Our group went on a two-night weekend getaway, parent and child. I was very nervous before the trip. I hadn't experienced such a trip in the US. I knew there was no cell phone service at the camp, but you could get satellite reception and send a message. There's a phone at the camp for emergencies. The camp is in the mountains; you wake up to birdsong in the morning, and at night you enjoy the starry sky. A family of deer even came to our place for breakfast that morning. Activities for the kids (the adults joined in too) included canoeing and hiking up the mountain. Don't worry, the mountain isn't too high and the hike is easy, and as a bonus, there's cell phone reception. There was also archery, swimming, and art. In the evening, we had a wonderful evening with a campfire, singing, and roasted marshmallows. The staff was wonderful. Special thanks for the snack truck. It showed up perfectly on time, just when you were already thinking about grabbing a bite. Before you could even think about it, a car would pull up next to you and offer you a snack. The singing and jokes around the campfire were also wonderful. Unfortunately, I don't have many photos without other children that I can upload to my review, but I hope the ones I have help convey the camp atmosphere. Thank you, we really enjoyed it! read more

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If I write what I want to say, it will just be taken down. Just do not go there. Its awful.

My 2 girls went to this camp this year. It was not a nice experience for one of my girls. Most of the counselors paid attention to the girls they like only. Other campers were not given a nice treatment as those entitled girls in brownies that they liked. They asked to pack lunch for the campers on their first day to bring to camp but after eaten their lunch there, my girls were not allowed to wash their own lunch box. They end up coming home after 5 days with a moldy lunch box. Same with their plates and bowls. They said the girls suppose to wash their own plates and utensils on that camp according to their rules but were not allowed to do so. My girls told me, Most of the counselors were mean and selective of whom they will treat nicely. "Maple", the counselor is the meanest one! One of my girls ended up crying home of disappointment instead of a happy memories. She regretted going to this girl's scout camp. read more

We as leaders had very high hopes for this weekend for our girl scout troop. We have been to numerous other overnight experiences - all which have been wonderful! This was a big disappointment. The property was beautiful. It was an old school camp experience. The food was good. The stars were plentiful. And the air was fresh. But the positive ends here. The counselors made us feel as if we were intruding or were a nuisance. Multiple times we were made to feel that we had overstepped our bounds - yet we did not feel this was the case at all! We had a large troop of vibrant 4th graders. This seemed to be a wonderful age for this type of camp. Yet at many turns the counselors made us feel that we had missed the mark. Many times throughout the weekend we faced grumpy counselors who couldn't handle our girls energy or curiosity. The scouts enjoyed themselves. And we have aimed to make sure their experience was not tainted by our lack of respect for the logistics or execution of the camp. While there was an old school vibe to the experience - we believe there are better places to take your Scouts! read more

I'm the father of a young girl who won a trip to Camp Scherman after selling more than 2,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. My wife and I let our daughter choose who she took to camp and she decided to take me, which was a blessing. While the camp grounds itself are quite beautiful, I along with 3 other fathers, were banished to a cabin of our own, while our 4 daughters were made to sleep in quarters where a female adult was present. In other words, we were treated like pedophiles who couldn't be trusted around our own daughters. It's extremely frustrating when girls are allowed to infiltrate boy's only organizations like the boy scouts, but when a male adult attempts to take his daughter to a girl scout camp, he's treated like a scab on the ass of humanity by an organization that prides itself on tolerance and inclusion. To me, the girl scouts has become nothing but a money generating scheme, using child labor to peddle their crappy cookies, nuts, and magazines. My daughter elected, on her own, to leave the girl scouts the following year and we have never looked back. Good riddance Camp Scherman! read more

I took my troop camping here many times when I was a leader. We had amazing weekend experiences! My daughter and several girls in my troops over the years attended the summer camp. The memories they brought home with them and shared with me were overwhelmingly about the many lesbian relationships they observed among both staff and campers. They were disturbed by these and confused because they had never experienced this. They were so upset, they never returned to summer camp. read more

I couldn't agree more with Lisa. A few girls from our troop spent the day here last Saturday. There was one staff member in particular that was very rude and talked down to me, almost humiliating me for speaking to my daughter before an archery lesson. Two things about that really pissed me off.. For one, the day camp was a "reward" for selling 750+ pkgs of cookies.. As a reward, it should be a stress free environment IMO. Secondly, I was appalled that she felt it appropriate to speak to me that way at all considering I am much older than she is.. Where are your manners, young lady? You certainly didn't set a good example yourself. I remember her name, I don't wish to mention it but I certainly don't look forward to seeing her again when our troop goes to camp in September. That incident is the only issue I had that day. The a bathrooms were cleaner than expected. They did have a good variety of picnic type foods. The girls that helped with canoeing were friendly and helpful. No other complaints, honestly. Just wish everyone could realize its suppose to be a fun, stress free experience. read more

