Camp Ottari, Claytor Lake Aquatics Base <br> Blue Ridge Mountain Scout Reservation--More information

Information for Camp Ottari, Claytor Lake Aquatics Base
Blue Ridge Mountain Scout Reservation (Scout-owned)

Camp address	Contact Information
2881 Simpkinstown Rd Hiwassee, VA 24347 Forecast for this area (at weather.com)	Blue Ridge Mountains Council, BSA Council contact information Website

Map using camp address (sometimes accurate)	Map using coordinates: (always accurate)
Mapquest™ Road map Suremaps™ Topo map	No lat/lon coordinates in database...but here's how to add them!

Comments for Camp Ottari, Claytor Lake Aquatics Base
Blue Ridge Mountain Scout Reservation

Largest Council-owned Boy Scout camp in the nation (~17,000 acres) Includes Camp Ottari, Camp Powhatan, Claytor Lake Aquatics Base, High Knoll Trail, Fish Camp, New River Adventure, and Mountain Man Outpost

(posted on Mar 6,2000)

The finest Scout camp I've ever attended. The Staff is well trained and organized. Each Troop's program is their number "1" priority. The facilities are excellent as well. There are many programs for a Troop to choose from, but you have to register early, they're almost booked up for 2001.

(posted on Sep 1,2000)

This is a review of our trip to the Blue Ridge Moutains Scout Reservation in Virginia during July, 2001.

We also spent 1 1/2 days touring Washington D.C. prior to camp. Our group consisted of 27 Scouts/Venturers and 13 adults. We participated in the summer camp program at Camp Powhatan plus six high adventure programs.

This was my 22nd trip to summer camp and the 11th different camp I've attended. In this evaluation, I'm using the ratings outlined in the evaluation form provided by the camp.
A = Excellent
B = Above Average
C = Average
D = Below Average
F = Unsatisfactory

Camp Powhatan Programs
----------------------
Grade: B+
We had 3 adults and 3 Scouts. My wife and I helped with a Cooking merit badge class which ran out of propane. The Camp Quartermaster had none so we donated a canister brought by our troop so the class could continue. We visited several program areas and were impressed by most of them.

I was especially impressed by the Brownsea Island Program for new Scouts. The program was staffed entirely by Eagle Scouts. Our troop stopped participating in first year camper programs about ten years ago because they were not consistant and were rarely adequately staffed. I brought back materials from this program which I plan to share with my council's Scout Executive.

One aspect of camp which I found very annoying was one troop which seemed to have outfitted many of their Scouts and adults with 2-way radios. Having these things chime in during merit badge classes, leaders' meetings and at the dining hall was very annoying. I hope this isn't something that spreads to other camps as the summer camp experience would be terrible if several troops did something similar.

Camp Powhatan Staff
-------------------
Grade: A
So far as maturity and competence, probably the best staff I've seen at summer camps I've visited. Staff members seemed to be older than those at other camps we've attended. They used humor to keep the boys interested in the merit badge classes and, for the most part, seemed
very competent.

Our Camp Site & Equipment
-------------------------
Grade: C
We had a nice campsite which we shared with Troop 45 from Dublin, Virginia. We really enjoyed our stay with the campers from Troop 45. The tents were average. We had one tent which leaked a good bit but we put duct tape on the holes and it didn't leak the next time it rained. The cots/springs were extremely poor. The camp needs to either spend money on new cots/springs or tell troops to bring their own cots. The shower house we shared with several other campsites was average.

Dining Hall & Food
------------------
Grade: C
The huge Dining Hall was nice but having ten people at each table was crowded when adults and larger Scouts were seated at the tables. The food was average compared to other camps I've attended. The scrambled eggs were terrible and the grits were bad too. Everything else was about the same as I've seen at other camps and high adventure bases.

Trading Post
------------
Grade: A
Other than the trading post at Philmont, Camp Powhatan's is the best I've seen. My only disappointment was not being able to purchase a Camp Powhatan mug as they were out of these.

