Lake Pleasant Camp is a special day camp for all boys ages 11-17. Administered through program and water safety standards of the Boy Scouts Of America it is unlike other local resident camps by offering opportunities for advancement and camaraderie while allowing boys to return home every evening. The camp runs from Monday through Thursday, offering bus pick-up sites in both the east and west valley. The camp is located at Maricopa County’s Desert Outdoor Center on the east shore of Lake Pleasant.
In partnership with the Grand Canyon Council Boy Scout of America, the camp offers several summer sessions, highlighting our rarest desert treasure: the water. At Lake Pleasant Camp, scouts can experience the thrills of crossing the wake while skiing, driving a motorboat for the very first time, the rush of the wind in their face while sailing across the cove, getting up on a wake board behind one of our power boats, plus so much more.
After a morning on the water, the boys spend their afternoon getting closer to the natural world through a variety of nature-themed merit badges, including:
- canoeing
- rowing
- kayaking
- sailing
- stand-up paddleboards
- motorboating
- water sports
- snorkeling
- fishing
- environmental science
- reptile and amphibian
- fish and wildlife
- rifle
- archery
- cooking
- first aid
- and more!
Here, in the Sonoran Desert, Scouts learn to understand and respect the desert they live in, and develop an active concern for the health of the environment and a desire to help keep it healthy.
This camp is perfect for young scouts who may not be ready for a week away at camp and for older scouts who are looking for unique and challenging merit badge opportunities. Lake Pleasant Camp is offered Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and there are four sessions to choose from:
- June 4-7
- June 11-14
- June 18-21
- June 25-28
For a mere $235 per week, your youth will get to be part of an experience that will leave his friends green with envy this summer! A shuttle service is available for $45. Sessions are limited.
Lake Pleasant Camp is nestled into a hillside of the pristine Sonoran desert, located at Maricopa County's Desert Outdoor Center on the east side of Lake Pleasant, twenty miles northwest of downtown Phoenix.
The 26,000 square foot facility offers a three-building complex designed for education and exploration of the natural environment. The main building contains a multi-purpose gathering hall, an animal exhibit hall, science lab, classroom, resource room, trading post, first aid room, and a full commercial grade kitchen.
The amphitheater, overlooking the lake, comfortably seats 150 for outside activities. Nearby trails allow campers to experience a spectacular view of Lake Pleasant and an up-close look at Waddell Dam.
The Desert Outdoor Center at Lake Pleasant is located at 41402 N. 87th Avenue in Peoria. Whether it is sailing, wakeboarding, kayaking, cooking, archery or fishing, Scouts have a lot to do and learn at Lake Pleasant Camp. To learn more about the camp or register, visit www.camplakepleasant.org.