These 8 Scout Camps Have a Ton of Fun Planned for Summer

Are you ready? Summer is just around the corner, and these Scout camps have a ton of fun planned.

Click here to see more camps featured in previous years.

FORESTBURG SCOUT RESERVATION

Monmouth Council; Forestburgh, New York
monmouthcouncilscouting.org

ACROSS THE LAKE: At Forestburg, one aquatics activity involves a roll of duct tape and cardboard — a cardboard boat regatta, in which you race around Burnt Hope Lake in your creation. Other lake activities include crossing the water on the 150-foot monkey rope bridge, zipping over the lake on the dual 100-foot ziplines, sailing, paddleboarding and other classic aquatic activities.

BON APPÉTIT: There’s good eating at camp. The first night, you’re served a fried chicken picnic dinner. For the week, your unit can eat in the dining hall or cook in your campsite, where you can even have a pizza party. Swing by the dining hall anytime to make a tasty PB&J. And the trading post sells refreshing slushies.

EXPERT INSTRUCTION: The camp offers around 60 merit badges and invites industry leaders and volunteers to share their expertise. In the Buckskin Camper program for new Scouts, the staff helps with advancement through the First Class rank and then celebrates with an ice-cream social. The Outback Program offers older Scouts a chance for a more intense camping and high-adventure experience.

BROAD CREEK MEMORIAL SCOUT RESERVATION

Baltimore Area Council; Whiteford, Maryland
broadcreekscouting.org

LEARN THE TRADES: Welding, plumbing, metalworking, automotive maintenance, woodworking — these are more than just options on the camp’s 60-plus merit badge schedule. They’re valuable life skills that the knowledgeable staff can teach you. The camp partners with local companies to sponsor the skilled trades area, so you learn using state-of-the-art tools.

CLIMB ON: During free time, you can enjoy activities throughout the camp, work on patrol challenges or stop by one of the program areas. At the climbing area, scale up and rappel down the 48-foot tower. At night, the glow sticks come out for “glow climbing.”

RED, WHITE AND BLUE: If you’re at camp during the Fourth of July, you’re in for a treat: fireworks over the lake. A local professional pyrotechnics company puts on the colorful show. It caps off an exciting week that can include cowboy action shooting, action archery, standup addleboarding and high-adventure treks featuring caving, backpacking and canoeing. Plus, Broad Creek recently completed a lot of improvements around the camp, including new restroom and shower facilities and a campfire arena.

TREVOR REES-JONES SCOUT CAMP

Circle Ten Council; Athens, Texas
circleten.org

THE FISH ARE BITIN’: You’re likely to catch a fish at Trevor Rees-Jones. The on-site lakes are stocked with fish — and not little ones. We’re talking 10-pound largemouth bass you can catch from the shore or a boat. After you land a lunker (a really large fish), measure it and snap a photo — you might’ve caught the biggest fish that week. Then you can grab an “I Caught a Fish” patch.

SADDLE UP: Head over to the corral where you can work on the Horsemanship merit badge and take a guided trail ride on one of the camp’s two dozen horses. It’s also the place to be for a Western fair, where you can throw tomahawks, try roping, savor a snow cone, enjoy a dance in the arena and watch wranglers ride.

ANYTHING YOU WANT: If you want to ride along a zip line, climb on a maze of aquatic inflatables, slip down a waterslide or drive an all-terrain vehicle, then this camp has you covered. Or try the 48-foot climbing tower, plus field sports like basketball, disc golf and pickleball.

CAMP GRIZZLY

Inland Northwest Council; Harvard, Idaho
scoutingevent.com

LET’S PLAY: You can work on some 40 merit badges that this camp offers — except on Wednesday. That’s when the Grizzly Games begin. Compete in challenges in the program areas, like Scoutcraft, aquatics and the nature center, vying for bragging rights and awards. The day wraps up with a hot-dog picnic.

TAKE AIM: Top-quality instructors run the range and target activities, which include rifle and shotgun shooting, archery, muzzleloaders, and sporting arrows. Sporting arrows involves shooting arrows at foam discs launched into the air. Think of it like a blend of shotgun shooting and archery.

CAMP SPIRIT: Scouts take pride in Camp Grizzly and look for ways to keep it looking its best. As part of the Home Repairs merit badge, you’ll improve the camp’s facilities. You can also volunteer for meal and shower cleanup and do service projects. And be sure to order a Camp Grizzly shirt from the trading post with your unit’s numbers printed on it so you’ll have a keepsake to take home.