Other Camp Powhatan Buildings/Facilities
----------------------------------------
Grade: B
If they had kept the central restrooms supplied with toilet paper and towels, this rating would have been an A.

Pre-Camp Information and Ease of Arranging the Trip
---------------------------------------------------
Grade = F
This trip was the most difficult of the 40 long term camping adventures I've arranged. Our visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains Council's other camp, Camp Ottari in 1997, which I arranged but didn't attend, was the 2nd most difficult trip. The reason the trips are so difficult is the way in the council distributes the camp information. Instead of publishing a Leaders' Guide "up front" with all the information needed, they mail it out by program. They also kept changing the "rules" after issuing the information. For example, the medical forms needed for medications were changed and they required our High Knoll crew to submit new program choices two weeks prior to our departure for camp. The council needs to spend a whole lot more "up front" time planning their summer program, and it would certainly be much easier on their customers if they published one Leaders' Guide with all the information needed to prepare for summer camp and the various high adventure programs.

Check in/out Process - Arrival & Departure
------------------------------------------
Grade: F
This process was very poor. The map from I-81 to Camp Powhatan is poor and needs to be updated with correct distances. Providing written directions would also help. We could not get a Motorcoach weighing 20+ tons to the entrance of Camp Powhatan as the sign on the road
states that 12 tons is the weight limit for the first bridge. The camp needs to let groups know this in advance.

The check in at Camp Powhatan was a disaster. All of our equipment, much of which needed to accompany our high adventure campers, was taken to our campsite but we were told it would be at the OA Building so that's where we went. We wound up finding the campsite and carrying the equipment for our high adventure participants from our campsite to the OA Building so they could be transported to Camp Ottari and the Claytor Lake Aquatics Base. This could have been avoided with better logistical planning by the camp administration. Our guide/host was very young and didn't know what to do with a group of 40 people who were participating in seven different programs. We didn't even get a tour of the camp. The checkout process was better but we still had problems with the logistics with people returning from the high adventure programs. This needs better coordination.

New River Adventure Program
---------------------------
Grade: B by our three adults who stated there were safety concerns at the low C.O.P.E. Course and during White Water Canoeing.

Grade: A by youth members.
We had 3 adults and 5 youths in this program which is based at Camp Powhatan. The youth especially enjoyed it.

Fish Camp
---------
Grade: A-
This program is based at Camp Ottari. Other than the assistant leader not being as enthusiastic as he could have been ("burnt out" after several weeks???), our 1 adult and 2 Scouts thought this was an outstanding program. All three of them are "serious" fishermen and they were not disappointed.

Claytor Lake Aquatics Base
--------------------------
Grade: A+
This program is based at a leased facility on Claytor Lake. We had 2 adults and 6 youths in the program. They all thought it was outstanding, and I did too after seeing the base during the tour on Thursday. If I'm fortunate enough to be able to return, this is the program in which I want to participate.

SCUBA Certification
-------------------
Grade: A+
Based at Claytor lake, we had one 17 year old Scout/Venturer in this program. He attended Claytor Lake in 1997 and enjoyed his return immensely.

Mountain Man Outpost
--------------------
Grade: A
We had 5 Scouts in this program which is based at Camp Ottari. They had a blast! The program was much improved from 1997 when our Scouts assigned a D rating to it.

High Knoll Trail Backpacking
----------------------------
Grade: B
We had 4 adults and 5 youth in this program which is based at Camp Ottari. The youth were very young but they had an excellent time. The crew rated all of the outpost camps as outstanding. They said the latrines were terrible and that a better job could have been done in organizing and planning the actual backpacking part of the trip. One suggestion was that the camp develop itineraries, rated based upon hiking difficulty similar to what Philmont does, and let crews select from them prior to arrival.

From an overall standpoint, our group of 13 adults and 27 youths had a great time. The weather was outstanding and returning to the 100 degree days we're having in Texas makes me appreciate my stay at Camp Powhatan even more.

