Troop Camping Locations

[ValleyBoy]

With our local councils camporee coming up this weekend and from reading posts on this site for the past few months it has got me to thinking about what type camping locations other Troops use for camping trip. 

Our Troop usually only camps on scout property at most 2 times a year.  One is the upcoming camporee this weekend and another scout property if a council event is scheduled for that location.  The second scout property is mainly used cub scout family camping and other district or council activities.   

We usually camp once a year in the primitive area of a local public campground.  Troop has never been charged to camp at this location.

In the 13 years I have been with the troop, we have only camped in a state/public campground 3 times.   The rest of out troop camping trips have been on private property.  Out of all the private property that our Troop has use I know of no cases were the property owner would not allow the Troop to  return to the property.  Usually the only cost that the scouts have for these camping trips on private property is the cost of the food for the camping trip.

What type locations do your units usually use for camping trips. 

[Chisos]

Most of ours tend to be in state/national forests, usually in a designated "group campground" or something similar.  These range from free, to a couple of bucks per night per person.  We camp at our council camp for events, like camporees and such.

Private property camping is pretty rare for us.  I guess it's a function of knowing people who have land available.

The troop I grew up in camped on private property a lot more often.  But, we had several leaders/parents who either had property, or knew someone who did and let us camp there.

[Jameson76]

We had 13 camping / events (last 12 months) - 

- Private campground group area (2) - Fees per scouts

- Council camps short term (4) - One was out of council so fee per scout, in council no charge

- Council camps long term (2) - obviously week long camps so fees

- State parks (3) - Fee for group area

- County parks (1) - Fee for the group area

- CO Church (1) - Lock in no charge

For 2018 pretty similar outlook would assume, though we have not had the Greenbar planning yet, they will meet in May to determine August 18 - July 19

[mashmaster]

We camp 11-12 times a year.  It varies about the activities the boys want to do about the location we choose.  For example, shooting ranges/climbing tower is usually at scout properties.

This year we stayed a majority at State parks, once at a national park, once at a US Army engineers park, and once at a private property.

We haven't had great luck with private properties because there aren't a lot that we know about local.

[Eagle94-A1]

Sadly it looks as if we will be going to the same old places. We do 2-3 campouts at the nearby Scout camp. Another camp out at an OOC Scout camp. Then we go to nearby state parks or private camp grounds. One we have not been to in about 3 years reopened, but it is also 30 feet outside of city limits.

The other adults do not want to do anything over an hour away in the winter months so that there will be some light for the Scouts to set up camp. They don't think the Scouts are ready for nite time set ups.

[ValleyBoy]

17 minutes ago, Chisos said:

Most of ours tend to be in state/national forests, usually in a designated "group campground" or something similar.  These range from free, to a couple of bucks per night per person.  We camp at our council camp for events, like camporees and such.

Private property camping is pretty rare for us.  I guess it's a function of knowing people who have land available.

The troop I grew up in camped on private property a lot more often.  But, we had several leaders/parents who either had property, or knew someone who did and let us camp there.

Most of our has been from knowing people with land available.  Only 3 locations are owned by unit leaders and 1 by the grandparents of one of our youth members.  Out of these 4 we have yet to camp on any of these 4 properties. 

[Back Pack]

Usually just state parks, national parks, scout camps and private property in that order. Depends on activity. The guys drive where and we try to vary locations but we always have our favorites we want to do each year. Distance is not an issue since the adults don’t mind. Sm steps in to give advice if the plc tries to go too far on a Friday night drive. 

[ValleyBoy]

22 minutes ago, Eagle94-A1 said:

Sadly it looks as if we will be going to the same old places. We do 2-3 campouts at the nearby Scout camp. Another camp out at an OOC Scout camp. Then we go to nearby state parks or private camp grounds. One we have not been to in about 3 years reopened, but it is also 30 feet outside of city limits.

The other adults do not want to do anything over an hour away in the winter months so that there will be some light for the Scouts to set up camp. They don't think the Scouts are ready for nite time set ups.