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My family and I have attended the family camp in the past and it was such an amazing experience every time. Facilities are clean, activities are fun and you get a real feel with nature (no cell service). Yea limited service but YOU ARE CAMPING. Staff is super friendly and always in a good mood. They offer meals which are pretty basic but still filling. Camp houses are clean and well kept. We had no issues what so ever. There is a kitchen at every camp site which include a big refrigerator, bbq grill (inside and outside) plenty of outlets, you must bring your own appliances like a coffee maker if you're a coffee person. Limited lighting which is perfect because you get the clearest most beautiful view of the sky at night. Truly breath taking! Thank you Camp Sherman staff for making sure every visit is fun, safe and memorable. Shout out to Chanter, Yogi and Ms Salamander read more

Camp Joe Scherman is an excellent Girl Scout camp for all ages of girls. My daughter and I have been there for a Troop weekend, Mom and Daughter weekend and for spring cleaning. I love the program activities and food. When we went to camp, the cabins were clean and comfortable. The best time of year is in early September, when the weather is perfect and the camp is in excellent order, fresh from the summer season. My daughter has been at this camp every summer camper for five years now. She has progressed from going for only a few days to 14 this summer! When my daughter returns from camp, she is singing songs, has gained independence and responsibility, and is eager to help at home. An added bonus for both of us is the Girl Scout program activities and badges that my daughter earns or works towards, when she is at camp. This is HUGE, because it can take a long time to earn one badge or complete a Journey. The staff at bus check-in for summer camp were knowledgeable and kind. They also stressed safety, with the campers needing to hand over completed paperwork, a "bus ticket" and to be counted as they entered the bus. Safety and independence were was also addressed when packing for camp, with sunscreen, a hat and shoulder-covering shirts required. And, the camper is the one to pack their bags. How great is this? I anticipate sending my daughter to Camp Scherman every year, as long as possible. read more

Our troop just recently spent a weekend here. Although this place is beautiful, there are some issues that we had here. Activities: There were some unique experiences available for the girls. They went canoeing, kayaking, swimming in a lake and a pool, and archery. Scheduling: Everything was organized pretty well and activities were never over-crowded. The only issue the girls seemed to have was that there was never enough time to really explorer their surroundings. They wanted check out the wildlife and take pictures of the beautiful scenery. There is about an hour of free time twice a day but it takes them about 15-20 minutes to walk most places so that takes away from that time. Program Staff: Most of the staff was friendly, fun, and exuberant. I had a bit of an issue with the main person in charge. My daughter is ADHD (attention deficit disorder) and ASD (autism spectrum disorder). It takes my daughter longer to perform simple tasks than most kids. The way she addressed the issue and the dialogue she used kind of pissed me off. They have copies of the girls health information so it's not like they don't know certain kids have issues. But I feel that in general when you are working with kids, you should know what dialogue to use. Even some of our girls said that they did not liked being talked to like they were stupid. There is a difference between keeping them on task and directing them and talking down to them. Meals: The meals were pretty good. Breakfast was the favorite though. Even vegetarians and picky-eaters were able to find something satisfactory to eat. The kids can eat until they are full. There was always plenty of food. Facilities: This is were it gets bad. The bathrooms were clean, so that was a plus. There are two kinds of cabins: Ranch- includes carpet and electricity and is a bit closer to the dining hall. Rustic- no carpet or electricity and farther from the dining hall and everything else. We stayed in the rustic cabins unfortunately. It was awful. If my review was based on that alone, I would have given 1 star. The cabin was covered in dust and spiders were all over the place. I understand that we are in the wilderness and that there are going to be spiders, however, I am not okay with having black spiders with red dots under their belly and big brown crab-like spiders crawling on me while I sleep. The girls were too scared to sleep, as was I. Our other leader notified the staff and we were told that they spent 3 hours cleaning the cabins and that we should have no problems when we returned later on that day. They did NOTHING. When we returned everything was as we left it. There was a dead spider on a mattress in one of the bunks before we left and it was still there along with all the other webs etc. One of the girls in our troop came home complaining about her eye bothering her. The next day it was almost swollen shut. She was diagnosed with Peri-orbital Cellulitis which is an infection on the outer skin of the eye, caused by insect bite or spider bite. If left untreated she could lose an eye. I don't know about you, but I consider that to be a problem. Monetary Value: It cost $99 per girl. I personally think it wasn't worth it because of the fact that our nights were spent being too scared to sleep after a 3 hour trip and an entire day walking in the heat. I think it would have been safer sleeping in our own tents . Maybe the $35 per girl for the day camp would have been a better choice for us. I hope this review is helpful. read more

Best camp ever run on the face of the entire EARTH!