The Blue Ridge Mountains Scout Reservation is an excellent summer camp and high adventure base, the very best I've seen as far as variety and opportunity to participate in different programs. The Blue Ridge Mountains Council needs to put more work into "up front" information and in the arrival and departure logistics involved when troops take part in several high adventure programs. Even with these
challenges, this was the best summer camp I've attended. Our PLC has already decided to sponsor a similar trip in 2004.

YiS,
--
Calvin H. Gray
Scoutmaster, Troop 405
Advisor, Venturing Crew 405
Georgetown, Texas

(posted on Aug 20,2001)

I must say, it is bad marketing on the part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Council to constantly change their web addresses for their camps (the link for 2001 dies at the end of camp and there may be many months before the 2002 link is ready). The council website has very little information on the camps in the off season, and each year the web addresses change. It makes it diffuclt for units & sites like this to keep a valid link to their camps. For having some of the finest camps East of the Mississippi their web sites leave a lot to be desired.

(posted on Aug 31,2001)

A group of 42 Texans just returned from a week at Camp Ottari which is operated by the Blue Ridge Moutains Council in Roanoke, Virginia. A troop from Houston accompanied our troop on this trip. Here is a summary of what our troop members thought about the camp.

From an overall standpoint, our group thought the camp was one of the best we've attended, possibly the very best. The camp offers an outstanding mix of high adventure and regular summer camp opportunities. Here is how our Scouts and adults rated each of the programs in which we participated:

SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM - We had 6 boys and 1 adult in the regular summer camp. They gave it a rating of "A" as the camp offered a nice selection of merit badges and special activities. The camp site, facilities and food were as good as other camps we've attended. The staff was excellent and our guys had no problems with any of the staff members. Overall, an excellent summer camp program.

NEW RIVER ADVENTURE - This is a high adventure activity consisting of COPE, caving, rappelling, mountain biking, whitewater canoeing and whitewater rafting. We had 7 Scouts and 4 adults in this program. They rated it "A+" as it was one of the nicest high adventure activities in which our troop has participated.

CLAYTER LAKE AQUATICS BASE - This program gave the boys an opportunity to earn several aquatics badges plus participate in special water-type activities. We had 1 Scout and 1 adult in this program. They rated it "A+" and had a great time all week. The participants spent most of the week "in the water" and the program certainly delivered. They were especially impressed by the staff who made it a high priority to learn the names of each participant by the end of the first day of the program.

MOUNTAIN MAN OUTPOST PROGRAM - This program promised a week in the DEEP WOODS living like the Mountain Men who once inhabited the Blue Ridge Moutains. Scouts were told they could earn the Rifle Shooting and Cooking badges. Basically, the program DID NOT deliver as our 5 Scouts gave it a "D" rating. This was due to the fact that the program was understaffed and that one of the staff members used profanity thoughout the week, with some of this aimed directly at the boys. Our Scouts reported that this guy "went crazy" on one occasion when someone touched his necklace and went off into the moutains for several hours to "purify" himself. Our guys did not complete or receive partials on any of the three merit badges promised so the program didn't deliver what it promised in this area. 4 of our 5 Scouts had taken part in a Philmont trek during June and they reported that the Mountain Man Program was a big let-down after Philmont. But they said it could have been a nice program if it had been adequately staffed. They gave high marks to the guy "in charge" but stated he just didn't have enough help.

In summary, Camp Ottari needs to improve the Mountain Man Outpost Program. All the other programs are of the highest quality and we recommend these without reservation. They also offer a backpaking program (High Knoll) and our campers heard good reports about this. Even with the problems with the Mountain Man Outpost, we still feel that Camp Ottari offers one of the VERY BEST summer camp and high adventure programs in which our troop has participated. None of the camps in Texas offer such a wide variety of programs so we'll certainly return to Camp Ottari at some point in the future.

YiS,
--
Calvin H. Gray
Scoutmaster, Troop 405
Georgetown, Texas
http://www.troop405.org

(posted on Oct 15,2001)

I have just returned from the Blue Ridge Mountain Scout Reservation, Camp Ottari.

