Summit Betchel Reserve, West Virginia

First - this is a Boy Scouts of America camp, and not a tourist stop. You will not be able to even get close to the property without stopping at the Ruby Center and getting a wrist band and plaquard that grants you access. Even then, there is a gate house and guard that keeps sightseers out. My son stayed at this camp for the week, and we weren't even allowed on the premise to drop him off. They shuttled him inside!

Since my son actually attended a week of camp here, this is a review of the facility and program itself. My son stayed for provisional camp, and it was easily at the bottom of his list of "favorite" scout camps. The facilities are very modern and impressive, and the treks were great, but otherwise, the camp was not impressive. The food was so bad that scouts were apparently getting sick. The communication was very poor, as well. Lastly, my son reports that the provisional program was very disorganized and staff didn't seem to be much help. He almost missed dinner the first night because he had no idea where or when to report. He ate all meals alone and camped completely alone... which can be very difficult for a provisional camper if they feel they are all alone so far away, without an opportunity to make friends.

The base is HUGE, so be prepared to do a LOT of hiking throughout the day. My son spent between 2-4 hours a day hiking between treks and activities. So make sure you are prepared as far as equipment goes and most importantly, physical fitness goes.