PORT EDWARDS – Have you been to South Wood County YMCA’s Camp Alexander?
The camp sits on 33 acres of land near Nepco Lake and has hosted decades of summer campers, weddings, receptions and other events in Port Edwards, just outside of Wisconsin Rapids.
Erin Hess, CEO of the South Wood County YMCA, and Trisha Steinhorst, Camp Alexander’s director, met with a Daily Tribune reporter April 13 and toured the camp ahead of its 2026 season, sharing what activities and amenities it offers for campers and the broader community.
Hess and Steinhorst said they often hear from former campers reminiscing about their time at Camp Alexander, but many other people in the area don’t realize Camp Alexander exists. They wanted to share that the YMCA camp has a lot to offer for youth campers as well as the whole community.
Walking through the campgrounds displays a mix of decades-long history, as well as potential for growth and more opportunities.
A longstanding history
Construction to create Camp Alexander started in late 1940. According to reports in the Daily Tribune at the time, county work relief men were helping construct the Nekoosa-Port Edwards Boys Club camp at Lake Nepco.
According to a column submitted to the Daily Tribune by Joan McCarville, the associate executive director of the South Wood County YMCA in 2012, John E. Alexander gathered with some of the most creative minds in the area to create a fun and safe way for local youths to enjoy their summer. They came up with Camp Nepco, a place for children to spend two weeks of the summer gardening and working on crafts.
When it opened in 1941, a lodge welcomed campers, standing as a log building made by mill workers from trees on the property. Crews made up of mill workers and fathers then built small cabins in the evenings and weekends, housing six to eight kids in each cabin. The buildings served as sleeping quarters, dining facilities and entertainment space, according to the 2012 column.
When the original lodge building turned 50 years old in 1991, the log building was officially dedicated to the late John E. Alexander and his family, according to a Sept. 13, 1991, article in the Daily Tribune.
According to multiple Daily Tribune reports throughout the 1940s, Camp Nepco hosted boys and girls clubs from both Port Edwards and Nekoosa each summer. Boys and girls clubs followed the same general program, participating in seven weeks of work and play, then the children were rewarded with three weeks at Camp Nepco. The organizations sometimes joined forces to host events like organizational picnics at the camp.
According to a Dec. 24, 1948, Daily Tribune report, the group aimed to bring the advantages of supervised play that larger communities enjoyed to smaller communities, and the work done in the Nekoosa and Port Edwards areas at Camp Nepco inspired other smaller communities all over the country to start similar programs.
The camp facilities on Nepco Lake existed in Port Edwards before the John E. Alexander South Wood County YMCA, which first set stakes on Wisconsin River Drive in July 1957 and was dedicated in September 1958.
When the John E. Alexander South Wood County YMCA opened in 1958, Camp Nepco turned into YMCA Camp Alexander, according to the 2012 column.
Over the years, Camp Alexander has grown and expanded, thanks to efforts by investors like Charles and JoAnn Lester, who helped fund refurbishing projects at the original lodge and the creation of six cabins, a pavilion and dining hall. The couple donated more than $1 million in additions at the camp, according to McCarville’s 2012 column.
According to an Oct. 13, 1997, column in the Daily Tribune by Don Franklin, the executive director of the South Wood County YMCA, the organization acquired its full 33 acres within the last year thanks to Charles and JoAnn Lester, the Alexander Foundation and Georgia Pacific. The column also said Camp Alexander served more than 4,000 people that year, hosting school groups, church groups, Boy Scouts, Boys & Girls Club, Wood County groups, chamber of commerce leadership groups, karate groups, local businesses, family reunions, parties and more.
In 2002, Mick Ferkey hosted a funding drive to build a more permanent road leading to camp, according to McCarville’s 2012 column, and in 2009, Brad and Pat Pavloski created a new camp parking lot, a new athletic field and green space with a sprinkler system.
Hess and Steinhorst said additional work had been done to restore the original log cabin building over the years, and other amenities have been added and upgraded. One of the orignal cabins was restored and refinished to become a camp storage building for recreational equipment. Additional activity space has also been created for disc golf, archery, ax and hatchet throwing and more.
Summer camp for youths ages 7-17
Programming has evolved over the last few decades. Today, Camp Alexander offers a day camp experience for children between the ages of 7-17, according to the camp’s 2026 Program Guide.
The guide details 11 weeks of week-long programming, with each week featuring a special theme with guest experiences and unique, age-appropriate activities, according to the program guide. Campers can also enjoy swimming, fishing, boating, target sports, group games, exploring nature and other camp experiences.
This year, Camp Alexander has created new experiences for campers between the ages of 12-17 designed to offer more independent leadership opportunities and age-appropriate challenges.
According to the camp’s program guide, this group will have more weekly team-building activities, leadership experiences and will play an important role in giving their input to help YMCA leaders shape the future of its teenage programming.
Camp Alexander also offers an inclusive camp environment and supports all campers with moderate visual, auditory, orthopedic, mental and emotional challenges. Families are encouraged to discuss individual needs with camp staff before registering to help ensure the best camp experience for each child, according to the program guide.
The YMCA also offers scholarships for Camp Alexander, similar to its Membership for All program. Hess said any youth who would like to participate can attend. She said the organization wants to make sure anyone who wants to attend can regardless of finances, and the YMCA works with parents and guardians to determine how much support is needed on an individual basis.
“Camp isn’t camp without our campers,” Steinhorst said.
Rentals for weddings, youth groups & more
Camp Alexander isn’t limited to just campers during the summer.
Various spaces and facilities are also available to rent when campers aren’t there using the spaces. Steinhorst said the campground can accommodate reunions, showers, weddings, banquets, youth groups, clubs, nonprofit organizations, church outings, team building, workshops, retreats and more.
According to the John E. Alexander YMCA website, available rentals include Lester Hall, five year-round cabins, a roped-in swimming area, trails for cross-country skiing and hiking, an athletic field, fishing and more. Boat landings are nearby and most buildings are ADA accessible.
What’s next for Camp Alexander?
As Hess and Steinhorst gave a Daily Tribune reporter a tour of the property, the organization was getting ready to host community cleanup events to prepare for this summer’s camp season.
Steinhorst said the camp and amenities had potential to be able to host more activities and events in the future, geared toward both YMCA members as well as the broader community. She said there’s potential to host a variety of outdoor activities throughout the year, including winter games, festivals and events.
Camp tours and registration information
The South Wood County YMCA will host a few open house events to show families Camp Alexander. S’mores & Tours will show guests where day campers spend their time and give families an opportunity to explore the grounds and meet staff.
S’mores & Tours will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 23 and June 6 at 1053 Camp Road in Port Edwards.
Camp registration is also open for this summer. For more information or to register, visit swcymca.org/camp or find YMCA Camp Alexander on Facebook.
Contact Caitlin at cshuda@usatodayco.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: YMCA Camp Alexander expands youth camps & promotes facility rentals
Reporting by Caitlin Shuda, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune / Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
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