Ready for Fun? Check Out These 8 Incredible Summer Camps

Want to make this summer unforgettable? Spend a week at Scout camp! Check out these eight incredible Scouting America summer camps for an adventure you’ll never forget.

Click here to see more camps featured in previous years.

CAMP ALEXANDER

Pathway to the Rockies Council; Lake George, Colorado
campalexanderbsa.org

MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING: This 325-acre mountain camp sits at more than 8,000 feet in elevation and boasts views of evergreen forests, rugged cliffs and nearby mountains, including Pikes Peak. You even get scenic views of waterfalls as you enter camp. It also features access to a lake and river where you can fish for rainbow trout.

INTO THE OUTBACK: Older Scouts can embark on a Rocky Mountain adventure, both on- and off-site. In the Outback program, you get to pedal a mountain bike around the canyon in camp, ride the whitewater rapids on the Arkansas River and scale rock walls in Red Rocks Canyon. You’ll hike up mountains too: Blue Mountain in camp and the 14,115-foot-tall Pikes Peak.

THEME OF THE DAY: Every day is different — it might be “Crazy Hat Day” or “Hawaiian Shirt Day.” The camp’s high-energy staff keeps fun at the forefront. They lead camp songs, offer 45 merit badge classes and host a carnival day when Scouts can play games and savor hamburgers and snow cones.

CAMP SQUANTO

Mayflower Council; Plymouth, Massachusetts
mayflowerbsa.org

A CENTURY OF CAMP: Step back in time by visiting the Casoni Museum. You can check out old troop photos, camp patches and a Scouting-themed model train set. It’s a great place to work on the Scouting Heritage and Railroading merit badges, two of the 60 merit badges normally offered at this 100-year-old camp.

HEAD OFF-SITE: There are plenty of fun activities at camp: sunfish sailing, archery and a C.O.P.E. ropes course. If you’re an experienced camper and want to try something different off-site, sign up for the ACE program, where you can go whale watching at Plymouth Harbor, kayak at a nearby lake and climb at an indoor gym.

PUT ON YOUR GAME FACE: Don’t laugh when you’re face-to-face with a staff member as they’re mooing like a cow. Getting into a “Moo-Off” challenge is just one of the silly, fun games you can play. You can also enjoy human foosball, gaga ball, three-legged relay races, cornhole and water polo. Some events are livestreamed on social media so your parents can cheer you on from home.

GOOSE POND SCOUT RESERVATION

Northeastern Pennsylvania Council; Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania
gpsr.nepabsa.org

TALK TO ME, GOOSE: Founded in 1920, this camp has more than 500 acres to enjoy, but only 200 Scouts are on-site each week. This creates a family-style atmosphere where staff members get to know you by name by the end of the week, whether you’re working on rank requirements in the first-year program, taking one of the 50 merit badge classes or going outpost camping in the Voyager program.

RICH IN HISTORY: Famous Scouter Bill Hillcourt, nicknamed “Green Bar Bill,” visited Goose Pond. To honor the author of the first Fieldbook and multiple editions of the Boy Scout Handbook, the camp offers “Green Bar” patrol awards. Build patrol spirit throughout the week, and you might help your unit earn a special honor ribbon.

TOO MUCH TO DO: If there’s one complaint staff hears, it’s that there’s too much to do in a single week. You can drive all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), go whitewater canoeing down the Delaware River, sail on the 45-acre lake and ride the 300-foot-long zipline. Because there’s so much, you’ll want to go back next year to do everything else.

CAMP CONSTANTIN

Circle Ten Council; Graford, Texas
circleten.org

A WEEK BY CANOE: Interested in earning the 50-Miler Award, the Exploration merit badge and the Snorkeling Award? You can get them all during a weeklong aquatic trek.

FUN ON THE LAKE: Everyone can take part in a raft race, a sailing regatta and a grand Olympiad, which is a troop relay race requiring running, swimming and canoeing. You can take several water-based merit badges out of the camp’s 60-plus badges typically offered.

IN YOUR FREE TIME: Camp Constantin provides plenty of fun activities, from movie nights to videogame tournaments to gaga ball and a paintball range, plus disc golf and sand volleyball. You can go hiking, play chess and add branding to some of your gear. There are soccer games throughout the week too.

