Many memorable moments in a Girl Scout’s life happen while camping. Learning to live successfully in the outof-doors will help girls Discover, Connect and Take Action in a natural environment. Through camping girls gain
self-confidence, develop skills and appreciate the world around them. This appendix contains a camp location
map and facility chart, how to reserve a council campsite or program center and the required trainings and
certifications to help you prepare for a great camping experience.
Girls love to go camping; be it for a day, an overnight or a weekend! Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania owns
and operates multiple camp properties. Girl Scout troops and service units, with properly trained adults, can
reserve sites for day use, one night or multiple nights or for a day camp experience.
Troop camping is described as a camping experience of 24 or more consecutive hours planned and carried out
by troop girls and adults. The troop chooses a campsite, provides supervision and plans for activities and
meals. Outdoor training is required of a troop adult. Troop camping takes place throughout the year. Many
council camps have winterized facilities. Troops may camp on weekends, anytime in the summer, and during
school holidays.
Overnight troop camping for one or two nights is a great way to introduce girls to camping. Some service
units have their own camping weekends and day camp. This is planned by the service unit adults and may
take place at one of GSWPA’s camps.
There are several types of camping for troops and service units: day use, overnight camping, weekend
camping, service unit camp weekends (encampments), and service unit day camps. Consult the procedures
for each type of camping in the Appendix: GSWPA Procedures/Forms for complete details.
Follow the steps below to reserve a site:
1. Based on your desired reservation, select the related procedure for information outlining the
reservation process (e.g., Tr