Troop 195 Summer Camp at Onteora Scout Reservation 

Onteora Scout Reservation, located in Livingston in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, opened in 1956. Troop 195 has been making the annual summer camp trip to Onteora almost every July since shortly after its inception.

Onteora is a beautiful setting for minds curious about the natural environment, intellectual pursuits, all forms of learning, and the development of lifelong friendships. The picture below, at the kickoff of a recent summer camp, is a collection of both very new and very experienced scouts. That contrast, and the different sets of interests and expectations they have at the beginning of the week, is fundamental to what makes summer camp work as well as what keeps it interesting every year. Whether it is the many Onteora-run programs aligned to merit badge pursuits, participating in the traditional building of the Troop 195 tower, or investigating and inventing your own adventures inside and outside the Troop 195 campsite, there truly is something for everyone.

For as long as the collective memory of the elders of the troop alumni community, Troop 195 has always practiced the
art of chopping, sawing, digging, lashing, and knot tying that to into building the Troop 195 tower at the entrance to our Onteora campsite. Back in the day, all troops built towers at the entrance to their campsites, and competition between troops was formally judged. While not all troops invest in this construction project these days, we continue to make this effort a proud pursuit every year. Some years the tower may not be completed until it is time to take it down and break camp, but the scoutcraft skills developed, team-building lessons learned, and the resulting sense of accomplishment always make the effort worth it.

Onteora Summer Camp Programs

The Theodore Roosevelt Council (TRC) of the Boy Scouts of America operates the Onteora Scout Reservation, delivering a great summer camp experience through well-trained staff. Scouts of different rank and age have a variety of programs, and associated merit badges, to pursue.