A century after opening on 200 acres between Sound Avenue and Long Island Sound, Camp Baiting Hollow will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a daylong public event on Saturday, April 25.
Scouts past and present, their families and people interested in scouting are invited to attend the centennial celebration, which organizers say will feature archery, boating on the camp’s freshwater lake, a 32-foot climbing tower, BB gun target shooting and a high ropes challenge course.
The camp opened in 1926, about 16 years after the Boy Scouts of America was founded.
“All the camps on Long Island that were started in this time period are meeting this milestone,” said Chris Philp, co-chair of the centennial committee. “Baiting Hollow is still going strong because we have great volunteer support and the camp is [open] year-round.”
Organizers expect hundreds of people to attend and said the entire camp will be open for the celebration. Representatives from branches of the military, the Library Association and Suffolk County Fire Rescue are also expected to take part, showcasing their missions and equipment.
“We want to see this camp go another 100 years because we have a great program here that teaches kids good values,” said Matthew Bollerman, council commissioner for Scouting America.
The camp operates year-round and offers programs for children from kindergarten through high school, according to Philp. In addition to its summer camp, it hosts programs during school breaks and on weekends, with campers staying in cabins or at campsites.
Among the camp’s features are heated lodges and cabins, two chapels, a dining hall, a rifle range, archery ranges and waterfront activities that include swimming and boating in warmer months. Over the summer, the lake also features large inflatables, including a climbing structure and trampoline.
According to centennial committee member Brendan O’Reilly, the Boathouse was built in 2017, replacing an older structure at the lakefront. McMorris Lodge, completed in 2021, was dedicated to Andrew McMorris, the 12-year-old Shoreham scout killed by a drunk driver in 2018 while on a hike with fellow scouts from Troop 161.
O’Reilly said recent fundraising has also helped the camp replace temporary shelter structures at tent sites with permanent pavilions.
Philp said the camp’s nine-week summer program, which runs from late June through Labor Day weekend, can draw about 1,000 campers over the course of a typical weekend. While most campers come from Suffolk County, he said scouts also attend from New York City, Nassau County and out of state.
The camp has also become more inclusive in recent years. Girls were admitted to the program in 2019, and Philp estimated they now make up about 15% of the camp population. He said scouting policies require separate sleeping and showering areas.
Philp’s daughter Emily, who has spent several summers at the camp, said the staff is what makes the place memorable for many families.
“They’re very welcoming and they try to make it the best time ever for the kids,” she said.
Tickets for the centennial event are $30 per person. More information is available on the camp website.
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