I took 5 Scouts and another leader down there from western NY and arrived there on 8-2 for the New River High Adventure program. For those that are not familiar with this program it is one week of some of the most fun I have ever had in Scouting . We had a whole day each of COPE, climbing/rappelling, white water canoeing and white water rafting on the New river in WV. There
is also a half day of caving and half day of skeet shooting.

The week we were there was the 8th week of campers and for most of the New River staff the 10th week they were at camp. I was truly amazed with the enthusiasm of the staff. In many camps I have been to bye the last week of the summer many staff members are just getting through the week so they can go home. Not so at Ottari. At times it was hard to tell if the staff or the Scouts
were having the most fun.

The food was good. The weather perfect. The program outstanding.

If you are looking for an experiance that will help you keep the older Scouts interested, you owe it to the troop to check them out.

I found them through their ad in the back of Scouting magazine.

YIS
Steve Cobb
SM Troop 42
OA Brotherhood
Iroquois Trail Council
Boy Scout Outdoor Activities Chairman
Webmaster Iroquois Trail Council
http://freenet.buffalo.edu/~iroquois/

(posted on Oct 15,2001)

In this post, I'll copy the format of previously posted reviews. During the week of July 14-20, 2002, our troop attended summer camp at Camp Powhatan on the Blue Ridge Mountain Scout Reservation near Roanoke, VA. 24 boys and 5
adults attended. This camp is about 350 miles from where we live and this was our first visit there. The main attraction of this camp is the numerous programs that are offered. We had boys in three of the different programs.

In this evaluation, I'll use these ratings:
A = Excellent
B = Above Average
C = Average
D = Below Average
F = Unsatisfactory

Pre-camp information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
Grade = B
The leader's guide was pretty well done. It explained most things and included lists of the exact paper work the camp would require. The
registrar at the office was very helpful during my three changes to numbers in the various programs.

Check in/out process
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
Grade = D
Our assigned guide during check in did not tell us the things we needed to know (like the dining hall procedures, how to check items out from the
quartermaster) and did tell us things that were incorrect (who need to take their swimming test on the first day). We planned on leaving early (7:00 AM) on Saturday, so I made arrangements to check out Friday night. No one ever showed up to do our final inspection on Friday or Saturday AM. I asked the program director about this and he said we were to just leave.

Our Campsite
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
Grade = D
The tents had some holes in them that were patched with duct tape. Luckily, it did not rain for more that 15 minutes all week. We only had one dining fly for 29 people, again we were lucky it didn't rain very much. The platforms for the tents were in disrepair. If we had a rain filled week, it would have been miserable.

Latrine and Shower Facilities
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Grade = D
Our latrine as well as at least two others were overflowing during the week. The camp did send someone out to pump them, but that should have been done before they began to overflow. Our assigned shower facilities were in need of maintenance. We ended up showering at the facilities for another troop. Also, shower houses were shared by troops, making cleanliness tougher to manage. There were no dedicated female leader facilities that I saw. The shower house had sign to flip for male or female use.

Water
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
Grade = F
I put this category in here because the water was terrible. The water at our camp site was undrinkable because it tasted so strongly of iron. The water at the dining hall was filtered and was slightly better, but the dining hall staff was so unaccommodating that it was difficult to get water there. After our third case of dehydration, we went to Wal-mart and
purchased cases of bottled water for the scouts to drink.

Camp Administration
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
Grade = B
The Camp Director and Program Director were mostly responsive to our concerns. The staff was mostly well trained. The adult leaders in camp for the week were constantly being asked to do jobs that we felt were clearly the responsibility of the staff. When we declined, because we felt we needed to attend to our own responsibilities (our scouts), we were verbally hassled by the staff. A number of training programs were offered for adults and plans are being made to include even more next year.

Camp Staff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Grade = B
The program staff was excellent. The surly dining hall staff kept this from being an A.