I took my Girl Scout Troop camping here for a WEEKEND CAMP JOURNEY WEEKEND so my review is based on that! The entire troop had a wonderful experience. I am so grateful for all the thought and planning that went into the programming of our weekend. The good: GIRL SCOUT PROGRAMMING!!! From the blessings before meals, to the AM and PM flag ceremony I felt they honored much of traditional Girl Scouts while embracing the new. The cabins were nice and well maintained. The activities including a long hike, canoeing, making paper, archery and much more plus my girls earned an entire journey!!! (TIP: Go on a journey weekend! There was also a Father - Daughter weekend at the same time but they did a stellar job and kept the two groups completely independent of each other.) We were also quite impressed with the food offerings - there was something for everyone and they did a good job of making alternatives due to allergies or vegetarians. My dd has food allergies including a peanut allergy and they was AMAZING about this having camp completely peanut free AND we don't eat red meat and there was always something for us to eat. Oh and we LOVED the camp director, she ROCKS!!! The not so good: We loved it but I do wish we had know the camp payphone would not be working. We had promised parents their daughter could call to say she arrived safely and brought quarters for those call but the phone was not working. The director was kind enough to let us use their landland for those calls but we would have planned differently if we had known that. Also you will not have cell reception (this is not a bad thing, but something to know) even those with Verizon could barely get reception if at all. Also there was ALOT of mosquitoes so plan accordingly ---- they even end up in the cabins so bug spray is needed. read more

Camp Scherman is a camp in the forest. There are bugs and animals and dirt, but that's because it's a camp! Camp Scherman gave me confidence, independence, and lasting friendships. I attended weekend camp, family camp, and summer camp. We always say at camp "a little dirt don't hurt!" During the summer, they are very careful about allergies. I have food intolerances and they always allow me to read labels before I eat and they listen when I need medicine. They make separate meals for vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free, etc. Camp Administration Staff have said that health inspectors use the camp as an example of what excellent health and sanitation looks like. The staff love camp and camp traditions go back for 40+ years. Camp Scherman is a safe place for Girl Scouts to go to camp. I recommend girls attend weekend camp before summer residential camp so they become familiar with the land and facilities. Weekend, summer, and family camps are VERY different. Summer is by far my favorite. All units do most activities, except riding horses. The horse units do horses and all the other activities. There are some noted "primitive" units where girls sleep under the stars. Camp is my home away from home. While sometimes the dirt turns away some people, I don't shy away from adventure. Camp Scherman is a beautiful, exciting place where girls create lifetime memories. read more

DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES! DON'T COME! This was the worst experience of my life! I went here with my Girl Scout troop, and it was awful! The food was horrible, and they are horrible with food allergies! I'm allergic to gluten and eggs, they said they had a gluten and "egg free" pancake for me....I got sick cuz they put egg in it! My mom and both troop leaders told them before I went that I have allergies, and what would happen. They didn't even let my parents or any caretaker know I had gotten sick! Cuz their phone is for "emergencies only"! They are so lucky that I was not allergic to it enough that I could stop breathing! Food on the other hand was horrible! Worst food i have ever had, seriously the minute rice was messed up! I ended up throwing away my food and eating raw spinach for dinner. When we left we went to McDonald's. McDonald's felt like a 5-star restaurant compared to the Camp Scherman food. Our troop paid alot of cookie money for this and they made us clean out our own bathroom, and had to have an "inspection", they made us clean the toilets, the sinks, the showers, under the bed, and underneath the mattress! They wouldn't let us leave until our cabin was completely clean! Activities were ok, but you only got to do things for like an hour. The people working there (except for the people in the kitchen) are way too happy, like get on your nerves happy. I wanted to puke at the horrible songs, like the "heartfelt" ones, bleh! I was SOOO happy to leave. PLEASE!!! SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY! THIS WAS THE WORST 2 1/2 DAYS EVER! I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND! I WOULD GIVE 0 STARS IF I COULD! I WILL NEVER EVER COME BACK!!!!!!! read more

One major thing should be noted, weekend camps are run very differently from the summer resident camp. For one, the summer camp is better staffed with a full kitchen that is insanely allergy friendly. Cross contamination is a huge deal. There is also more training specific to working full days with children for the counselors. The days are long and packed full of activities from canoeing and swimming to archery, hiking, and stargazing. It is a huge property which means a lot of walking, probably around 3 to 5 miles per day on average. The camp is rustic which means dealing with wildlife and spiders and dirt, but it's also a good way to learn that not everything is out to get you (just mosquitos). But it's fun and a really great way to reconnect with nature and unplug for a week or so while having fun and learning responsibility. Yes, the girls wash their own dishes, clean the bathrooms and their cabins, and help with those chores around the camp as we'll, but those are useful things to know before going off to college and whatnot. Weekend camps are generally far more rushed just in that with people coming up Friday evening after work and school and making it home before too late on Sunday night for homework and laundry to be done, there's really only one day for program activities. This means that in order to experience everything, there's not a ton of time for each activity. As to what another review said, the staff are overly happy and there's not much to be done about that. Honestly though, it comes from a love of the place and the job, so it's genuine. read more