Guest Groups
Unplug from Technology, Experience Creation, Establish Friendships, and Connect with God Contact Guest ServicesCamp Tilikum is an ideal location for churches, schools, colleges, non-profits, and community organizations seeking a venue for retreats, conferences, planning sessions, recreation, team-building, and camps. Located less than an hour from Portland or Salem, Oregon, Tilikum is comprised of 93 acres of green meadows, quiet lake waters, and wooded hiking trails. The spacious 14,000 square foot Lodge accommodates both weekend and midweek guest groups from 15 to 59 guests with clean, comfortable rooms, private bathrooms, and nutritious home-style meals. Meeting rooms and common areas are large enough to spread out for small gatherings.
Food Service
Exceptional Home-Cooked Style Meals.
We understand how important great food is for your visit. At Tilikum you will enjoy delicious entrees and accompanying side dishes, freshly baked breads and tasty desserts, pleasing to the eye and tasty to the palate. Wholesome meals are prepared from scratch with local, fresh, seasonal ingredients, and usually served family-style. Tilikum offers a quality food service difficult to attain at larger camps and conference centers.
Camp Tilikum Lodge
Creating Space for Friends to Gather.
Tilikum Lodge has meeting, lodging and dining rooms all under one roof. Lodging, meals, coffee breaks, meeting rooms and audio/visual equipment are included in the standard package price. We host non-profit and for-profit groups from 15 to 59 guests including but not limited to churches, community organizations, corporate team-building, family reunions, public and private school organizations and athletic teams, and college groups. We look forward to the opportunity to provide your group with a memorable experience.
Tilikum Grounds
Outdoor Recreation at its Finest.
For over 40 years, Camp Tilikum’s 93-acre lakefront property has been a cherished destination for a variety of gatherings, offering a serene and versatile backdrop for school field trips, church retreats, company picnics, college group outings, and youth group events. Nestled among lush forests, open meadows, and a tranquil lake, Tilikum provides the perfect setting and plenty of variety for connection, reflection, and adventure.
Groups that come to Tilikum.
- church retreats for women, men, youth, boards, missionaries and pastoral staff
- family reunions and gatherings
- universities that include athletics, resident halls, graduation programs
- private, alternative and public schools for staff retreats, training, or development.
- quilting associations
- Chamber of Commerce leadership classes, board member retreats
Valley View School
A Historic Place.
A historic Schoolhouse from 1909, the Valley View School was transported to Camp TIlikum in 1989 and restored to it’s original glory. Now utilized year-round by Tilikum’s summer camps and a local academy during the school year, the schoolhouse is a beloved staple of Camp Tilikum.
The Writer's Cabin
A Quiet Place for Writing and Reflection.
Once construction is complete, this secluded personal cabin will be offered at a low cost to Christian writers working on a writing project, giving them space for a personal retreat and a space to work. As scheduling allows, it will also be available to others at a standard cost for personal retreats.
The Fawver Center
A Place for People to Play.
Designed after an Indian longhouse, the Fawver Center is a rustic multipurpose building situated at the east end of Lake Tilikum. The Fawver Center can be rented exclusively or as a part of a grounds use group rental. It may also be available at no charge in with a Tilikum Lodge rental.
Food Service
A microwave, toaster oven, and mini-fridge are available in the dining room for guest use. The mini-fridge is stocked with non-dairy milks and creamers for those who like them. There is always a fresh fruit basket available. Coffee, decaf, tea, and our house-made hot cocoa mix are available 24/7. Chilled cans of soda and juices are also available for purchase in the dining room.
A list of ingredients for each dish are available from your host. And recipes are available upon request—we are happy to share them with home cooks.
Meals at Tilikum
All breakfasts include eggs, a breakfast meat, a pastry or coffee cake, fruit, hot cereal, and juice.
Lunch in the dining room almost always includes a hot dish, either soup or a hot sandwich or hot meat for burritos or rice bowls, salads, freshly made lemonade or iced tea, and our fresh homemade cookies.
Dinners include a freshly seasoned protein, a starch (rice, potatoes, or pasta), hot veggies, tossed salads, and freshly baked bread. Most desserts are prepared from local produce, so our fruit crisp may have Marionberries, Fuji apples, Veteran peaches, or other seasonal finds from neighboring farms.
Disclaimer: Camp Tilikum is not a dedicated allergy-free facility, though we are careful to prepare medical diet dishes as free from cross-contamination as possible. Appliances and utensils are thoroughly cleaned after they have been used for wheat, nuts or dairy. But even with these precautions, cross-contamination is possible. Guests with life-threatening allergies should carry their own epi-pens.
If an individual has a medical diet need which requires a completely separate option, our hosts will either deliver it directly to the guest at the table or will have it set on a designated sideboard with the items clearly marked. These requests must be made in advance in the Medical Diet links provided to the group coordinator, allowing the cooks to shop for and prepare a separate dish. There is a $1 additional charge per meal to cover the cost of special ingredients and the extra labor to prepare a separate meal.
Alternative menu options must be requested in advance. If a group requests an entirely alternate menu, such as vegetarian or Lent-observant or kosher or nut-free, there is no additional charge.
We look forward to serving you delicious meals!
Learn more about our history and delicious meals with our new cookbook made by the Food Service Director herself, Becky Hedrick!
The Tilikum Lodge
Tilikum Lodge has meeting, lodging and dining rooms all under one roof. Lodging, meals, coffee breaks, meeting rooms and audio/visual equipment are included in the standard package price. We host non-profit and for-profit groups from 15 to 58 guests including but not limited to churches, community organizations, corporate team-building, family reunions, public and private school organizations and athletic teams, and college groups. We look forward to the opportunity to provide your group with a memorable experience.
