Historic Scout Camp Prepares For A Change Of Hands

Christopher Burk has been coming to Camp Kootaga for more than 20 years – ever since his now-grown son became a cub scout in the second grade.

“I know how much fun I have had at Camp Kootaga. I know how much fun just talking to other people, how much they enjoy going,” said Burk. 

Roughly 350 acres nestled along a bend in the Hughes River, south and east of Parkersburg, Camp Kootaga has been a scout camp since 1922. But with a COVID-era sharp decline in scouting numbers, scout executive Jeffrey Purdy said the Buckskin Council, which owns the place, made the tough decision to sell.  

“It’s not something they took lightly,” Purdy said. “It’s a result of things that were really beyond our control in a lot of ways. Our own membership numbers went from almost 6,000 youth prior to the COVID pandemic until, you know, a couple years ago, there was a time when we were down to 1,200 youth.” 

They’re back to around 2,800 scouts now and growing. But the recovery will take years, and in the meantime, there were practical considerations. 

The property was valued at $1.1 million. So when the century-old scout camp came up for sale earlier this year, Burk and a group of supporters got together to try buying the place. 

“It also has a large dining hall with a commercial grade kitchen within it, a basketball court, there is a pool house and a pool,” he said. 

And more than a dozen primitive camp sites. 

“It still is that rustic campsite. It’s not, as some people joke, it’s not going to the country club. It’s not glamping. You are in your own tents,” Burk said.

There are also caves that haven’t been readily accessible to the public in decades. 

“They’re made of sandstone, but they’ve just been eroded through the years to the point where there’s caves that are back inside of it now,” said Burk. “They’re also about 45 to 50 feet in some spots that are sheer rock face, which we use for natural rock climbing as well. So it gives them the ability to go learn how to rock climb on our tower, but then really test their skills by putting them on real rock.”

Burk and other supporters of Camp Kootaga formed the Camp Kootaga Foundation and found a base of strong support in their fundraising efforts. 

“The options would have been the board would have put it out on the market for sale, and who knows, who would have been able to purchase it?” Burk said. “Somebody may have been able to come in and buy it and turn it into their own private park hunting grounds. Corporations may buy it and chop it up and do whatever they want to.”

The foundation recently signed a purchase agreement to buy the place – and expect the deal to be finalized in the next month or so. They’re delighted. And so is the Buckskin Council.  

“We think that the Camp Kootaga Foundation is a good organization. Their intent is to continue to provide Camp Katooga as a youth activity venue for local youth in the area. And obviously our executive board is very favorable to that,” Purdy said. “We’d like to look at it as the win, win scenario.”

The business plan envisions maintaining the camp as a natural attraction but opening it up to family reunions, weddings and other gatherings in addition to traditional scouting activities for boys and girls.