Merit Badge Program
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------
Grade = B
Generally, the merit badge program was very good. The scouts did the requirements as listed. Most of the counselors knew the subject matter and worked at improving their teaching techniques. I think our scouts asked me to make special mention of all of their counselors except for one) on the camp report card we handed in.

New Scout Program
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------
Grade = A
The Brownsea Island program at Camp Powhatan is OUTSTANDING. We had 12 boys in this program and all the adults were impressed. The other troops in camp also gave this program rave reviews. This program really stressed the patrol method and scout spirit. Along the way, the Guide (a staff member) taught them various skills that related to the Tenderfoot through First Class requirements. Dan, our scouts Guide and only going into 11th grade, was an outstanding instructor and role model for our new boys.

New River Adventure Program
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Grade = B
The New River Adventure is one of the high adventure programs for older scouts. We had three boys take this program and enjoy COPE, whitewater rafting, canoeing, caving, and climbing and repelling. They had a great time but thought the canoeing was lame (this was the day after the rafting trip though). This program is coed as many Venturing Crews take part. Our
guys thought this was a plus. ;^)

Trading Post
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Grade = A
A whole lot of good stuff. Puts many Council scout shops to shame.

Food and Dining Hall
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------
Grade = F
The food was edible but was by no means good. Our main complaint was with the disorganization of the dining hall and the surliness of the dining hall staff. Meal time was mass confusion and the staff was downright obnoxious. I saw Scoutmasters have to "get in the face" of the staff after they were screaming at the kids for taking to much time to put syrup on their french toast. Portions were insufficient for adults and older boys. Seconds were not available. Twice we had to go to town and purchase additional food to supplement what we were fed. At one breakfast those at the end of the line could only have milk or OJ, not both like those at the front of the line. I found this unacceptable because they knew exactly how many people were in camp for the week and therefore how many of these items to order. We found Camp Powhatan's dining experience bad.

Overall we found Camp Powhatan's programs to be great, but they were diminished by the poor physical amenities. The Blue Ridge Mountain Council would be well served by spending some money to upgrade their tents and platforms and by figuring a way to improve the dining hall.

Eric Hershey
SM Troop 281
Lancaster, PA

(posted on Jul 23,2002)

This is a review of our trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains Reservation http://www.bsa-brmc.org/ in Virginia July 11-17, 2004. The BRMR is a 16,000+ acre property near I-81 south of Roanoke owned and operated by the Blue Ridge Mountains Council.

Our round trip mileage was approximately 3,000 miles during this trip which lasted from July 6-18. In addition to our visit to the BRMR, we
spent 2 1/2 days touring in the Washington D.C. area prior to camp. Our group consisted of 55 Scouts/Venturers/adults on a motorcoach plus 2
adults traveling independently. Troop 151 joined our troop and crew for this trip. We participated in the summer camp program at Camp Powhatan plus all the BRMR special and high adventure programs.

This was my 26th trip to summer camp. In this evaluation, I'm using the ratings outlined in the evaluation form provided by the camp.
A = Excellent
B = Above Average
C = Average
D = Below Average
F = Unsatisfactory

Overall Evaluation of the Blue Ridge Mountains Reservation
-------------------------------------------------
Grade: A
This was our third trip to the BRMR with prior trips in 1997 and 2001. Although I've been searching, I haven't found another Scout camp which offers a similar variety of summer camp and high adventure opportunities. The Patrol Leaders' Councils of T-405 and T-151 have
already decided to sponsor a return trip to the BRMR during the summer of 2006.

Camp Fees
---------
$220 per Scout and $130 per adult for out-of-council summer campers. $250 per person for out-of-council campers in the special and high
adventure programs except SCUBA Certification which was $425.

