Harpers Ferry Pack Camping Event – Treehouse Campground at Maple Tree

Overview:  Join us for our premier fall camping trip to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The Pack will camp two nights from Friday, 19 October to Sunday 21 October.  The group will enter the Harpers Ferry National park and complete a scenic hike on Saturday morning followed by a visit to historic Harpers Ferry on Saturday afternoon.  Scouts will have the opportunity to complete the Harpers Ferry Heritage Trail program during our walking tour of the town as well as speak with a guide at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters. At camp we will have some games and crafts for the scouts to complete as well as a fun team-building event for everyone!

Campground Notes:  We will be staying at the Treehouse Camp at Maple Tree Campground in Rohrersville, MD and have reserved the Camp Pavilion which is furnished with a small stage, electricity, and large adjacent cook house to use during our stay.  We will have space along the outside of the pavilion to set up our tents.  There is a bathroom with flushable toilets/running water and both indoor and outdoor heated showers.  Cost for scouts and siblings is $5/night and adults $10/night and includes all meals from Dinner Friday through Breakfast on Sunday.  Check-in is anytime after 2pm Friday and Check out is by 1pm Sunday.

Maps/Address:  Address for campground is:  20716 Townsend Rd, Rohrersville, MD 21779. 

Address for visitor center is:  171 Shoreline Dr, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

Detailed Google map with all points of interest for our hike and the heritage trail is located here:  Harpers Ferry Google Map

Friday afternoon:  Arrive to Treehouse Camp anytime after 2pm.  We plan to have dinner around 6pm.  We will play some group games and launch rockets (weather permitting).  If it rains we will use the pavilion and work on one of the craft projects.  This time will also be a great opportunity for scouts to meet with their dens to discuss any scout achievements that may be completed during the weekend.

Saturday morning:  We will be starting breakfast at 7:00 am so that we can depart the campsite early and enter the park when it opens at 9:00 am. Families joining us on Saturday morning can either meet us at camp early or meet at the visitor center at 9:00am.  The primary activity for Saturday morning will be completing one of two hike options.  The entire group will meet at the Harpers Ferry visitor center and parking lot at approximately 9:00am where we will board a park service shuttle taking us to lower Harpers Ferry.  There is a parking fee of $10 per vehicle entering the national park that you will be responsible to pay; however, if you keep your receipt the Pack will reimburse you.  Additionally, if you are a parent of a fourth grader, you are eligible to receive a free National Park pass good for one full year (every kid in a park).  After riding the shuttle bus to town, the entire group will walk approximately 1 mile across the Potomac river and Westbound on the C&O canal trail before splitting into two hiking groups.

A majority of the group will hike the “Overlook Cliff Trail” section of the Maryland Heights trail.  This is a 3 mile out and back hike to a rock face overlooking Harpers Ferry.  The hike follows a civil war military road 700′ uphill in the first mile before descending 300′ on a narrower path to the overlook in the last 1/2 mile. The hike may be challenging for our youngest scouts but we will set our pace based on the slowest hiker and will not leave anyone behind. Additional details are located at the following link:  Overlook Cliff Trail.

Hikers that would prefer to stay on flat terrain may continue to walk on the C&O canal trail and experience views of the canal and the Potomac River.  The river has several rock outcrops in this area creating some white water.  There are likely to be rafters and other paddlers taking on this section of the river.

Regardless of which hike you participate in, you will bring your lunch with you and eat it during the hike.  The group will aim to meet back at the Point in Harpers Ferry at approximately 1:00-1:30 pm.

Saturday Afternoon:  The group will tour the historic Harpers Ferry town by completing the Harpers Ferry Historic Trail program.  This trail is an approximately 2 mile self-guided walking tour that visits numerous sites in Harpers Ferry to include the Armory Square, John Brown’s Fort, and several small museums/historic shops.  Scouts that complete this program will earn a commemorative Harpers Ferry Heritage Trail patch.  Additional information about the Heritage Trail is located at the following link:  Harpers Ferry Heritage Trail Guide

At the approximate half-way point on this walk, we will stop and take a break at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters.  Scouts will have an opportunity to view a 3D topographical map of the entire AT, speak with a trail guide, and learn about the history of the AT.

A majority of the locations on this trail are within a half mile of the shuttle bus pick-up/drop-off so scouts that are unable to complete the walking tour may return to the campground via the bus at any time.

Saturday Evening:  The entire group will return to the campground by approximately 5:00 pm where we will prepare dinner and relax for the evening.  Scouts that have not already done so will have a chance to create a paracord neckerchief slide.  Additionally, all scouts will participate in a team-building exercise that will be a lot of fun.  After dinner, we will have a campfire program where scouts will have an opportunity to participate in skits/run-ons or tell a joke or short story to keep us entertained.

Sunday Morning:  There are no formal activities planned for Sunday morning but the pack is welcome to stay at the campground until checkout at 2:00 pm.  This time may serve as a good opportunity for scouts to meet within their dens to discuss any achievements that were completed during the weekend.

Menu:

• Friday dinner: bbq chicken, baked beans, pasta salad, macaroni salad, corn.
• Saturday breakfast: pancakes, eggs, sausage, oatmeal.
• Saturday lunch: sandwiches (turkey, ham, PBJ) chips, fruit snacks, apples, banannas.
• Saturday dinner: chili, chicken and dumplings, hot dogs, rice, green beans. Possible extra sides from Friday.
• Sunday breakfast: quiche, bacon, pancakes, eggs, oatmeal.
• Desserts: lava cake, cobbler, s’mores, brownies.
• Drinks: OJ, apple juice, water, lemonade, coffee, tea

General Camping Notes:

Dress code for this event will be class B uniform (T-shirt) if you have one otherwise just wear comfortable clothes (we will be placing an order for new T-shirts soon so don’t worry if you don’t have one for this trip).  Pack 802 requests that all scouts bring their six essentials with them on every outing, but most importantly all scouts must have a water bottle.  We will be on our feet for most of the day on Saturday and everyone will need to drink water.  Similarly, please wear comfortable shoes.  The weather for the weekend looks generally nice but there is a chance of a small amount of rain Friday night into Saturday morning.  Unless the weather becomes hazardous we will stay on schedule and start our hike in the rain.  Having a rain jacket and a change of clothes in your pack would be a good idea.  Finally, the weather is likely to be even cooler in Western MD than at home so please be prepared with layers of clothing.  If you are a cold sleeper, you may want to consider wearing thermal pajamas while you sleep to stay warm.  If you have additional questions about camping, please visit the camping 101 section of the website or email the Cubmaster at cubmaster@pack802md.com.

Please use the following sign-up to attend this event:

Let me know if you have questions!

~ Kim