Camping and High Adventure

Camping is one of the best-known methods of the Scouting movement. When he founded the Scouting movement in the early 1900s, Robert Baden-Powell encouraged every Scout to learn the art of living out-of-doors. He believed a young person able to take care of himself while camping would have the confidence to meet life's other challenges, too.

Camping is available to scouts at all levels starting with Cub Scouts. For more information, click a link below:

Cub Scout Camping Opportunities - boys in first�grade through fifth�grade or seven through ten years old and their families

Boy Scouting Camping and high Adventure - boys ages ten to eighteen

Venturing Camping and high Adventure - young men and women ages fourteen through twenty-one.

Cub Scout Camping Opportunities

Day Camps
Day camp lasts for one day to five days. It's for Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts. Day camps are held during the day or early evening. Campers do not stay overnight. The National Capital Area Council host a world class day camp facility at Camp William B. Snyder in Haymarket, VA. Camp Snyder host a Cub Word day camp and also host other special events year round such as a parent and son campouts. The Patriot District also runs a day camp at a local park during the summer. Check our calender for additional times and locations.

Resident Camps
At resident camps, Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts camp overnight. Every year, the resident camp has a different theme and different adventures. Examples of themes are Sea Adventure, Space Adventure, Athletes, Knights, Circus Big Top, American Indian Heritage, Folklore, and the World Around Us. The National Capital Area Council maintains two webelos resident camps at its Goshen Scout Reservation. At Goshen Webelos Scouts have the opportunity to participate in programs such as archery, the pellet-gun range, Scoutcraft, nature, handicraft, swimming, rowing, and funoos (Miniature canoes). Hikes, fishing, flag ceremonies, and cooking can be extra activities.

Webelos Den Overnight Campouts
Webelos dens go on overnight campouts. Each Webelos Scout camps with his parent or guardian. The campers learn the basics of Boy Scout camping, under the direction of the Webelos den leader. Sometimes, leaders from a Boy Scout troop may join you.

Webelos dens also have joint overnight campouts with a Boy Scout troop. Each Webelos Scout has a parent or guardian with him on these joint campouts, too.

Pack Overnighters
Packs on their own can hold overnight campouts for the families in the pack. Cub Scouts' brothers and sisters can go on these pack overnighters. In most cases, each Scout will camp with a parent or guardian. Every young camper is responsible to a specific adult.

Boy Scout Camping and High Adventure Opportunities

Day hikes
Reasonably short hikes (3 to 10 miles) in terrain without a lot of elevation gain or loss.

Service projects
Daylong projects that may be related to conservation, food collection, building shelter, or healthy living activities.

Patrol activities
A Boy Scout patrol or Varsity Scout squad may hike or camp with other patrols or squads in the unit or, with the permission of their Scoutmaster and parents or guardians, may hike or camp on their own.

Weekend overnights
Troops that plan and carry out outings once a month attract and retain boys at a much higher level than those that have fewer outings during the year.

Camporees
The Patriot Districts generally has 2 camporees a year (one spring, one fall), these activities give Scouts an opportunity to test their knowledge and skills in competitive events with other troops and patrols. Check our calender for dates and locations.

Summer camp
Summer camp is what many Scouts enjoy most. Camp programs provide numerous opportunities for Scouts to earn merit badges along their advancement trail. Resident Scout camping includes at least five nights and six days of fun outdoor activities.

Jamborees
Every four or five years, the Boy Scouts of America hosts a national Scout jamboree. More than 40,000 Scouts and leaders from across the country participate in this 10-day event filled with the most popular and highest quality outdoor activities Scouts enjoy. To participate, a Scout must be at least 12 years of age by July 1 of the jamboree year and be a First Class Scout.

Council high adventure
A high-adventure experience includes at least five nights and six days of trekking in wilderness and other rugged, remote locations. Trekking may include backpacking, canoeing, mountain biking, horse packing, mountain climbing, ski touring, rafting, kayaking, or a host of other outdoor adventures. Participants must be at least 13 years old by January 1 of the year they participate. The National Capital Area Council maintains a high adventure base at its Goshen Scout Reservation called Lenhok'sin, it offers Scouts a variety of high adventure options.  Lenhok'sin is a trail camp and you will have the opportunity to hike the 4,000+ acres of Goshen Scout Reservation as well as some of the 35,000 acres of surrounding state wildlife game lands. There are over 50 miles of trails which will give your crew a true mountaintop experience.

Your crew will have the opportunity to select outposts from Foxfire, Lumberjack, Rock Climbing, Mountain Man, Native America, Mountain Biking, Caving, Civil War, COPE & Rope and a Primitive night.

National high adventure
The BSA operates national high-adventure bases and programs. With two locations in the Florida Keys, the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base offers a variety of aquatic and boating programs. The Northern Tier National High Adventure Program, based in northern Minnesota with two satellite bases in Canada, provides a variety of canoe treks and programs. Philmont Scout Ranch and the Double H Ranch in the mountains of New Mexico provide excellent backpacking treks. Age requirements for these programs vary, but most programs are rugged and designed for older Scouts.

Unit high adventure
The highest level of challenge for a troop or team is to plan and carry out its own high-adventure experience. These activities for more experienced Scouts are planned and implemented by youth members with coaching from their adult leaders.

Venturing Camping and high Adventure

What a Venturing crew does is limited only by the imagination and involvement of the adult and youth leaders and members of the crew � sail the Caribbean, produce a play, climb a mountain, teach disabled people to swim, or attend the Olympics. All these adventures and more are being done today by Venturing crews and ships across the country. All that is needed are concerned adults who are willing to share a little bit of themselves with today's youth � tomorrow's leaders.

Venturing, as stated above, holds virtually limitless opportunities to thoughtful and responsible young adults looking for outdoor adventure.  In addition to crew chosen high adventure activities, many of the same camping, outdoor, Council High Adventure, and National High Adventure bases that are available to Boy Scouts, are also available to Venturing crews.