Pre Camp Information and Ease of Arranging the Trip
-----------------------------------------------
Grade = C
A trip of this type is always difficult to arrange due to the variety of programs and the varying requirements. One aspect which makes it more difficult is the way in the Blue Ridge Mountains Council distributes the camp information. Instead of publishing a complete Leaders' Guide "up front" with all the information needed, they mail it out by program. The council also changed the "rules" after issuing the information and required a special medical form (supposedly related to HIPPA) to be
completed for each youth camper. Although there has been an improvement since 2001, the Blue Ridge Mountains Council could make it much easier
on their customers if they published one Leaders' Guide with all the information needed to prepare for summer camp and the various high
adventure programs. Having this as a CD in .pdf format would be very, very helpful.

Check in/out Process - Arrival & Departure
------------------------------------------
Grade: C
This process was better than our 2001 visit but still needs improvement. Our entire group arrived at Camp Powhatan at 1 p.m. Then, after
checking in, all of our campers except 13 were transported to Camp Ottari & the Claytor Lake Aquatics Base for their programs. With 52
troops during the week, there was a very long line during the check in process. Having two or more check in lines would have been much better.
Our High Knoll Trail backpacking crew had to wait around until after 5 p.m. to be transported to Camp Ottari, which certainly made their
"start" very difficult. At the end of the week, the check-out process was much better than in 2001 and we were on the road toward Texas by
9:20 a.m.

Camp Powhatan Programs
----------------------
Grade: B
We had 3 adults and 3 Scouts. This rating would have been an A but several of the merit badge classes were too crowded. Our three adults
visited several several program areas and were impressed by most of them. Having water available for Scouts at program areas would have
been nice.

Camp Director & Program Director
--------------------------------
Grade: A+
Both CD Ken Lyons and PD Micah Englund did a super job throughout the week.

Camp Powhatan Staff
-------------------
Grade: A
As good as any staff I've seen at summer camps I've visited. Staff members seemed to be older than those at other camps we've attended.
With a few exceptions, the entire staff seemed very competent.

Our Camp Site & Equipment
-------------------------
Grade: A+
We had a very nice shaded campsite (Pinetree) which we shared with a troop from Sugarland, Texas, and a troop from the Baltimore area. The
tents and platforms were decent and the old metal cots we encountered in 2001 have been replaced with wooden and canvass cots.

Dining Hall & Food
------------------
Grade: F
The huge Dining Hall was very nice but having ten or more people at each table was crowded when adults and larger Scouts were seated at the
tables. The food was absolutely the worse I've experienced at any summer camp. Some of the meals were decent but others were terrible, both from a quality and quantity standpoint. For most meals, seconds were not available. The portions weren't large enough for many campers and people left the dining hall hungry, a situation I find deplorable.

Trading Post
------------
Grade: A
Other than the trading post at Philmont, Camp Powhatan's is the best I've seen. The trading post includes a snack shop which served hot
dogs, pizza, nachos, etc. Several of our adult and larger youth campers supplemented their dining hall food by purchasing food at the snack
shop.

Other Camp Powhatan Buildings/Facilities
----------------------------------------
Grade: A
A nice new medical lodge has been constructed since 2001 and the very best nature lodge I've seen has been recently opened. The leaders'
lounger is excellent and phone lines are provided for Internet connections.

Latrine Facilities
------------------
Grade: D
There weren't enough of these, especially for youth members, in the central and program areas. Camp Powhatan needs to improve this aspect of the camp.

Special Activities
------------------
Grade: A+
Lots of special activities each night including a nice chapel service, a frog hunt, spider scoping, a blob at the water front, free shooting and archery, a 6 a.m. Polar Bear swim in the cold lake water, Friday afternoon games, two cookouts and quite a few others. Scouts and adults could earn a special "Duty to God" patch during the week. This is the first time I've seen a program like this at any summer camp.

Commissioner Program
--------------------
Grade: A
Nice program and helpful.

Activities for Adults
---------------------
Grade: A+
The camp offered a special "Camp Leaders" patch to adults who accumulated at least 100 points from a menu of activities. Training was
emphasized and I completed Climb on Safely, Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, Troop Committee Challenge, Health and Safety Training and Youth
Protection Training. 10 points were available for taking a nap and I'm sure most adults earned these points. :-)

Order of the Arrow
------------------
Grade: A+
A very nice callout ceremony conducted by OA members after the excellent closing campfire on Friday night.

