This picture shows the National Summer Palaestrum Gymnastic Camp (on Elk Lake, Williamsburg, MI). It was originally built in the 20's as the Elk Lake Inn, a summer resort. The background shows the farm that originally served the Inn for fresh food.

I attended NSPC summers in the '70's. Such a great gymnastics camp, with thg h Olympic leveltraining!

I went to camp There in the 70’s. Norwegian Wood played nonstop in the dance studio and I swam the lake with some older boys. Got shin splints vaulting but learned backwalkovers on the beam!

I attended camp here in the early 80’s
Everything was great! The new friendships, the gymnastics, the lake, the skits 😊
A summer to never forget ❤️
(anyone have the address?) 40 years later...

I attended this gymnastics camp 1983 & 1984 worked in the kitchen staff and had the greatest summers of my life!! Incredible Gymnastics and Amazing Summer. Crazy Cherry Festivals

Does anyone remember the McBrides?? Scott n Debbie McBride so many years ago?? Water Sports, water skiing n water boarding… I absolutely remember them from my years at Palastra Summer Gymnastics Camps.

I have a summer cabin directly across from the Palestrum on Elk Lake, and have been going there since the late 40s. I was from Urbana, Ill, and was a classmate of Jerry Pond, who’s father Charlie Pond ran the Palestrum. All the buildings in the picture are gone, and there are large homes along the lake.

I was there in late sixties (1968 I think) for the entire summer with my family as my dad was one of the instructors (James Pilkington). I was only 8 but the memories are still vivid. Cabin life, Camp court, day trips to Mackinac and the dunes. I tried to find the camp on my way to Mackinac Island about 7 years ago but could not find anything. Have since learned that all the buildings are gone and replaced by larger houses along the shoreline.

Camper and later councilor at NSPC 1963-1965. Great memories of campers and councilors. Mike Jacki (USGF Pres.) Jerry George ( FIG code of points and author) Linda Mulvihill ‘68 Olympian) and many others. Interlocked, big bear dunes, charlavois cherry festival, great gymnastics.

I worked at the camp in 1972. I was 25 at the time and in graduate school but wanted to improve my gymnastic skills for Sokol competitions. The arrangement I had with Ruth Ann McBride was I would run errands into Traverse City for whatever they needed that day, transport kids to the clinic there if they were sick or injured and also pick up and drop off staff at the airport as needed. I was not paid but in my free time I had access to the facilities to work out and participate in the classes. I echo the comments here that it was a great and memorable experience and for the most part the staff and campers were very helpful and great to work with. Even many of the high school gymnasts helped out with tips and spotting and treated me as just another camper. The highlight of the summer was the appearance of Roxanne Pierce, who qualified for the U.S. Olympic team that year.
Yes, the trips to the dunes, Interlochen, Elk Rapids and Traverse City were fun. Including the Cherry Festival where some of the kids and staff worked the trampoline on a moving float (without spotters!). I think some years later it was turned into a water skiing camp or they added water skiing training to the camp activities. It had a good run, too bad its gone but if you go to Google Maps, satellite view and follow Palaestrum Road to Elk Lake you can still see the man made concrete enclosed extension into the lake that was used for all the water activities.