Our 75th summer at Camp Shenandoah in Swoope has officially wrapped-up and what an amazing summer it was! It seems like only yesterday everyone was putting the final touches on getting ready for Summer Camp. Now all the Scouts, Leaders, and Staff have returned home, looking forward to next year.
Scouts and Scouters didn’t just walk away with Slushies and Merit Badges, they walked away with a week full of memories and growth. There were campers who overcame their homesickness and there were campers who persevered to finish those last Merit Badge requirements.
There were Scouts that were trying things out for the first time! Scouts who never got to blacksmith, weld, or sail all got the chance to learn something new.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this summer possible. Thanks to Paul Hansohn, the Ranger Corps, Charlie Rodgers, and all the volunteers who came before the summer to get Camp up and running. Thank you to Jay Fox and Jim Echols for working throughout the fall and spring to recruit and interview staff. Thanks to Dee Schartiger and Kathe Maneval for navigating Black Pug and helping units with their registrations and classes.
For some of our programs this summer, we reached out to folks in the community for support. Thanks to the First Tee program in Harrisonburg for helping with the Golf Merit Badge. Thanks to Steve Hammond and John Baber for teaching the Law Merit Badge. Thank you to the Swoope Volunteer Fire Department for continually supporting the Fire Safety Merit Badge. Thank you to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department for sending two Deputies to assist with our Range and Target program during our Week 2. Thanks to Dr. Kyle Enfield and all his work supporting our Med Lodge and for debuting the Search & Rescue Merit Badge. Thank you to Tracey Stakem and her team for supporting our Cub, Webelos, and Arrow of Light programs! Thanks to Matt Phillippi, Tom Greenwood , Jenette Reyes, Melissa Watts, and Corey May for helping in the Trading Post. Our camp is supported by so many volunteers that care – thank you to everyone who helped make this summer great for our Scouts.
We must also commend and thank our hard-working camp staff. They are the ones who make the magic happen!
We are already working on Summer 2026 and asking ourselves how we deliver a Camper First program. We want to continue innovating our program and continue to offer new and exciting opportunities at Camp Shenandoah.
For anyone interested in Summer Camp at Camp Shenandoah in 2026, be sure to save-the-dates:
ScoutsBSA Summer Camp 2026
Week 1: June 21 – June 27, 2026
Week 2: June 28 – July 4, 2026
Week 3: July 5 – July 11, 2026
Week 4: July 12 – July 18, 2026
We are offering ScoutsBSA units the chance to lock-in 2025 pricing now. If a unit puts a $100 deposit down for 2026 before September 15, they are guaranteed the 2025 summer camp price. For more information and to submit a deposit for 2026, please click: https://scoutingevent.com/763-CampShenandoah2026.
