Skip to main content

YMCA Camp Kitaki is available for retreats and rentals during the school year season, post Labor Day through mid May.  

We would like to invite you and your group to experience the magic of YMCA Camp Kitaki located in South Bend, Nebraska. Since 1952, Camp Kitaki has served youth and adults as Nebraska's only YMCA Resident Camp. Its rural setting is ideal for small-group retreats, family reunions, conferences, camps, seminars and business meetings - all away from city lights and congestion.

The conference staff of YMCA Camp Kitaki are dedicated to serving you and assisting with the planning and organizing what your group needs whether it be a family reunion or week-long conference. The important thing is that you leave the small details up to us.

A picture of the exterior of Leadership Lodge

Leadership Lodge

In Leadership Lodge you will enjoy heated/air conditioned carpeted rooms, restrooms with showers, and an attractive meeting space with corner fireplace, couches, and dry erase boards. A full kitchen makes Leadership Lodge perfect for small to mid-sized groups wishing to prepare their own meals. There is a wrap around deck with built in picnic tables for a fantastic view of the Platte River! Leadership Lodge has a capacity of 38 beds.

An exterior shot of the front elevation of Strader Lodge

Strader Lodge

Strader Lodge is divided out into an upper floor containing 4 rooms, and a lower floor with a more open floor plan. You will enjoy heated/air conditioned carpeted rooms upstairs and down. Both levels have restrooms with showers, a fireplace and a sitting room. The upper level has a kitchenette, dining space, and a deck to enjoy the view of the Platte River and Kitaki's forests.
You may choose to rent the entire lodge (sleeps 38), just the upper portion (sleeps 18), or just the lower portion (sleeps 20). 

An exterior shot of Ponca cabin

Camper Cabins

The majority of camp is designed for our overnight summer camp program.  Our camper cabins sleep 15 in bunk beds and are our most economical lodging offerings.  

  • Duplex Cabins:  Located closest to the Dining Hall, these 4 cabins each feature a bathroom with sink/toilet.  Our duplex cabins feature heat and air-conditioning.  During warmer months, showers are located just across the road at the Pool House.
  • Quad Cabins:  The Quad is also close to the Dining Hall.  These 4 cabins are arranged under one roof with 2 cabins on each floor.  Each floor features a bathroom with multiple sinks, toilets and showers that is shared by that level.    The quad cabins feature heat and air-conditioning.
  • Ranch Camp:  Our Ranch Camp features four cabins in a unique western town.  Bathrooms and showers are located in a central bath house.  Ranch Camp cabins feature air-conditioning.  Ranch Camp is not winterized and is only available during the late spring and early fall.  
  • East Camp:  East Camp features six cabins with bathrooms and showers located in a central bath house.  East Camp cabins feature air-conditioning.  East Camp is not winterized and is only available during the late spring and early fall. 

 

Camp Kitaki offers both indoors and outdoors spaces for your guest speakers, round table discussions, project work, and more.

  • Dining Hall:  The Dining Hall offers table capacity of 350 persons with restrooms. With a number of large windows surrounding the building, and a large covered outdoor deck with picnic tables allow you to enjoy the "tree house" like atmosphere as you gaze into the forest, and allow the natural light and beauty in. 

    The "hub" of camp activates and centrally located, the Dining Hall is a 3,200 square foot facility reserved for larger group meetings and activities. The Dining Hall also doubles as a common eating area and is open inclusively to all groups in camp requiring food service during established meal times.  Smaller meeting spaces in the Dining Hall include: 
    • Fireplace Room:  As a smaller section of our Dining Hall this room, separated by a dividing wall, offers a relaxed atmosphere right next door to the eating area. Complete with a stone fireplace and rocking chairs, this room which can be set up to seat as many as 80 people has the right atmosphere for your group. 
    • Day Room:  The Day Room is located in the lower level of the dining hall and has a capacity of 50 people. It is carpeted with restrooms available upstairs or in the lounge. With a view of Kitaki's forests, a highlight of the Day Room is access to a 1400 square foot deck complete with gazebo & bench seating. A podium is available and a dry erase board mounted on the wall. It also has easy access upstairs to the eating area. 
    • Staff Lounge: This is a wonderfully bright and warm room for your next retreat located in the lower level of the Dining Hall. With a capacity of 20 with restrooms right next door off of the lounge. The natural wood surrounding you is accented by the view of the surrounding forest and well-lit room. Perfect for working meetings and scrapbooking.  This carpeted space also features a full refrigerator, small sink and microwave oven.
  • Leadership Lodge Meeting Room:  This meeting space has a capacity of 30. The room is carpeted with a corner fireplace and dry erase boards mounted along one wall. There is a full kitchen available as well as a wrap around deck with built in picnic tables for a fantastic view of the Platte River!  
  • Town Hall:  This meeting space has a capacity of about 50 using upstairs and downstairs. Set as a central location of our western town of Wolfe Canyon Ranch Camp, this space has at its disposal a campfire ring, bathhouse with restrooms, and both indoor and outdoor tables.
  • Campfire Amphitheater:  With seating for over 350, this unique outdoor space is a great option for large gatherings, performances, or shows.
  • Daybreak and Flatwater Chapel:  Camp Kitaki has two outdoor chapels with stages and seating for up to 350

 

 

YMCA Camp Kitaki provides a tasty, hearty fare that is sure to nourish the active spirit, mind, and body for both youth and adults. Our Food Service Manager is skilled at cooking for large or small groups and adds a personal touch to your dining experience. All meals are prepared in our clean, well-equipped kitchen at common meal times established on the group use contract.  Snacks, sack lunches, and cookouts are also available. Our retreats coordinator will assist you in putting together a meal plan for your group that fits the theme, purpose, dietary needs and expectations of your group. Meeting special dietary needs and special meal requests are never a problem, but we do ask that you communicate these needs with us well in advance. Meal requests must be made with the retreats coordinator no less than two weeks prior to your group's arrival.
Smaller groups are also welcome to prepare their own meals. Both Leadership and Strader Lodges contain a full kitchen.

 

 

We offer one-of-a-kind teambuilding experiences (both on the ground and in the air!) as well as a large variety of traditional camp activities for your benefit and enjoyment. The activity choices available to your rental group will be influenced by your group's size, your scheduled amount of recreation time and the time of year you are at camp.

  • Archery
  • Lake Activities (Boating, Fishing, Volleyball)
  • Teambuilding
  • Zip Line
  • Tango Tower
  • Horse Rides
  • Swimming Pool

 

Our job is to work with your group to build a program that best meets the your needs and budget. We are happy to help with every step of the planning process in order to make your event as simple and stress-free as possible.

Please contact us with any questions you may have, or to inquire about booking an event with us.  We look forward to working with you!

402-434-9222 or campkitaki@ymcalincoln.org