Where to Go Camping Compiled by the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Welcome! The Greater St. Louis Area Council proudly presents Where To Go Camping . This book will prove invaluable for learning about camping opportunities in this council as well as those in the region. An action-packed and varied program will keep your Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers and Explorers coming back for more. Remember, “Scouting is outing”, and Where To Go Camping is your complete guide to all the outdoor adventures that awaits you in the Greater St. Louis Area Council region. It offers many suggestions on camping attractions in the region. While this book is loaded with information, it is only a starting point, and offers some options for how to research more about a specific location. Two additional websites not listed elsewhere in the book which have been useful for finding camping areas are www.backpacker.com/destinations and www.usscouts.org How To Make Reservations All who wish to use our camps must secure a permit two weeks in advance from the Greater St. Louis Area Council. Reservations will then be mailed back as your confirmation. When you get to camp, you will need to check in with our Ranger. This allows us to be prepared for you by having the gate open and the facility or program ready to go. It also insures that we are not overselling an area or program. No Fee Programs: Simply come into the Council Service Center, or call the Camping Service at (314) 361-0600 or 1-800-392-0895 and we will mail your reservation to you. Fee Programs: All programs or facilities with fees involved must be paid before the permit is issued or reserved. We cannot hold a reservation without the fee. 2 Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America A weekend is considered to start at 5:00 p.m. Friday and end by 4:00 p.m. Sunday. See the reverse side of your reservation form for additional details. Use of some facilities is determined by a lottery because of high demand. Winter cabins, lodges, tree houses, and summer camp programs are a few examples. Reservation Season Camping reservations for the program season October through September are available beginning with a lottery during the month of August each year. Units that participate in the lottery will be assigned a time to make reservations for the various programs and facilities. Once the lottery sign up is completed units will have the opportunity to reserve facilities on a first come, first serve basis. Information for the lottery sign up is sent to the unit leader in July and posted in the Council’s newsletter and website. Camp Phone Numbers Emergency telephone numbers for the camps are: • Beaumont Scout Reservation (636) 938-5444 Dining Hall & Educational Facility /Camp May (636) 938-4329 Cub World/Camp Grizzly (636) 587-2690 • Camp Lewallen (573) 224-5591 Summer Camp only (573) 224-3420 • S bar F Scout Ranch (573) 756-5738 Swift Base Lodge (573) 756-8810 • Pine Ridge Scout Camp (618) 549-0673 3 Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Leadership Policy It is the policy of the Boy Scouts of America that trips and outings may never be led by one adult. At least two adult leaders, one of whom must be 21 years or older, are required for all trips and outings. It is the responsibility of the chartered organization of a Cub Scout pack, Boy Scout troop, Venturer crew, or Explorer post to inform the committees and leadership of the unit that sufficient adult leadership must be provided on all trips and outings. The “safety rule of four” requires that no fewer than four individuals (always with a minimum of two adults and two Scouts) go on any activity away from the meeting site. If an accident occurs, one person stays with the injured and two go for help. Additional adult leader requirements reflect an awareness of such factors as size and/or skill level of the group, anticipated environmental conditions, and overall degree of challenge. Tour Permits Tour Permits are our method of tracking unit activities not held on our council properties. The information that local and national tour permits provide is necessary in the preparation of our annual report. Tour permit forms are available at the Council Service Centers. Tour permits are NOT necessary for: 1. Activities within our council boundaries by packs, troops, teams, crews, or posts. 2. Activities on council-owned property. 3. Council-sponsored activities such as trail hikes, horseback rides, OA functions, district camporees, etc. within our council boundaries. Local Tour Permit: For trips less than 500 miles one-way. National Tour Permit: Trips over 500 miles one-way. Maximum travel per day is 12 hours. Time Required for Processing: Local – two weeks; National – four weeks. 