Now that it’s been about two weeks since returning home from our week-long scout camp at the Bear Lake Aquatics Base, I think I can finally say: we (or more like I) have finally recovered from the fun time we had there. In three words, BLAB WAS AWESOME!! It was almost like being at a beachfront resort! Beautiful water, clean shorelines, and a ton of engaging activities that kept the kids busy all day long.
I’d put BLAB in a category of Premier Aquatics Facility and rank it right up there as another “true jewel” for scouting in Utah. Here are some of the unique highlights our younger scouts got excited about:
- Aviation Merit Badge
- Smal Boat Sailing Merit Badge
- Motorboating Merit Badge
- Watersports Merit Badge
- Canoe Outpost Overnighter
- Pride Rock Hike
- Swimming, swimming and more swimming
Our Varsity Team even joined us this year to take advantage of some of the activities that appealed to the older boys. Since Varsity scouts are in that transitional stage between the heavy focus on merit badges and the excitement of high adventure outings, they had the choice of doing things like:
- Climbing Merit Badge
- Cycling (the loop around the lake is 50 miles)
- Mountain Biking (Highline Trail, 55 miles, single track)
- Paris Ice Caves (rock climbing, rapelling, exploring)
- Bloomington Lake (swimming, hiking, exploring)
- Minnetonka Cave (fee-based guided tours)
- Paris Tabernacle Historical Site (if you’re into pioneer heritage or church history)
- Waterskiing, wakeboarding or wave running (if you know people with these toys)
Having experienced BLAB for the first time this summer, it has definitely become my favorite alternative to the mountain setting we typically experience for scout camp. If you haven’t done a waterfront camp yet, I would recommend trying one next year. You have two to choose from here in Utah, BLAB and Camp Hunt. While BLAB is not perfect, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you’re looking for something very different!
Note: Bear Lake Aquatics Base is located on the southeast shore and sponsored by the Great Salt Lake Council. You can have a similar experience at Camp Hunt on the west shore, sponsored by the Trapper Trails Council.