The remaining portion of the review contains information about the reservation's special and high adventure programs.

New River Adventure Program
---------------------------
Grade: A-
We had 4 Scouts and 3 adults in this program based at Camp Powhatan. The program consisted of one day of whitewater rafting, two days of
C.O.P.E., one day of whitewater canoeing and one day of caving (other options for this day were climbing/rappelling & mountain biking or
natural rock climbing). Participants had an excellent and challenging adventure. They especially enjoyed the whitewater rafting which they said was better than other rafting programs in which we've participated. The only downside was they thought there was enough "down time" to
combine C.O.P.E. with caving and possibly provide another day for rafting or for additional climbing or rappelling.

Fish Camp
---------
Grade: A
We had 4 Scouts and 3 adults in this program based at Camp Ottari. This is a program for "serious" fisherman as our group traveled to several streams & lakes and learned how to tie flys. The program was centered around fly fishing. The only recommended improvement is to let participants know that fly fishing is the main program and to provide a more specific equipment list prior to the trip.

Claytor Lake Aquatics Base
--------------------------
Grade: A
This aquatics program is based at a leased facility. We had 4 adults and 4 Scouts in the program which featured motorboating, sailing, water skiing, kayaking and enjoying OUTSTANDING food. They all thought it was outstanding, although adults need to be prepared to rest quite a bit when attending this camp. Plans are to open a new and nearby Camp Claytor, owned by the Blue Ridge Mountains Council, in 2006 and move the New River Adventure program to this facility too.

SCUBA Certification
-------------------
Grade: A+
Based at Claytor lake, we had one 17 year old Eagle Scout in this program. He described the program as "awesome".

Mountain Man Outpost
--------------------
Grade: A
We had 15 Scouts and 2 adults in this program which is based at Camp Ottari. They had a outstanding adventure. The staff was very
experienced and mature. Participants cooked their food over wood fires throughout the week. The only suggested improvement was to have more
food and replace the cots having metal frames with wooden & canvass cots.

High Knoll Trail Backpacking
----------------------------
Grade: B+
We had 3 female Venturers and 4 adults in this program which is based at Camp Ottari. The late arrival from Camp Powhatan was a significant
problem in beginning their adventure. Our crew members paid an extra $50 per person and spent Monday whitewater rafting, an activity they all
enjoyed. Their other days were spent backpacking and participating in programs at outpost camps. They especially enjoyed the black powder rifle and Indian camp programs. The horseback and climbing & rappelling
programs need improvements. Overall, the staff was somewhat immature, especially compared to what our crew members had seen during visits to
Philmont. Other observations: Philmont food is better than High Knoll food, the camps need bear cables (yes, our crew did see a bear), maps
are poor, the latrines are terrible and the logistics upon return to Camp Ottari could be improved. Nevertheless, a very nice adventure!

Voyageur Canoeing
-----------------
Grade: A
This program is based at Camp Powhatan. We had one soon to be age 18 Scout and one adult in this program which featured a 50 mile canoe trip.
Both son and father have been to Philmont and the Packard High Adventure Base in Colorado. The Scout used the "awesome" description in
describing the canoeing and the food too. The adult said there could have been a little more program "history" provided but he also enjoyed
the trip a great deal

Summary
-------
From an overall standpoint, our group of 57 campers had an excellent time at the Blue Ridge Mountains Reservation. Other than the first two
days which were a little humid, the weather was outstanding and returning to Texas has been quite a shock. I certainly miss that 51 degree night we had at Camp Powhatan last week! Here are my recommendations to improve an already outstanding experience:

1. Put the leaders' guide on a CD.
2. Improve the check-in process (have two or three tables instead of one).
3. Improve the disbursal of High Knoll crews to Camp Ottari.
4. Smaller merit badge class sizes (perhaps have several staff members who could be available to serve as counselors when new class sessions
need to be formed).
5. More latrine facilities in the HQ and program areas for youth members.
6. Improve the food (both quality and quantity).
7. Be sure to have water at the program areas.

