no heat. You could look through the walls and see outside. The bathhouse was really not a bathhouse. So, yes, over the years, they've really improved it. I tell people, it's kind of like staying at the Hilton now," Cascade County 4-H Camp Director Steve Perry said.
The recent cleanup was also a reminder of how far the camp has come after a difficult stretch. Juras recalled the damage from two years ago.
"Two years ago, we had three feet of snow that stuck to the trees and brought half of them down in this area and knocked the top off of some of our buildings, did some real damage, and it's quite, impressive what the club has done to pull together and itcost extra money and take the effort to clean all that up," Juras said.
Camp Rotary has openings available for the 2026 summer rental schedule.
Priority reservations are offered to nonprofit youth groups and returning camps. The camp also welcomes adult events such as office retreats, family reunions, and weddings. Rental rates for 2026 are as follows:
- Children’s camps:$350 per night
- Nonprofit organizations:$1,000 per night
- Weddings and reunions:$1,200 per night
More information can be found on the Camp Rotary website, or by emailing Camp Scheduler, Kristy Scott at reservations@camprotarymontana.com.
