2022 SWMTU member’s weekend at Wa Wa Sum

Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited, for the 40th year, will be hosting our member’s weekend at the Wa Wa Sum Lodge on the Au Sable River east of Grayling. Beginning Thursday, June 23 through Sunday, June 26, the communal lodge, owned and operated by Michigan State University, will again host the Schrems Chapter. The lodge is located on the “Holy Waters.” A very wadable and world-famous stretch of the Au Sable that is fly fishing only and all catch and release. The lodge sleeps 26 in twin beds in rooms (including 2 beds on the screened-in porch) with 3 or 4 beds per room with 2 communal bathrooms. There is a wonderful screened-in porch with handmade rocking chairs overlooking the Au Sable. This is an authentic fishing lodge from another century. A communal kitchen building is fully stocked with the necessary hardware for cooking and consuming. You must bring your own bedding (all twin beds) or sleeping bag and towels for the weekend. This is not a Ritz Carlton. Schrems will host a Friday cookout at 12:30 pm, open to all at no cost. The luncheon will also allow you to pack a meal for your evening fishing. All other food and beverage are on your own for the weekend. In addition to the refrigerator in the kitchen building, there is a refrigerator in the lodge.

Reservation Instructions

You can reserve your spot at the bottom of this page. Everyone who registers MUST select the “2020 Wa Wa Sum Deposit” and also select the desired nights for lodging.

1. The cost per evening is $50. You may come for one night, two nights, or three nights.
2. A deposit of $50 is required for everyone. Your deposit will go toward the first night of lodging.
3. All lodging is first-come, first-serve. There are only 26 beds available, and camping is not allowed.
4. If a night shows “0 available” that means no beds are available that night.
5. If reserving for multiple people, a deposit and a lodging night must be paid for each person.
6. You can pay your lodging balance at Wa Wa Sum by check or cash.

To make your reservation, scroll to the bottom of this page and purchase a ticket. Reservation payments happen via PayPal, but you are not required to have a PayPal account. You can use any credit card for payment. Your contact for more information or questions is Lance Climie at [email protected].

More about Wa Wa Sum Lodge

Wa Wa Sum is a Michigan State University research and conference facility located on the Au Sable River six miles east of Grayling. The name Wa Wa Sum means “Plain View” in the Ojibwa language and was given to the camp in 1905 by Chief David Shoppenagon, an Au Sable guide and woodsman. At the time, because of the extensive logging of the region’s pine forests, the view from the high bank on which the camp is built was unobstructed for miles to the South. Since then, the forests have regenerated, slowly obscuring the view of the river. Chief Shoppenagon built the first building at the camp, now known as the Dining Room, in 1880. In 1897, Rubin Babbitt, an Au Sable woodsman who later became Michigan’s first wildlife officer, built a second structure, now the Administration Building. These first buildings were constructed of red pine and tamarack logs and used as a fishing camp for a group of Toledo businessmen. Other cabins of various sizes were added in later years: the Bullpen (1907), the Big Camp (1921/22), the Barn and the Guide’s Cabin (early 1930’s). The buildings and 251 acres of land were deeded to MSU in 1980 by owners Virginia Secor Stranahan and Frank Bell, descendants of two of the camp’s six original owners. Kevin Gardiner, a descendant of Rubin Babbitt, is the camp’s present caretaker. He is the third generation of his family to perform these duties. Related Links: Wa Wa Sum on Facebook – Society of Architectural Historians Arcipedia

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