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Girl Scout Troop getting ready to go canoeing at camp

Troop Camping

Are you excited about camping with your troop or group? So are we! Please review the training drop-down menus below and the Camping Learning Plan for Volunteers before booking, to understand GSEMA troop camping training requirements.

NEW: GSEMA is excited to announce a new property reservation and outdoor activity booking software. Starting with September 2023-January 2024 reservations, Girl Scout troops and groups will reserve their sites and outdoor activities on Checkfront. The link to reservations has been added to the Reserve Your Property Rental dropdown below. Note: Property and site reservations for Spring 2023 will still take place on Doubleknot.

Service Unit Coordinators and Encampment Directors: Please submit an online request form for encampments. Please note: due dates for encampment requests are as follows: 

  • May 1 for reservations September 2023-Janaury 2024 
  • November 15 for reservations between February-August 2024
  • April 15 for September 2024-January 2025. 

Girl Scout Troops: Site reservations will be available to ALL, 10 business days after the encampment request due dates listed above. To reserve a property, click "Reserve Now" in the drop-down menu below for your desired property.

To view available troop camping trainings, please visit our Program Catalog. We also encourage you to start planning your next outdoor experience using our helpful Outdoor Progression Chart.

We will continue to monitor GSUSA, MA.gov, NH.gov, and CDC guidance to provide health and safety recommendations and guidelines as needed.

Property Guide and Rental Links

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new GSEMA Property Guide! This robust guide will provide overviews of our properties that can be rented including site capacities, special features, pricing, available activities, links to needed trainings, property maps, photos, and much more. To rent a property, click the green arrow in the menu bar below the guide. 


Reserve Your Property Rental
Spring 2023 Reservations:

Cedar Hill, Waltham, MA – Reserve

Favorite, Brewster, MA – Reserve

Friendship House, Gloucester, MA– Reserve

Maude Eaton, Andover, MA  – Reserve

Rice Moody, Reading, MA – Reserve

Runels, Pelham, NH – Reserve

Wampanoag, Martha’s Vineyard, MA – Reserve

Wind-in-the-Pines, Plymouth, MA – Reserve

September 2023-January 2024 Reservations:

All property and outdoor activity reservations take place on Checkfront. Reserve here. For more information on how to reserve in Checkfront, check out our how-to guide. 


Troop Camping Training

If you and your Girl Scouts are ready to camp out, it’s time to register for training. The Outdoor Basics Series will prepare you to plan a Girl Scout-led camping trip, including how to rent a campsite, outdoor meal planning and cooking, safety and risk management, packing tips, camp activities, and more! These outdoor trainings are a sequence and must be completed in order, beginning with Online Overnight Orientation. First Aid and CPR sessions are offered separately. Descriptions of each required session are below (printable version).

Outdoor Basics Online

Learn how to assess your troop’s readiness for camping as well as GSEMA safety procedures. Explore ways to ensure a girl-led experience, packing tips, and how you can spend your time at camp. Online Overnight Orientation is a pre-requisite. Login to gsLearn to take Outdoor Basics Online, or Online Overnight Orientation, if you haven’t taken it already.

Outdoor Basics: Cooking

Learn all about leading a successful camping trip, including packing tips, camp activities, fire-building skills, and basic cook-out techniques during an in-person session with experienced volunteers.

Outdoor Basics: Camping

Learn how girls can embrace the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to plan and carry out a camping trip. You will learn advanced cooking methods, campfire programming, nighttime activities, and risk management procedures for camping overnight with girls during an in-person session with experienced volunteers.

Encampments

Encampments, troop camping events run by service units, are a great way to meet other troops in your area that love to get outdoors. Check with your local service unit for more information on encampments.

If you're an experienced troop camping volunteer looking to run an encampment for your service unit, register for service unit encampment director training.


Planning Your Troop Camping Trip

Once you’ve taken the appropriate training, you will have all the resources necessary to plan a successful troop camping trip! Troops might also consider incorporating additional activities such as:

Earning Outdoor Badges and Journeys

There are a number of outdoor badges, each with activities and requirements per Girl Scout level. By earning a set of outdoor badges and completing a Take Action project focused on the outdoors, girls can complete the outdoor Journey for their Girl Scout level.               

Renting Equipment and Outdoor Program Kits

If you’re looking to simplify your packing list, enhance the outdoor activities on your next camping trip, or lead a short program to give your girls their first exposure to camping and nature exploration, outdoor program kits and equipment rentals are a simple way to add depth to your outdoor activities.

Equipment rentals include items such as camp stoves, dutch ovens, and pitch tents.

Outdoor program kits include gadgets to teach skills such as birding, firebuilding, knot tying, orienteering, and learning to use a jackknife.

Kit rentals will be available in the Spring 2023.

Booking an Outdoor Adventure Activity

If your troop has eight or more girls who want to participate in archery, boating, or a challenge course program, visit the Outdoor Adventures webpage.