Camp Massawepie — Troop 5, Maplewood NJ
Troop 5 · Summer Camp · Adirondacks

Camp Massawepie

For 27 years, Troop 5 has spent two weeks every summer deep in the Adirondack Mountains. It's where friendships are forged, skills are earned, and scouts discover what they're capable of.

27 summers at Massawepie
2 weeks most troops go for one
High Peaks Adirondack summit hikes available
ADK heart of the Adirondacks, NY

Why Massawepie

Why we keep coming back

There are hundreds of Scout camps in the Northeast. Troop 5 has chosen Massawepie for 27 years. Here's why.

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Wilderness & tradition
Massawepie strikes a rare balance between rugged high-adventure and classic Scouting programs. The Adirondack setting gives scouts access to real wilderness — not just a manicured campground.
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High-adventure programs
Multi-day canoe expeditions, High Peaks summit hikes, and wilderness backpacking are hallmarks of Massawepie. Scouts push their limits and come home genuinely tested.
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Merit badge depth
Two weeks means scouts can pursue merit badges without rushing. The lakefront setting unlocks aquatics badges that are hard to earn anywhere else, and the environment is ideal for ecology and conservation work.
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Brotherhood
New scouts bond with older scouts. Senior patrol leaders mentor the next generation. The relationships built during two weeks in the Adirondacks are ones scouts carry for life.
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Scout-led experience
Massawepie gives scouts room to lead. Patrols plan and execute their own trek experiences, older scouts take on leadership roles in camp-wide activities, and the Patrol Method runs the show.
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A place to unplug
Two weeks in the Adirondacks, away from screens and schedules, does something for young people that's hard to replicate anywhere else. Scouts come home different — calmer, more confident, more present.
The two-week difference

Why we stay for two weeks when most troops stay for one

A single week at summer camp is fine. Two weeks is transformative. The first week, scouts are settling in, finding their footing, learning the rhythms of camp. The second week is when everything clicks.

Merit badges get completed rather than started. Trek expeditions become possible. Quieter scouts find their voice. The troop develops a cohesion that a seven-day trip simply can't produce.

It's one of the things that sets Troop 5 apart — and one of the reasons scouts and parents come back year after year.

2x time to earn badges vs. a one-week camp
27 summers at Massawepie
100s of Troop 5 scouts who've called it home
∞ campfire stories worth telling

At camp

What scouts do at Massawepie

From dawn swims to multi-day wilderness expeditions, there's no shortage of ways to challenge yourself at Massawepie.

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Adirondack High Peaks
Summit hikes in the Adirondack High Peaks — some of the best hiking in the Northeast
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Aquatics program
Swimming, lifesaving, kayaking, and waterfront skills on pristine Adirondack lakes
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Backpacking treks
High-adventure hiking expeditions through the Adirondack backcountry
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Outdoor skills
Fire-building, cooking, navigation, first aid, and Leave No Trace in a real wilderness setting
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Conservation & ecology
Environmental programs that build a genuine appreciation for the natural world
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Merit badges
Wide range of badge programs including aquatics, STEM, outdoor skills, and more
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Leadership opportunities
Senior scouts lead patrols, mentor younger members, and take on camp-wide roles
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Shooting sports
Rifle, shotgun, and archery at Massawepie's state-of-the-art ranges
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COPE & climbing
Challenge course, climbing walls, and team-building high-adventure activities
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Campfire traditions
Skits, songs, stories, and the rituals that make Massawepie feel like home

Merit badges

2026 merit badge program

Massawepie's 2026 program covers 10 areas with over 45 merit badges and programs. The two-week schedule gives scouts time to pursue multiple areas without feeling rushed.

Waterfront

Canoeing Kayaking Lifesaving Rowing Sailing Swimming

Scoutcraft

Camping Cooking Emergency Preparedness First Aid Fire Safety Pioneering

Ecology & Conservation

Astronomy Environmental Science Fishing Forestry Geology Oceanography Soil & Water Conservation Sustainability Weather

STEM

Artificial Intelligence Chemistry Electricity Electronics Energy Game Design Space Exploration

Shooting Sports

Archery Rifle Shotgun

Climbing

Climbing COPE

HandiCraft

Archaeology Art Basketry Chess Leatherworking Movie Making Theater Wood Carving

Ha-De-Ron-Dah

American Heritage Citizenship in the Nation Pottery Wilderness Survival

Sports

Multisport Golf Personal Fitness

First Year Campers

Trailblazers Program

Merit badge offerings may still be subject to change.

The legacy

27 years of Troop 5 at Massawepie

Hundreds of Troop 5 scouts have passed through Massawepie. The camp has become part of who we are.

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A family tradition
Parents who camped at Massawepie as Troop 5 scouts now send their own children. The tradition runs deep.
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Eagle Scouts made here
Many of Troop 5's Eagle Scouts point to Massawepie as the place that shaped them — where they faced real challenges and led for the first time.
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The campfire never goes out
Alumni who haven't worn a Scout uniform in decades still remember their Massawepie summers. Some things stay with you.
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The next 27 years
Troop 5 has no plans to stop. Massawepie is part of our identity — and every summer, a new group of scouts gets to find out why.

Come to Massawepie with Troop 5

New scouts are welcome at every experience level. Whether your child has never camped before or is an outdoor veteran, there's a place for them at Massawepie.

Troop 5 Maplewood NJ

Adventure since 1920

Meetings

📅 Thursdays at 7pm

📍 Seth Boyden Elementary School
Maplewood, NJ

© 2026 Troop 5, Maplewood NJ · Scouting America