The Blue Ridge Mountains Scout Reservation is an outstanding summer camp and high adventure base, the very best I've seen as far as variety and
opportunity to participate in different programs. As stated earlier, we have already decided to sponsor a similar trip in 2006. If the BRMR was within 500 miles of where we live, my guess is that we would go there every year as a Scout could do that and never repeat a program.

--
Calvin H. Gray
Scoutmaster, Troop 405
Georgetown, Texas

(posted on Jul 30,2004)

Our troop (883 Richmond, VA) goes to Camp Powhatan every year. This was my first time attending the summer camp. I did the New River Adventure with one other ASM and 4 boys. It was High/Low COPE, Climbing, River Rafting, and Canoeing. This was the BEST camp experience I have ever had. There were almost NO bugs, nice cool nights, warm mildly humid days and great food. The staff was outstanding and the facilities fantastic. I hope to bring my future troop out here after I move to Arizona in 2006.

(posted on Jul 22,2005)

Troop 55 from Chesapeake, VA just returned from Camp Ottari. Overall it was an excellent camping experience with knowledgeable counselors(extremely high energy professionals) that went out of their way to accomodate individual troop needs. We completely filled our scout's schedules (6 hours)...in the future we'd give the scouts at least one hour off for R&R. Evening activities were plentiful for both scouts and leaders. The last night that we were there, they had the best OA Tapout that I've ever seen...definitly peaked the boy's interests in OA. The first few days were very hot and we had a number of dehydration cases. Recommend that they have water at each activity rather than expecting the boys to find it on their own. They had a first-rate program for the first-time scouts...exposed them to most requirements through Second and First Class. Weather was great and the bugs were few. Definitely recommend Ottari for anyone wanting a quality scouting experience for their troop.

Brett Scudder
ASM, Troop 55
Chesapeake, VA

(posted on Jul 30,2006)

Just completed the 50 mile Voyager Trek with my son and 11 others from our troop. We had an AMAZING time. Great training on handling Whitewater safely. Food was mostly dehydrated, but hey it's a trek. Group as a whole was great and our guides did their best to make things fun throughout.

The only way this trip could be better would be to improve evening activities planned after arriving in camp.

Whitewater portion in West Virginia was alot of fun - and the class 5 rapids were a real blast. Can't think of too many other opportunities like this in scouting. Our scouts that were at base camp raved about the camp experience at Powhatan. This camp is a favorite of our troop's and we'll be going again.

Mike Monahan ASM
Troop 208
South Florida Council
Fort Lauderdale, Fl

(posted on Jul 29,2011)

Our troop went to this camp last year and had a great time. One thing that attracted us to this camp is that they offer both a regular summer camp along with a high adventure camp. But the nice part is both groups of scouts stay in the same camp. The high adventure program was excellent. We had a blast. The only negative is their lake which is small and not very clean. Overall a very nice camp.

(posted on Oct 5,2013)

(If you have questions about this camp, don't ask them here! Comments simply get added to this page. If you need a human response, use the contact information above to address your question to the appropriate folks).

Post a new comment?
Guidelines for posting comments Your Email address?

If you include your own email address, it will be stored (along with the comment) in a temporary file. Your email address will be deleted after the comment is approved by a site administrator.

If the administrator has questions about what you wrote, the email address can be used to contact you. We do not keep, sell, or give away your email address to anyone. Once again, we delete your email address at the same time we add the comment.

If you have questions or comments about this camp database, or wish to submit a correction or request, please email the Camp Database Administrator

NOTE! The above is not a contact email for information about Camp Ottari, Claytor Lake Aquatics Base
Blue Ridge Mountain Scout Reservation. This is the email for the volunteer who runs the scoutcamp.org camp database.