4 Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Table of Contents Section Page # Outdoor Code 5 Camping Opportunities in the Greater St. Louis Area Council 6 Schedule of Fees for Greater St. Louis Area Council Camps 13 Missouri Campgrounds 16 Illinois Campgrounds 21 Kentucky Campgrounds 28 Tennessee Campgrounds 31 Arkansas Campgrounds 33 High Adventure Camping Opportunities 36 Trails to Hike 39 5 Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Outdoor Code As an American, I will do my best to: Be clean in my outdoor manners: I will treat the outdoors as a heritage to be improved for our greater enjoyment. I will keep my trash and garbage out of America’s waters, fields, woods, and roadways. Be careful with fire: I will prevent wildfire. I will build my fire in a safe place and be sure it is out before I leave. Be considerate in the outdoors: I will treat public and private property with respect. I will remember the use of the outdoors is a privilege I can lose by abuse. Be conservation minded: I will learn how to practice good conservation of soil, waters, forests, minerals, grasslands, and wildlife; and I will urge others to do the same. I will use sportsmanlike methods in all my outdoor activities. 6 Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Camping Opportunities Beaumont Scout Reservation Wright Lodge: This versatile building provides a dining room, two large rooms, and five small rooms. Smaller meeting rooms seat 25 to 30 people. Wright Lodge is ideal for blue and gold banquets, troop dinners, and courts of honor. Use of the kitchen is available for unit activities at an additional cost. Camping Areas: Lane, Shippey, Laemmli, and Nusser – These camping areas are open for free use by Boy Scout troops. Water and latrine facilities are found in each area. Outpost Camps: Troops may hike to outpost camps in Blackberry Hollow and Toad Hollow. Additional primitive areas are available. Winter Cabins: Nine cabins are available for Scout troops as follows: 7 – with capacity of 20 heated by wood stoves 2 – with capacity of 14 heated by furnaces All cabins have electricity, electric stove, refrigerator, and double bunks with mattresses. 20- capacity cabins have stone fireplaces and the two 14-capacity cabins have indoor water. Cabins are available for Webelos use from April through September only. Lottery: Scout troops wishing to use a cabin or lodge this winter will want to enter the cabin lottery to be held in July of each year. Deposit is returned when there is no damage, the cabin is left clean, and the woodbox is refilled. Nagel Base: Nagel Base is used for our horse and hayride programs and has the following facilities: Recreation Hall: Great for a unit meeting or activity. Heated and has electric. Outdoor bathrooms. Sleeping quarters available, with one room, bunks for 12. Adirondacks: 14 shelters hold 4 each for year-round Boy Scout or Venturer Weekends. Camping: For Boy Scouts and Venturers. Picnic Area: For Cub Scouts. 7 Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Camping Opportunities Beaumont Scout Reservation Programs Orienteering: How good are you at finding your way using a map and compass? You can improve your skills and have a lot of fun if you use the orienteering facilities available at Beaumont. There is an orienteering kit available to those units who have leaders certified to use the kit. With it you can learn to use a map and compass, to make your own map, and to try a real orienteering course. For those units which fell themselves already skilled in map and compass use, there is a 21 stake permanent orienteering course available by reservation. Charter Oak Camp: This excellent weekend program is designed to give new troops, or newly reorganized troops a good first overnight camping experience, guided by trained, veteran Scout leaders. A staff of Charter Oak campmasters conducts training in camping, cooking, hiking, and how to live comfortably in the outdoors. Weekends are in the spring. Horseback Riding Trips Available for Scouts and Venturers: Hundreds of enthusiastic Scouts took advantage of this program last year and are signing up again this year. The Greater St. Louis Area Council is sponsoring this fun-filled adventure, with experienced members of the Trail Guide committee guiding the horseback riding sessions. Horseback riding sessions of carious lengths are offered any Saturday or Sunday on a year-round basis, weather permitting. Rides are scheduled as follows (all costs are per person, per ride): • 5½ hour ride (Venture crews and Explorer posts only), 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with lunch on the trail, cost $20.