Crystalaire History
​Since 2022, Crystalaire Adventures has been a part of Project Foxwood, an outdoor education organization that also operates Camp Lookout and Camp Carvela. But Crystalaire has a rich history that began way back in 1920!
1920
Osaha Dunes opens on the shore of Crystalaire Lake. This all-girls summer camp built the foundation of what later became Crystalaire Camp.
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1958
Gus Leinbach, a long-time program director, purchases Osaha Dunes and refashions it as an experiential education platform known simply as "Crystalaire." Gus was an early adopter of progressive educational models and modeled Crystalaire after the Free Play Philosophy that was pioneered by Summer Hill School in England.
1976
Dave Reid and Kathi Houston Purchase Crystalaire Camp from Gus, continuing the philosophical approach with a renewed emphasis on wilderness trips. Campers spent at least one night of every week on trail. These trips included sailing, backpacking, canoeing, and horse camping, often for as long as three weeks.
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1995
Dave and Kathi purchase a second camp, Camp Lookout, on Lower Herring Lake.
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2008
Crystalaire Camp closes its original location on Crystal Lake and moves operations to Camp Lookout.
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2009
Crystalaire Camp finds its new "permanent" home on the road and embraces adventure! In the words of then-Director Blake Compton, “The future of Crystalaire is that it will be what it always has been, but it won’t be tied to a place."
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2013
Gus's grandson, Micha Leinbach, becomes Director of Crystalaire Adventures and reimagines the curriculum in the in the tradition of his grandfather, incorporating more free-play and emphasizing self-sufficiency in the wilderness.
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2016
Charlie Burnett, a former Crystalaire Adventures camper, assumes the role of Director.
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2018
Crystalaire Adventures finds a new headquarters at Camp Carvela, centralizing its operations closer to Traverse City and expanding its year-round programming capacity.
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2019
Crystalaire Adventures has its biggest summer ever, leading hundreds of campers on expeditions to Northern Michigan's most beautiful outdoor destinations.
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2020-2022
As the world navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor play and exploration become more important than ever before. Crystalaire Adventures takes special measures to ensure kids continue to have a safe way to connect and explore with their peers in outdoor settings.
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2023
Crystalaire Adventures expands its trips beyond the Midwest, leading its first-ever backpacking trip in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
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2024
Morgan Hassall, longtime Camp Lookout Director, assumes a dual role as Crystalaire Adventures Director and expands program offerings beyond backpacking and base camping to feature sailing, biking, and fishing.
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2025
Crystalaire Adventures adds a new kind of adventure leads its first-ever fishing-based trip through the lakes and streams of Northern Michigan. It's an instant hit with campers!
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2026 and beyond...
Crystalaire Adventures continues to expand it's programming and welcomes adventure-seekers from around the country to hike, bike, camp, fish, canoe, sail and more!