Excluding summer camp,  our troop usually only travels as a unit about once a year for a camping trip.  Those camping trips are mainly the ones that it takes over an hour to get to the camping location or the location is very hard to give parents directions to the site.  Most of the sites we camp at are less than a 45 minute drive and we have the parents bring the scouts to the camping site.  We do this mainly to not have to wait until 6:30 or later on Friday evening to leave on a camping trip to when all the parents get off work. 

[blw2]

our troop camped at both state and county park "group sites", of course the BSA camps, and occasionally in the woods behind the CO (church property)

When I was a scout back in the 1980's, I remember camping once in the woods behind the local state university in town.  I have no idea how we came to get permission for that....but a college or university might be a source for land??  Anyway, I remember that trip vividly, because during the night came a doozy of a winter storm, freezing rain.  We woke up to everything covered in a nice thick layer of clear ice.  None of us could get a fire going, we ate frozen hot dogs for breakfast.  Good times!

[Col. Flagg]

2 hours ago, ValleyBoy said:

What type locations do your units usually use for camping trips. 

• State Parks: We use these mostly. They offer nice sites both for car camping and primitive camping. The fees differ by park but a youth pass helps us save on those costs. Texas has a GREAT state park system so in that we are lucky. We go to these parks about 70% of the time.
• Scout Camps: We use these a few times a year. Camporee is one of those times. Others are when we need ranges or special gear/events. If we go three times a year that would be much for us.
• National Parks: We are lucky to have a park just north of us. We use it for our annual new scout camp out. This is once a year.
• Private Land: We use this once or twice a year.
• Summer/HA Camps: We do these once a year. Summer camp obviously every year. HA camps also, but we rotate those every other year (Philmont one year, Seabase the other). We also to to out-of-council high adventure camps too if not doing national HA camps.

[ItsBrian]

99.99% of the time we use scout reservations or a camp affiliated with scouting. 

Only time was probably to Assateague, Maryland We do hope to do a camporee this year which is located on a beach with a nice boardwalk full of games and rides.

Edit: Thinking about it now, we camped on private property when we visited Gettysburg

Edited January 24, 2018 by ItsBrian

[perdidochas]

On 1/24/2018 at 9:56 AM, ValleyBoy said:

With our local councils camporee coming up this weekend and from reading posts on this site for the past few months it has got me to thinking about what type camping locations other Troops use for camping trip. 

Our Troop usually only camps on scout property at most 2 times a year.  One is the upcoming camporee this weekend and another scout property if a council event is scheduled for that location.  The second scout property is mainly used cub scout family camping and other district or council activities.   

We usually camp once a year in the primitive area of a local public campground.  Troop has never been charged to camp at this location.

In the 13 years I have been with the troop, we have only camped in a state/public campground 3 times.   The rest of out troop camping trips have been on private property.  Out of all the private property that our Troop has use I know of no cases were the property owner would not allow the Troop to  return to the property.  Usually the only cost that the scouts have for these camping trips on private property is the cost of the food for the camping trip.

What type locations do your units usually use for camping trips. 

I'd say the primary type we used when I was with my sons' troop was state parks.  I know we stayed at state parks in FL (home state), AL, MS and LA.  We also have stayed in a tribal park (campground run by a local Native American tribe), national park (Gulf Islands National seashore), scout camps (several different councils), Naval bases (most military bases have group camping for scouts) and national forest campgrounds. Wish we had private property as an option.  

Edited January 25, 2018 by perdidochas

[DuctTape]

On 1/24/2018 at 12:00 PM, Eagle94-A1 said:

 

The other adults do not want to do anything over an hour away in the winter months so that there will be some light for the Scouts to set up camp. They don't think the Scouts are ready for nite time set ups.

I have fond memories of setting up camp in the dark. We got quite good at it. When it came to the eureka timberline tents, we could honestly say... "we can set these up blindfolded" as we were often doing it with little/no light.

[Troop185]

My not so found memories of setting up camp in the dark:  some adults wonder why the raccoons were digging around their tent for the 3 days we were camping at the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario.  They found out when they took their tent down.  Some people camping there before us, had bury some food scraps, and they had set their tent up on top of it!

[mashmaster]

It is hard to remember when we had light to setup tents....