Your Lodge Rental includes free usage of the Fawver Center if requested. Standard amenities at the Lodge are as follows.
- Twin Bed and Double Bed Options
- Full Linen Service
- Dresser and Chairs
- Private Bathrooms
- Soft-Carpeted Rooms
- Beverage Service
- Game Room and Pool Table
- Guest Access Phone
- Wifi
- AV Equipment and TVs
- Comfortable Home Furniture
- Three Wood-Burning Fireplaces
- Localized Heat and AC
- Plenty of Natural Light
- Large, Versatile Meeting Rooms
- Quiet Library Space
Lodge Resources
Grounds Map
Online Housing Chart
The Tilikum Grounds
Camp Tilikum is private property—you must call ahead for availability.
Often guest groups reserve exclusive use of the property and we cannot allow visitors on the grounds. Summer availability is also limited due to exclusive use for our Summer Camp programs.
All visitors must check-in at the Main Office upon arriving and pick up a guest pass. Upon your departure, return your guest pass and sign out.
Swimming, wading, canoeing and using docks without railings are permitted only with a pre-scheduled Tilikum certified lifeguard. There is a nominal fee for this service. Contact the Administrative Office for details.
Visitors must conduct themselves in a manner that would not oppose Camp Tilikum’s basic principles. We reserve the right to ask any individual or group to leave the premises.
Tilikum is a tobacco, alcohol, weapon and pet-free facility.
The Valley View Schoolhouse
A historic Schoolhouse from 1909, the Valley View School was transported to Camp TIlikum in 1989 and restored to it’s original glory. Now utilized year-round by Tilikum’s summer camps and a local academy during the school year, the schoolhouse is a beloved staple of Camp Tilikum.
Valley View Dedication Video
We have scanned and made available the original Valley View School records (grades, courses, parents, costs) from 1909 to 1941. Some of the files are large and take a while to download, but they are worth the wait. If you know anyone who attended the school during those years, these documents can be very interesting!
Friends of Valley View School-1985 (PDF)
School records 1909-1912 (PDF)
School records 1915-1925 (PDF)
School records 1926-1933 (PDF)
School records 1934-1941 (PDF)
The Writer's Cabin
Richard Foster and his family lived at Tilikum in the 1970’s when he was on the pastoral team at Newberg Friends Church. During these years he wrote the book, Celebration of Discipline in this peaceful setting. From this connection to Tilikum, the idea came to develop a special place for Christian writers. Below is a letter from Richard Foster endorsing this project.
Dear Friend,
Tilikum’s staff, Nathan Foster and I have been working together on a proposed “Christian Writers Cabin.” It is a contemporary expression of the ancient practice of a patron of the arts. In contemporary society, film is the medium with the greatest impact; the Internet is the medium that is the most pervasive; but the written word is the medium with the greatest precision and permanence, and, when done correctly, can have enormous influence upon both film and the Internet. Today, writers of Christian conviction really do need our support and encouragement. They need space and time that is free from distractions. They need uncluttered opportunities to think, to pray and to write – you could even use the opportunity of having zero distractions to plan how to market your book to its intended audience. They need the vision to wrestle honestly with the complexities of the human condition. And, they need the skills to articulate those realities in ways that are crisp and clear and imaginative. I know personally how difficult it is to create an overall environment that is conducive to writing. The “Writers Cabin” can become a wonderful resource for serious writers by creating just such an environment. I hope you will help bring Tilikum’s vision into reality.
Peace and joy,
The amenities for the Writer’s Cabin were designed by Richard Foster to create the ideal place to facilitate writing, eliminate distractions and inspire guests to hear God’s voice. These include:
- all the charm of a small lakeside cabin
- private bathroom
- one room open floor plan and kitchen
- large windows with a lake view
- private lakeside balcony
- large selection of devotional classics and Richard Foster books
- special table for writing project materials
Ground breaking for this project began in the spring of 2018. The projected budget totals $70,000, including utilities, foundation, construction, and listed amenities, and the cabin is expected to be completed in the winter of 2024.
We are so thankful for God’s provision and the thousands of families who have believed in Tilikum’s ministry since 1971. Consider how you might be able to support this important project.
You can contribute to the project in any of the following ways:
- make your check payable to Camp Tilikum, 15321 NE North Valley Road, Newberg, OR 97132
- electronic funds transfer (EFT), download the Tilikum Electronic Funds Transfer form
- a credit card donation by calling Dennis Littlefield at (503) 538-2763, ext 103
- a credit card donation online with PayPal
For more information about the Writers Cabin project email Dennis Littlefield/Executive Director, or call Dennis at (503) 538-2763, ext. 103.
The Fawver Center
Designed after an Indian longhouse, the Fawver Center is a multipurpose building situated at the east end of Lake Tilikum. The Fawver Center can be rented exclusively or as a part of a grounds use group rental. It may also be available at no additional charge in combination with a Tilikum Lodge rental. Its rustic lakeside setting and expansive space appeals to outdoor education groups, harvest parties and family reunions. It also provides an indoor space for Challenge Course groups on a rainy day.
Summer availability is limited to evenings and/or weekends due to Tilikum sponsored programs.
- Half Court Basketball
- 25' Climbing Wall
- Indoor Propane Firepits
- Food Prep Station
- Restrooms
- Cafateria Seating for 100+
- 3 Mounted QHD LED TVs
- Wifi
- Outdoor Balcony with Lake View
- Ajustable Stage Boxes
- Outdoor BBQ Space
- Outdoor Campfire Area
- Canoe Launch
- Group Parking & Bus turnaround
For rate information, to schedule a tour, or to book your next event at Tilikum, contact Suzanne Maki/Guest Services Director.