Tuscarora Scout Reservation

Climbing Program Area

Welcome to our 40 foot Climbing Tower. Built in 2001 through the dedication of many Scouts and Scouters, the Hinds family, and the Sikh "Youth Camp", our tower has three sides for climbing in progressive difficulty from beginner with an easy sloped surface; intermediate, and advanced with three separate outcroppings to add to the challenge! The fourth side of the tower is a unique open side for free fall rappelling with instructor belay. The inside of our Tower is equipped for bouldering programs, especially for our Webelos II scouts. Our Climbing Staff is trained following National B.S.A. Climbing and Rappelling Standards. Our Climbing Director is a graduate of a National B.S.A. Camp School, and each of our instructors is also be certified by the Climbing Director as Climbing Instructors. We offer Climbing Merit Badge for Scouts 13 years and older as well as off-season Climbing Programs for Scout Troops, Venture Crews, Non-Profit Agencies, and School and Church groups. Finally, our Climbing Staff will train adult leaders in "Climb On Safely" each week during summer camp so that your unit may offer its own Climbing program! Come visit us at the Climbing Tower as soon as possible. You can even sign your troop up for a Troop Climb, time permitting. We look forward to seeing you!!!!

Handicraft Program Area

The Handicraft Lodge features many exciting merit badges, programs, and activities. We offer Basketry, Leatherwork, Art, Sculpture, Indian Lore, Collections (at the Health Lodge), Textiles as an Independent Study, Painting, Woodcarving, and Metalworking. In addition, our Metalworking Program is one of a few in the Northeast Region that allows you to successfully complete the merit badge. To accomplish this we offer a molten-pewter casting that fulfills the foundry requirement. In addition to the Merit Badge program, we offer Leathercraft activities, Pottery activities for Troops, and the always popular boondoggle/lanyard activity. We also offer a general assortment of screws and nails for camp service projects, as well as tools for those in-site projects. Paint, glue, and scrap wood can be found here, as well as a very well equipped lodge for most any project you have in mind. If all of that isn't enough, our Handicraft Lodge is attached to the Trading Post where you can find the soda, candy, ice cream, and lots of Scout stuff. What better way to spend an afternoon or evening at camp than eating some ice cream and working on your leatherwork project?

Scoutcraft Program Area

Our Scoutcraft program offers exciting Outdoor Skills opportunities. From learning to use knives, saws, and axes; to mastering the knots and lashings to build that great pioneering project, this area has a lot to offer. Our Merit Badge program includes Camping, Personal Fitness, Emergency Preparedness, First Aid (at the Health Lodge), Fishing, Athletics, Orienteering, Cooking as in Independent Study badge, and Pioneering. If that isn't enough, we also offer Troop Dutch Oven Cooking activities and Cooking demonstrations. You can also hone up on your map, compass and GPS skills and put those skills to work with your patrol or troop on the new "06" Orienteering course. Our Scoutcraft Area is located just off the Parade Field. Nearby we have a full volleyball court as well as supplies for field sports games. Our staff can give you advice on the best trails to take to get to that special place or where the fish are biting best that day.

Shooting Sports Program Area

Our Shooting Sports Program area is at the southernmost end of camp. It consists of an Archery Range, Rifle Range, and Shotgun Range. Safety and learning/instruction are the top two priorities in one of our most popular areas in camp. Our Shooting Sports Director must complete both National Camp School Certification as well as National Rifle Association training. We offer Archery Merit Badge, Rifle Merit Badge, and Shotgun Shooting. The Archery Range consists of 8 firing points with both compound and recurve bows. We have a 14 point firing line on the Rifle Range for our .22's as well as the option to target shoot clays with a .20 or .12 gauge shotgun. Our classes take place in the morning with ample time in the afternoon for lab work and practice to make sure you qualify for your badge. This is also the place to sign-up if your Troop wants to come down and shoot. Shotgun shells and rifle ammunition is available through the Trading Post (tickets which you can trade in at the ranges.) Come on down to the Shooting Sports and take a merit badge, set up a Troop or Leaders shoot, or just come down to watch and learn.

Waterfront Program Area

Our Waterfront and Aquatics Program looks out over Summit Lake. Offering both swimming and boating, the Waterfront is the most popular area at Camp Tuscarora, especially on those hot summer days. We have swimming areas for non-swimmers, beginners, and swimmers, a large program area for those taking BSA Guard and Lifesaving, as well as a floating dock. Our swimming area has depths ranging from less than a foot in the non-swimmer section to 16-20 feet deep in the Program Area. Our small craft area with separate dock area offers row-boats, canoes, sailboats (sun-fish), and kayaks. Through a joint effort between our Aquatics area and our High Adventure Program, we also offer the option of half-day and day long white-water rafting/canoe/kayaking/tubing programs, as well as short canoe trips and week long canoe trips on the Delaware River. We offer the following merit badges and programs: Swimming, Canoeing, Rowing, Small-boat Sailing, Lifesaving, BSA Guard (an all day, all week program), Snorkeling, Swimming Instruction, BSA Kayak Instruction, Safe Swim Defense/Safety Afloat for senior scouts and leaders, Mile Swim program, Polar Bear Swim early in the morning, and Open swimming. There is limited time available for Troop swims and Troop Boating. You can also come here to take boats out for sailing, canoeing, rowing, fishing, or just for relaxing. Located between the Dining Hall and Trading Post, our Waterfront is centrally located on the lake. Our Aquatics staff is highly trained with the Director being certified by the BSA National Camp School, and all staff are trained as Lifeguards through either our BSA Guard, American Red Cross, or YMCA Lifeguarding programs. Our priorities are safety and fun and we look forward to seeing you there this summer!!

Nature Lodge Program Area

Welcome to the Nature Lodge at Camp Tuscarora. Situated on the northern end of the lake within view of the Climbing Tower, the Nature Lodge is where you can go to learn all about the trees, plants, and critters that surround you. Here we offer several merit badges including Environmental Science, Fish and Wildlife Management, Mammal Study, Nature, Oceanography, Reptile and Amphibian Study, Forestry, Weather, and Wilderness Survival. This is the place to go if you catch a snake and want to know what it is, the place where they can tell you how to find those secret trails on the backside of camp, and even what the forecast is going to be. If that isn't enough, our Nature Lodge also doubles as the Tuscarora Training Center and can be used year-round for conferences and training events. Come visit the Nature Lodge this summer!

Trailblazer Program Area

A special welcome to all the scouts who are at Camp for the very first time, this is the place to be. Here you will learn all the basic Scout skills needed for the Tenderfoot, Second and First Class Ranks. Highlighted and used as training at the Boy Scouts National Camp School in the Northeast Region, our Trailblazer program is one of the highlights of Tuscarora. Our staff uses the patrol method and the new scouts spend every day of the week they are at camp learning scout skills. Whether it is fire-building, knots and lashings, a five mile hike, or swimming at the waterfront, our new scouts will learn all they need to know to start them on their journey in Scouting. And they will also earn Art Merit Badge to give them a taste of merit badges at Summer Camp. At the end of the week, the Scoutmaster will receive a listing of all skills covered so they can test their scouts and sign off the requirements. All we ask is that each troop provides a leader to accompany their scouts each day. (We keep scouts from the same troops together in a patrol.) Patrol assignments and schedules are handed out at the Leader's Meeting Sunday night at camp. Bring your first-year Scouts to Trailblazers to start their journey in Scouting the right way