CAMP DAVY CROCKETT

Sequoyah Council; Whitesburg, Tennessee
campdavycrockett.org

ON THE WILD FRONTIER: Spend a week at Davy Crockett’s frontier camp, where you can enjoy blacksmithing and leatherworking. You get to take home a time-period hunting shirt that you’ll wear during this special camp program that takes you back to the 1800s.

LET’S PLAY: You can climb the 72-foot-tall climbing tower, take a dip in the huge swimming pool, golf the nine-hole course, kayak the lake, take on the archery range, and play basketball and card games. You can challenge the camp staff to a game too. Once, a troop and the staff held a contest requiring them to wrestle an inflatable alligator. The staff also hosts a podcast that highlights skits and games.

A SCOUT IS REVERENT: Being out in nature can also be a time to reflect on your life and faith. The camp offers a religious program for a variety of beliefs, allowing you to delve deeper into the 12th point of the Scout Law. There’s a set of patches you can earn as you work on projects and essays.

TOMAHAWK SCOUT CAMP

Northern Star Council; Birchwood, Wisconsin
www.camptomahawk.org

WATERLOGGED: Head over to the waterfront for aquatic fun. There’s a 35-foot giant blob and other inflatables to bounce on, as well as a rope swing and games. You can learn how to navigate a catamaran sailboat and go boardsailing on the lake. Older Scouts can sign up for a sailing adventure on Lake Superior aboard a 60-foot boat or go on a whitewater kayaking or canoeing trip.

BECOME A LUMBERJACK: Learn how to chop wood and climb poles at the Knapp-Stout Logging Camp. Make a miniature tomahawk, use a two-person saw, and brand a mug, water bottle or wooden cookie to take home. Older Scouts can also work on building a log cabin and try blacksmithing.

BACK TO NATURE: Horseback rides are available in the afternoons and evenings. But horses aren’t the only animals at Tomahawk. You can visit the fields northeast of the welcome center, home to a herd of more than 100 bison. You can also learn about beavers, reptiles and amphibians on-site.

QUIVIRA SCOUT RANCH

Quivira Council; Sedan, Kansas
quivira.org

ALL THAT’S FIT TO PRINT: Many camps have technology centers where you can learn about STEM and digital tech. At Quivira’s center, you can use one of the four 3D printers to design and make amazing creations. Scouts have printed chess sets, mugs and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson figurines.

ROCKIN’ AND REELIN’: Activities abound, including rock climbing at both an artificial climbing area and a natural rock wall. The 3,000-acre property also has a large lake, a target sports area, hiking and biking trails, and a fish camp, where local game wardens and biologists teach lessons about the fish in the lake and where you practice fishing for them.

HIGH Q: Want some high adventure? Quivira’s got you covered with its new high-adventure program, High Q. Choose from three weeklong adventures: F.I.S.H. Camp, Conquer the Water or Backpacking. At F.I.S.H. Camp, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the fish in the lake and how to catch them. For Conquer the Water, it’s a week on the water as you hop in a canoe, kayak, jet ski and dragon boat. And in Backpacking, trek to a two-night outpost where you can go hiking and canoeing.

CAMP PIONEER

Cascade Pacific Council; Idanha, Oregon
cpcscouting.org

A CLASSIC CAMP: The Cascade Pacific Council has three camps: Meriwether, Baldwin and Pioneer. If you want to go to a big camp with a lot of amenities, check out Meriwether. If you want to go horseback riding, Baldwin is the place to be. But if you want a classic summer camp experience in a serene location where you receive individualized attention, then Pioneer’s for you.

GET OUT: Every Wednesday, you can get out of camp for a fun day trip. Hike around the lush, green forests of the Mount Jefferson Wilderness area or scramble along a mountain trail. You can also go spelunking at one of the “coolest” nearby attractions, the Sawyer Ice Caves, which hold ice formations as late as July.

ALL ABOUT THE MERCH: The design for the camp’s T-shirts, hoodies and snapback caps changes every year. You’ll want to update your wardrobe with all the cool gear, each emblazoned with the camp’s signature “gem” logo.