Our Mission and Program

Girl Scouting builds girls of COURAGE, CONFIDENCE and CHARACTER who make the world a better place. Through our outdoor experiences girls discover their interests in a safe, natural setting, connect to others and take action to make the world a better place through experiences that are girl-led and involve cooperative learning and learning by doing. Our outdoor program provides girls a supportive, safe environment where they expand their horizons and try new things. While girls learn new physical skills like swimming or horseback riding, they also learn life skills such as teamwork, leadership and self-reliance.

Girl Planning

Girl Scout camp is more than an opportunity for a girl to go outside and play, it is an opportunity for her to grow. When girls arrive at camp, they will spend time with their group discussing what camp is like and the options they have while at camp. The group will then work together to plan the activities they would like to participate in while at camp. In order to ensure a well-rounded program, girls will always be asked to try new things, and certain activities will always be scheduled in. This process, known as “girl planning,” empowers girls to have a say in their lives, to speak up for themselves and to recognize the feelings of others.

Progressive Programming

Our council’s camp program aligns with the Girl Scouts of the USA commitment to providing programs that are progressive and developmentally appropriate. This allows girls to be appropriately challenged and always have a growth step to look forward to in the future. Therefore, you will see sessions offered by Girl Scout level, based on the grade the girl is entering in Fall 2012. The only exceptions are sessions where levels are determined by skill, such as our progressive horse programs. It is important to note that all programming, including horseback riding, is done weather permitting and camp directors reserve the right to change program schedules based on weather conditions.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois operate four camp properties. Devoted to connecting girls with the outdoors. All four camps are proud to be accredited by the American Camp Association. ACA Accreditation means that our programs and properties review over 300 standards from staff qualifications, emergency procedures, training, food safety and others. American Camp Association collaborates with experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth service agencies to assure that current practices at the camp reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. Camps and the ACA form a partnership that promotes summers of growth and fun in an environment committed to safety.

Types of Girl Scout camp experiences offered:

Resident Camp—Girl Scouts may begin attending resident camp after they have completed kindergarten, and may attend as campers until they have graduated from high school . Girls camp for three to fourteen days and nights (the average is five nights). Girls may sign up as individual campers, go with a buddy or may attend special sessions with their troop. The girls and their counselors/volunteers plan activities, taking advantage of the resources available at the campsite. Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois hosts summer resident camp at two camp facilities with a specially trained staff.

Day Camp includes girls in kindergarten and older who typically camp for three or more consecutive days for four hours or more. The occasional overnight may be offered. Girls may sign up as individual campers or go with buddies. The girls and staff plan and carry out activities. Day camping is usually council sponsored or approved, with the council training the staff and approving the facilities and site. A day camp may be at a council-owned site or a site contracted by the council.

Weekend Camp includes girls in kindergarten and above, and typically lasts for two days and one overnight. Weekend camp experiences are planned and carried out by a group of girls and their volunteers, using council-approved sites. Some weekend camp experiences are designed to include staff with program expertise—a good choice for girls and adult volunteers who may want support with their camp experience.

Travel/Travel Camping (using campsites as a means of accommodations) is planned and carried out by a group of experienced campers—girls and adults. The group travels by foot or human power and uses motorized or non-motorized transportation to move from one site to another over a period of three or more nights. Motorized transportation is usually a bus, van, or automobile but may also be an airplane, boat, bicycle, train, or combination of vehicles.

Minimal-Impact Camping (can apply to any outdoor activity or camping environment) encourages each person to leave no trace of their outdoor or camping experience from the planning stages to the outdoor experience itself.

Camp Activities

Girl Scout camp is an amazing and structured experience for girls where they decide what they want to do as a group with their counselors. Campers are supervised 24 hours a day and stay in groups called patrols or units. A typical day at camp looks like this:

• Wake up
• Eat breakfast
• Several hours of chosen activity
• Eat lunch
• Rest time in the heat of the afternoon to read, write home, and relax
• Several more hours of chosen activity
• Eat dinner
• Large all camp game, campfire, special ceremonies/skits
• Time for bed!

