As a parent of 2 former scouts, we traveled to Camp Shands on many occasions over the years. The Camp plays hosts to Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts & Venturing Groups from around Florida. Fortunately, it's relatively close to the Jax area. The drive to our first Florida campout lead me to find Chiapinni's - a great cultural discovery along the way!
The Camp is well laid out - with plenty of space for hundreds of campers. Each section has a dining area, bathroom and large fire ring - designed for the whole troop.
They have an archery center, a BB gun range (for Cubs), pistol & rifle range (For Scouts & Venturers), climbing tower and a large lake for canoeing.
There's a large dining facility for special occasions - but most groups cook on their own. The staff on all occasions that I went were adequate. Most events utilize a large number of volunteers to run efficiently. A relatively new addition is the pool with waterslides - definitely needed in the Florida summers! read more