So aside from BarCamp and HealthCamp, and the myriad of other un-conference events that have descended upon the Philadelphia tech scene, I really enjoy just plain analogue camping – nature unplugged fresh-air goodness all weekend long. I am one of the founding members of the “Philly Camp Council” our official un-official organized camping group. We’ve gone on about a dozen trips now, with groups of 8+ from a pool of around 20 people. We cook and play with fire, we hike (sometimes too far), we stargaze, and consume inebriating substances while living as rusticly as we can manage for a weekend.
Our first two summers we stayed at a number of ‘Family Campgrounds’ in PA Ste Parks - sometimes in the Poconos, sometimes further west in Dutch Country. These parks were OK, but since the space was so small we still didn’t really manage to escape to no-where. Also, they charged anywhere from $15-$30/night per campsite for four people, and extra money sometimes for cars, and extra people. Recently we’ve found out that State FORESTS are the way to go.
This summer we’ve taken it up a notch with primitive camping in PA State Forests. Unfortunately the DCNR website is less-than usable, and unless you know what you are looking for, its difficult to find information about this type of camping. I ended up calling a number of people to inquire where I might do the type of camping I was interested in, accompanied by a group of 10-15 of my closest friends. After the third call in the chain I started to get information on permits for camping in PA state forests.
Surprisingly, one of the very first forests I contacted was able to email me all the paperwork require to obtain a permit, including the ‘Risk Assessment Form’ and the ‘Camping Permit Application’. The ‘Risk Assessment Form’ is only required for organized groups of eleven or more. It asks you to describe the activities of the campers, and the evaluation process that members go through, along with listing out the precautions/provisions you plan to bring to the forest.
The forest we applied to was Micheux State Forest, which is just outside of Gettsyburgh, directly south of Harrisburg (aKa a three hour drive from Philly). The drive is easy on 76, and scenic thereafter, in a silly-quaint way through Gettsyburgh – then about 30-45 minutes into the depth of the forest, depending on your campsite. For groups, Micheux can provide detailed forest maps that list a number of established campsites. We ended-up randomly choosing ‘Beaver Pond’ on name hilarity coupled with seeming out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-ness – it worked! The site was amazing, with giant stone infrastructure including rock sets around a massive stone campfire ring.
The Council Sits at Bever Pond
The site was in low lying ground, which made for challenging hiking on the segment of the Application Trail that intersected the park. There were living things all around, aside from people, whom we only came across in the form of funny old men hiking along the AT. We had a massive roaring fire, with the easy availability of fallen lumber surrounding the campsite, and burned brightly deep into the night without disturbing a single soul. There was a freshwater creek a few feet from the campsite, where we filled our 5 Gallon washing jug and splashed our faces for big-time refreshment for Team Morning. The site was basically ideal, and the whole forest was absolutely beautiful.
We’re gearing up for the second camp now, Facebook planning is picking-up pace. I did some research into another forest, which is a bit closer to Philadelphia called ‘Weiser State Forest’. Their clerks are not nearly as organized, and its difficult to get information on the lay of the land. We’ve decided on the ‘Return to Beaver Pond’ for the second camp, and are planning to explore the other campsites in Micheux. It really has everything the Council could want in a destination for CAMPING.
There are some interesting plans for upcoming camps, including Team Art, which is planning to build a life-sized animal object out of all-natural materials from the woods. Also, we will be awarding Merit Badges to the meritorious among us, and stepping up our camp kitchen as well as our campfire cooking capabilities. These plans, coupled with new campers, old campers returning, and new natural challenges is sure to lead to a summer of memorable camps.
More to come…