Girls cook over a fire at least once, shower every day and swim (weather permitting). Along with that, girls do as many of the following activities as time and weather allows.

• Hiking
• Bird/Tree/Plat Identification
• Astronomy
• Creek Stomping
• Fire Building
• Knives and Knots
• Archery
• Canoeing/Kayaking

• Challenge (ropes) Course
• Orienteering/GPS
• Weather Preparedness
• Arts and Crafts
• Sports and Games
• Ecological Education
• Water Games/Slip and Slide

Sleeping Arrangements

Campers stay in a variety of lodging but most stay in platform tents (tents with wood flooring, cots and sometimes hard roofs). As girls choose, they may pitch a tent or sleep under the stars for a night or two.

Girls always stay with other campers and counselors sleep a few yards away.

Food at Camp

Balanced (yet kid friendly) meals are served family-style with options for those that may not care for a particular food served. We serve many campers with special dietary needs (vegetarians, gluten-free, diabetic) and picky eaters.

During the day, snacks are provided.

Trading Post

This camp store sells souvenirs, jewelry, t-shirts, stuffed animals, toys and more! Each girl will visit the store at least once. Cash, checks and Cookie Program Credit are accepted.

Camp Properties & Locations

Camp Conestoga

4415 295th Street, New Liberty, IA 52765

Located in a scenic natural area 25 miles northwest of the Quad-Cities, Camp Conestoga lies on 340 rolling, wooded acres.

Camp Conestoga has a pool, shower house, dining hall, trading post, health care center, arts and crafts house, activity pavilions, horse corral and horseback riding trails, archery field, prairie, challenge course with ropes and zip line, sand volleyball court, hiking trails and a lake for canoeing.

The name Conestoga came first from the Susquehannock tribe along the Susquehanna River in south central Pennsylvania. Later, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the Conestoga covered wagon was built and named after the Native American tribe. A camp naming contest was held, and Conestoga was chosen as the camp name in 1946. The camp was established in 1945 after the Boy Scout camp that Girl Scouts utilized ran out of space.

Facility	Usage	Max. Cap.	Photos
Indian Ridge Cabins Four cabins that checks out with Indian Ridge Lodge below.	Overnight	16
Indian Ridge Lodge Frame lodge and four tents, indoor fire place, indoor kitchen and fire circle cooking.	Overnight	24
North Star Valley Platform tents, unit house shelter, pit latrine bathrooms and fire circle cooking.	Overnight	24
Outpost Unit Eight cabins, unit house shelter, flush toilet storm shelter bathrooms, fire circle cooking.	Overnight	32
Prairie's Edge Unit Eight platform tents, unit house shelter, flush toilet storm shelter bathrooms, fire circle cooking.	Overnight	32
Sacajawea Lodge  Frame lodge with indoor kitchen and fire circle cooking.	Overnight	12
Tinder Trails Unit Eight platform tents, unit house shelter, pit latrine bathrooms and fire circle cooking.	Overnight	32
Tomahawk Pass Unit Eight platform tents, unit house shelter, flush toilet storm shelter bathrooms, fire circle cooking.	Overnight	32
Trails End Unit Eight platform tents, unit house shelter, pit latrine bathrooms and fire circle cooking.	Overnight	32
Archery Range	Day Program
Bea Conrad Pavilion  Day events, with flush toilet bathrooms and fire place cooking.	Day Program	100
Flint Lake and Boat House	Day Program
Ropes Course/Zip Line	Day Program
Sundial Garden	Day Program
Swift Activity Center Arts and crafts center for day event programs only.	Day Program	40
Swimming Pool w/Shower House	Day Program
Wampfler Dining Hall Frame building with indoor kitchen. Includes camp office, trading post and health center.	Day Program	200

Camp Tahigwa

318 Tahigwa Drive, Dorchester, IA 52140

Camp Tahigwa is located 20 miles north and east of Decorah, nestled in the wooded hills of Allamakee County in the northeast corner of Iowa. Bear Creek, a beautiful clear-water stream, flows lazily through this 315-acre property. The site was purchased by the Girl Scouts in 1965 and has been developed since. Troop 3 of Cedar Falls won the camp naming contest. The name was derived from a Native American word meaning “At Peace.” They were rewarded with enough food to feed the whole troop for six meals to be enjoyed during a weekend of troop camping on the new site.

