Scout Summer Camps in Texas

[Owl62]

We are interested in Scout summer camps in Texas and would appreciate any input you all have about Texas Scout camps. Especially the name, location, and quality of the program, and quality of the service provided by the staff - and oh yeah, the food.

 

 

 

 

[Trevorum]

Howdy Owl!

 

Top on my list is Buffalo Trails. Out in the Davis Mountains of far west Texas. Gorgeous, rugged country. Terrific program for all ages, excellent staff. Dining hall with very acceptable food (no dining hall can match patrol grub). Swimming & livesaving, but minimal aquatics.

 

Also a great place is Camp Constantine, west of Fort Worth. Top notch aquatics program.

 

Lost Pines near Bastrop is a good camp, too. Great staff.

[Lynda J]

It wasn't in Texas but we went to Slippery Falls in Oklahoma this summer and had a ball. Boys loved it. Very well run camp. Great badge program.

 

[ggazda]

I would concur with the poster that mentioned Buffalo Trail. But I can guarantee that the Camp in Bastrop,TX will be top notch. Especially if Mark Smith is still involved with that camp. Mark can also take credit for the program at BTSR, it was under his direction for many years. It belongs to the Capitol Area Council in Austin.

 

I would also consider Constantine.

 

The program at Sid Richardson (Longhorn Council)is great but may not be worth the trouble and hassle. They always have too many boys and too few staff for my standards. If your boys like to eat, better bring some extra food.

 

If you want to get top notch service in all aspects of Summer Camp. I would take a good look at Camp Post (South Plains Council). They have a great staff, I'm biased because I was their Director for 3 years. Trust me, they take great care of their boys, and Out of Council boys as well. The merit badges are earned and not handed out. The program is full and you will most likely leave a better Troop than when you arrived. The patrol method is actually in practice. It is hot, but the pool is cool aquifer water.

 

Some others I think are great.

 

Camp Tonkawa (Texas Trails Council)

Worth Ranch (Longhorn Council)-may still have food issues. Tradition is unsurpassed.

 

If I had a troop. I would find out where Mark Smith was working and that is where I would go. IMHO, he's the greatest Program Director alive. What ever that means.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[moxieman]

I agree with Kingfish about Camp Post. Back in my graduate school days I served as an ASM with two different Lubbock Troops (first 409 and then with 140, which 409 had merged with). But he didn't mention South Plains Council's other gem.

 

Provided, Camp Tres Ritos is not in Texas, but a stone's throw from Taos, NM, but it's a beautiful mountain camp. Cooking (back when I was down that way) was by patrol, and you also fed a staff member or two every meal. In addition to a traditional camp week, they offer the Pecos Packer wilderness expedition that some have said are as good as nearby Philmont (I can't vouch for that part of the program as our unit were traditional the two summers I was down there).

 

Links to both of their camps can be found on their council website at:

 

http://southplainscouncil.org/SummerCamps.htm