(Article adapted from Bryan on Scouting blog) The annual practice of troops picking the perfect summer camp just got upgraded to the smartphone age.
Clear a spot on your home screen for Camp Scout!, a free iPhone app brought to you by Boys’ Life magazine and the BSA’s Outdoor Adventures team.
Let the iPhone detect your current location—or enter an address, place name, or zip code—and Camp Scout! will show you the nearest BSA-owned properties.
Too many results? The “Things to Do” filter lets you see only camps with your unit’s favorite activities. Do your Scouts or Venturers fancy a place that offers boating, fishing, and horseback riding? Tap all three activities, select “Find Camps,” and voilà!
Each camp’s page uses information supplied by the council. You’ll see a description, an activities list, driving directions, contact information, and a link to learn more.
Roughly 500 camps are already in the app, and more are being added all the time.
Camp Scout! does more than just introduce you to camps within your council. It’s your key to unlock a whole nation of awesome Scout camps.
“As units are planning their trips either for a full summer camp or a trip around the country, they can figure out where they might be able to stay,” said Brian Gray, outdoor program coordinator for the BSA. “Units have always wanted to know what the various camps offered for programs; now they can use Camp Scout! to find out what fun possibilities are available.”
Brian shared the example of a Fort Worth, Texas, crew taking a summer trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Camp Scout! wasn’t yet available, and so the crew members had no easy way to find Scout camps near Gettysburg and along their journey.
“If they had this app then, they could say, ‘I want to stay at a local place the day we arrive and the day we leave.’ They could put in that zip code and find the perfect camp for them,” he said.
Want a sense of what Camp Scout! looks like in action? Visit Bryan on Scouting for screenshots and additional information.