Restoration Big Creek

The Project is Complete
The Purpose Continues

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THANK YOU!

This wasn't just a renovation - it was a revival. 

Big Creek Outdoor Education Center Logo

When we launched Restoration Big Creek, we said it wasn’t a choice of what would be nice to have—it was a choice between saving this camp from imminent deterioration or not.

Together, you made the bold, generous, and visionary choice: to save it.

Because of your support, we’ve completed a transformational renovation of the Big Creek Outdoor Education Center. The historic bunkhouses are safe, sturdy, and still full of character. The mess hall—once at risk of failure—is now a gathering place built to last. The staff cabin is restored and ready to house generations of future educators.

This project has preserved the soul of Big Creek while ensuring it can serve thousands more kids, families, and curious minds in the years ahead. It’s not just more functional—it’s more beautiful, more resilient, and more alive than ever.

We are profoundly grateful to every person who helped make this possible.

Your belief in outdoor education, in this landscape, and in the magic of Big Creek is what carried this campaign across the finish line. Thank you for helping us protect the past and invest in the future.

Read Our RBC Press Release

Campaign Committee

Bob & Patt Jepsen
Connie Lane
Will Hammerquist
Keith Brown
Andy Stiles
Monica & Chris Graff
Jared Fraiser
Dee Aust
Tagen Vine

Our Campaign Has

Restored

  • Original hardwood floors
  • Structural soundness to all building foundations
  • Historic characteristics of the site

Removed

  • Aging and decaying asbestos floors
  • Temporary fixes done throughout the years

Installed

  • New, energy efficient, doors and windows
  • Family style restrooms with ADA accessibility
  • Modern plumbing
  • Insulation
  • Basement storage, staff bunkroom, and efficient food storage space in the Mess Hall

The Need Was Clear - And You Answered

Restoration Big Creek was more than a renovation project—it was a promise to honor the past while investing in the future.

Thanks to your generous support, we seized the opportunity to preserve Big Creek’s history and secure its continued impact on thousands of children and community members each year. Today, the campus is safer, more efficient, and more comfortable—all while retaining the rustic charm and historic character that make it unforgettable.

With critical upgrades now complete, we’ve not only protected this special place, but positioned it to thrive. Big Creek can now support expanded educational offerings, welcome guests year-round, and reflect the high standard of quality the Glacier Institute is known for.

For years, we made do with patchwork repairs and temporary fixes—but this campaign changed everything. It allowed us to step fully into our role as the Flathead Valley’s leader in outdoor education, with facilities that match the depth of our programs and the power of this place.

Thank you for helping us rise to the moment. You didn’t just meet the need—you helped us build a foundation for generations to come.

BIG CREEK OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER RESTORATION

Big Creek Outdoor Education Center is both the home and the heart of the Glacier Institute’s immersive, outdoor education programs for local kids offered through schools, overnight camps, and day-long classes. Each year over 1,500 kids - many of them 2nd generation Big Creek students - get an up-close, first-hand understanding of the natural world and their role in it. They form new, deeper connections to the land, to one another, and to the world around them.

Then (1983)

9 Classes | 84 Students

Now (2022+)

30+ Classes | 1500 Students

You can continue to support Big Creek students by contributing to scholarships!

We are pleased to also offer the following naming opportunities:

Guest Cabin 1 ($50,000) Nancy Lundgren
Guest Cabin 2 ($50,000)
Staff Cabin ($50,000) Whitefish Community Foundation
Mess Hall Building ($125,000)
Library ($25,000) Honey Bear Library
Kitchen ($25,000) Polebridge Mercantile & Bakery
Dining Area ($25,000)
Loft Area ($25,000)
Recreation Field ($100,000)
Back Shop ($25,000) John & Kris Bruninga

To discuss large donations and naming opportunities, please contact:
Anthony Nelson
Executive Director, Glacier Institute
director@glacierinstitute.org
406.755.1211