CAMP WANOCKSETT

Heart of New England Council; Dublin, New Hampshire
hnescouting.org

AMERICA’S FAVORITE MOUNTAIN: This camp boasts more than 100 years of history, and a beloved tradition is trekking the 3,165-foot-tall Mount Monadnock. Towering over the camp, it’s one of the most hiked mountains in the world. It takes a few hours to summit, but you’ll be rewarded with views of the six surrounding New England states.

EATIN’ GOOD: When you sit down in the dining hall, it’s like you’re with one big family because staff members eat with the Scouts. Staff in the Scoutcraft and first-year program areas also help Scouts cook, teaching them how to make wood-fired pizza and deep-fried doughnuts. One of the popular off-site places to visit is a roadside hangout that serves homemade ice cream.

PLENTY TO EXPLORE: There’s a lot to do near the camp, like rock climbing, historical field trips and bike rides. But there’s even more to do at camp. You can enjoy concerts, water-ski on the lake, race in a triathlon, play in a soccer game and compete in a robot war. Older Scouts can try mountain boarding, C.O.P.E. activities and kayaking.

HAWK MOUNTAIN SCOUT RESERVATION

Hawk Mountain Council; Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania
hmc-bsa.org

BIG BIRTHDAY: Every new camper can get a green neckerchief. As you participate in activities throughout the week, you’ll complete requirements for the Kittatinny Award, a patch that can go on your neckerchief. To celebrate the camp’s 100th anniversary this year, you can earn a special patch and participate in plenty of party activities.

GET ON THE A.T.: Hawk Mountain’s hiking trails connect with one of the most famous paths in the country: the Appalachian Trail. Part of the camp’s programming, like the Exploration merit badge, calls for trekking on this amazing trail.

DO IT ALL: Fun abounds in every area, from the 600-foot zip line across the lake to the gaga ball pit in the parade field. There are also volleyball tournaments, a polar bear plunge and cowboy action shooting. One favorite event is the Scoutmaster Splash, where adult leaders belly flop into the lake as Scouts cheer them on. Then everyone enjoys an evening swim.

D-BAR-A SCOUT RANCH

Michigan Crossroads Council; Metamora, Michigan
michiganscouting.org

RANCH LIFE: Dust off your Western wear — you’ll need it at this 1,700-acre ranch, with its large barns, corrals and grazing pastures for the 23 horses, four donkeys and two Dexter cattle. Equestrian trails with different degrees of riding difficulty connect the subcamps. Register for the Ranch Hand program to experience life on the ranch, including how to rope, ride, drive cattle and spend a night under the stars with the horses.

HIT THE TRAIL: For hiking enthusiasts, D-Bar-A has 11 miles of trail loops called the Pedro Trail — or the Ordep Trail if you go in the opposite direction. For more than 40 years, Scouts have enjoyed the trails, which were blazed by local Order of the Arrow lodges. You can earn patches for completing certain trails.

SOARING TO EAGLE: Older Scouts can sign up for the ranch’s Trail to Eagle program. You’ll work on many merit badges, including those required for the Eagle Scout rank. But it’s not all merit badge work. You also play games, enjoy an ice-cream social and compete for the Troop Spirit Award.

CAMP BAKER

Pacific Crest Council; Florence, Oregon
pccscouting.org

TO THE DUNES: This 200-acre camp sits a mile from coastal sand dunes. One evening of camp is devoted to hiking over to the dunes, where you can explore and play. It’s a great place to work on the Geology merit badge too. (Fun fact: Writer Frank Herbert’s trip to this area in the 1950s inspired his 1965 novel Dune, which is also the source for the recent movies of the same name.)

GO ON AN ADVENTURE: Every Friday is a free day for off-site daytrips. You can head to the Pacific Coast to watch for whales and seals, ride horses or fish for salmon. Plenty of adventurous activities are on-site too, like water skiing, climbing and boating. The more adventures you go on, the more Adventure Trail camp beads you can earn.

BE ONE WITH NATURE: One of the iconic places to hang out in camp is the “elephant tree” by the river. It’s a tree hundreds of years old with massive branches shaped like elephant tusks. Other old-growth trees that have fallen over the years have become projects for chainsaw artists. Explore the camp to see what wooden artwork you can find.