Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch History

Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch is a Christian Camp in southern Minnesota serving over 24,000 people per year. Our purpose is to provide an atmosphere and opportunity for adults and children to get to know themselves, others and God better. We strive to do this through our lives, words, and activities by conducting ourselves in a manner pleasing to God.  Ironwood Springs has been a non-profit organization since 1976.

About our Staff:

Our current full time staff consists of Bob Bardwell as Camp Director, Mary Ann Schultz as our Office Manager,Steve Caskey as our Miracle Lodge Manager/Marketing Director, Dan Ostergard as our Facilities Manager, Shelly McGulpin as our Housekeeper/Wrangler. Jan Odle as our Food Service Director, Kris Young as the Miracle Lodge housekeeper and Food Service Staff, Jode Bardwell as our Receptionist and Bookkeeper, Dan Kenow as our maintenance shop manager, Pete Goetze as our groundskeeper, and BJ Stoppelmoor as our Equestrian Manager.  To contact our staff please, Contact Us. 

Volunteers:

Ironwood relies heavily on volunteers in an effort to keep costs low and make sure anyone who desires can afford to come to Ironwood.  To find out more about volunteers, check out our Volunteer page.

Who comes to Ironwood:

Ironwood serves a variety of groups from weddings, family reunions, corporate meetings, week-long camps, weekend retreats, church groups, team-building events, 4-H clubs, boy scouts, or just your family looking for a place to camp. Browse our site and enjoy viewing all that we have to offer. We would love to meet you!
*We ask that you respect our request that there be no alcohol or tobacco use on our property. Weapons of any type are not allowed on Ironwood property.

History:

Bob Bardwell worked at Horn Creek Ranch in Westcliffe, Colorado, and back in 1969, he had a dream to start or work at a Christian Camp again someday.  God used Bob's experiences at this camp to show him the spiritual, social, and emotional impact a Christian camp can have on a child for their lifetime.  After leaving Horn Creek Ranch, it was Bob's goal to start a Christian camp of his own.

In 1973, Bob had finished seminary and gotten married.  That same year he was paralyzed from the waist down in a heavy construction accident.  This event led to a series of changes that allowed Bob to see the Lord's purpose and plan for his life.  By 1976, land that Bob's father, Lester Bardwell, had purchased was transformed into the start of a non-profit, non-denominational, independent Christian camp, and Bob's dream was realized! The name IRONWOOD came from the hundreds of Ironwood trees on the land, SPRINGS came from the boiling springs along the Root River, CHRISTIAN is the camp's primary reason for existence, and RANCH relates to the setting of trails, horses, and western themes.