Facility	Usage	Max. Cap.	Photos
Main Lodge Wood frame with masonry and basement building with indoor fire place, kitchen, fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Year-round	100
Wetheral Staff House Wood frame lodge with indoor fire place, kitchen, fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Year-round	35
Polly's Place Four log cabins with shower house, fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Year-round	32
Tree Houses Eight frame cabins with fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Seasonal	32
Adirondacks Four three-sided log cabins with fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Seasonal	16
Chumani Seven platform tents with fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Seasonal	28
Tapawingo Seven platform tents with fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Seasonal	28
Iniabi Nine platform tents with fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Seasonal	36
Wapacoma Eight platform tents with fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Seasonal	32
Bear Creek Shelter	Seasonal

Camp Little Cloud

21700 Girl Scout Road, Epworth, IA 52045

Camp Little Cloud has been a delightful destination for Dubuque-area Girl Scouts since 1950. Located 15 miles west of town, this camp is situated on 154 wooded acres, featuring rolling hills, meadow lands, natural springs, a pond and all of the outdoor wonder you could ever imagine.

The camp has a main lodge (Singing Bird Lodge) where girls and camp staff assemble during their stay to share meals, stories and, of course, songs! The camp features four-unit shelters with showers and flush toilets, swimming pool, arts and crafts building, a horse barn and arena, a staff house and a health center.

Facility	Usage	Max. Cap.	Photos
Singing Bird Lodge Wood frame lodge with indoor fire place and kitchen.	Year-round	200
Shagbark Upper Level Wood frame building with indoor fire place and kitchen.	Year-round	20
Shagbark Lower Level Wood frame building with indoor fire place, kitchen and fire circle cooking.	Year-round	40
Cedars Wood frame building with indoor fire place and kitchen.	Year-round	30
Whispering Pines Wood frame with kitchenette, indoor fire place and site includes tents.	Year-round	20/32
Four Seasons Wood frame building with indoor fire place and kitchen.	Year-round	15
Poplars Wood frame cabin with indoor	Year-round	10
Owls Nest Wood frame cabin with indoor	Year-round	10
Nawakwa Nine platform tents and shower house.	Seasonal	36
Whippoorwill Six teepees with shelter house.	Seasonal	36
Sunshine Hill Eight platform tents with shelter and shower house.	Seasonal	32
Terratumba Shelter with shower house - for tents only.	Seasonal
Swimming Pool & Shower House	Seasonal
Pond with dock

Camp L-Kee-Ta

7501 200th Avenue, Danville, IA 52623

The 150-acre Camp L-Kee-Ta is nestled between the Skunk River and the small community of Danville, Iowa, about 12 miles from Burlington. It is a pristine, wooded outdoor paradise. It is full of lush vegetation, large oak and hickory trees, a meadow and a creek that winds lazily through the property.

L-Kee-Ta offers tree houses, cabins, huts and a four-season troop house featuring a great room with fireplace, two sleeping areas, bathrooms, showers and a kitchen. The camp began in 1945, thanks to a generous gift from the local Elks Club. A little girl named Karen Wilson suggested the name because she said it meant “Lady Elk” in a Native American language.

Facility	Usage	Max. Cap.	Photos
Cotty Hicklin Troop House Log house with basement and full kitchen.	Year-round	32
Dankwardt Lodge Masonry lodge, dining hall.	Year-round	75
Wellness Center Wood frame with full kitchen.	Year-round	12
Hickory Hills Cabins Five log cabins.	Seasonal	20
Trails End Huts Five wood frame huts.	Seasonal	20
Maple Creek Tree Houses Five wood frame tree houses.	Seasonal	20
Hidden Circle Tent Site Five platform tents with fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Seasonal	20
Timber Trail Tent Site Five platform tents with fire circle cooking and picnic shelter.	Seasonal	20
White Oaks Tent Site Three platform tents with fire circle cooking.	Seasonal	12
Swimming Pool & Shower House	Seasonal