Forest Lake Camp (FLC) is a summer camp located just north of
Lake George, in the Southern
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...
of New York.
History
"Forest Lake Camp for Boys" was opened as a boys-only camp in 1926 by Harold T. Confer, who was the athletic director at
Freeport, New York
Freeport is a village in the town of Hempstead, in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York state. The population was 43,713 at the 2010 census, making it the second largest village in New York by population.
A settleme ...
, High School on
Long Island. One year before the camp opened, he had bought over of land around Forest Lake. In the property were a farmhouse and an inn that are still there to this day. The land was originally crossed by an old stagecoach route from
Chestertown, New York
Chestertown is a hamlet of the Town of Chester, in Warren County, New York, United States. It is located by the junction of Route 8 and U.S. Route 9, in the Adirondack Mountains. The population was 677 at the 2010 census, which lists the commun ...
, to
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...
.
By 1954 Harold Confer's son Philip began running the camp alongside his wife, Sally. The couple ran the camp for 32 years. During this time, they bought over 200 additional acres on the other side of the lake, thus acquiring all the land surrounding the lake. In 1984 Philip's son Gary took over the camp.
In 1990, the camp stopped being a boys only camp and opened "Forest Lake Camp for Girls". Since then, the camp runs as a “brother-sister” camp, although it is not a true coed camp, since boys and girls cabins are located in different campuses, and both camps have independent programs. Yet on occasions, such as
July 4
Events Pre-1600
*362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans.
* 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaime ...
and campfires, both camps will interact. Older campers interact more often, as one of the programs is drama whereupon both genders participate in plays. At least one dance is held each summer which is another interaction.
The Camp is now owned by the Blanck and Kelly families of Waterbury, VT, and Needham, MA, respectively. FLC is an accredited camp by the
American Camp Association
The American Camp Association (ACA), formerly known as the American Camping Association, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves the United States. It is an association for camp owners, camp professionals and others interested in summer camps and ...
. The camp has different programs, ranging from 2 to 7 week programs for boys and girls ages 8–16. Both male and female camp start and end on the same dates.
Facilities
Forest Lake Camp is located on of land and has of shoreline of its private lake. The camp has 19 camper sleeping cabins with bunk beds as well as several cabins for staff housing and 3 woods cabins for overnight trips. The camp has 2 riding rings, 2 stables, one camp store, a nature center, two activity offices, one infirmary, one craft barn and one nature & science shop. Among its sports related facilities are: 2 softball fields, 2 soccer fields, 2 lacrosse fields, 2 basketball courts, 1 street hockey rink, 4 tennis courts (2 clay and 2 hard court), 2 volleyball courts (one beach volleyball), 2 climbing walls, 6 ping pong tables, 6 tetherball courts, 1 riflery range, 1 Skeet shooting range, 1 dance and yoga pavilion, and 2 archery ranges. The camp also has 2 campfire circles for traditional Sunday Night Campfire, 1 amphitheater a vegetable farm and of private woodland trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking.
Notable alumni
*Fred Olds
*
Emmy Rossum
Emmanuelle Grey Rossum (born September 12, 1986) is an American actress, director, and singer. She is known for her portrayal of Fiona Gallagher in the television series '' Shameless'' (2011–2019). Since the mid-2010s, she has also directed ...
See also
*
Summer camp
A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...
*
Chestertown, New York
Chestertown is a hamlet of the Town of Chester, in Warren County, New York, United States. It is located by the junction of Route 8 and U.S. Route 9, in the Adirondack Mountains. The population was 677 at the 2010 census, which lists the commun ...
*
Lake George
*
American Camp Association
The American Camp Association (ACA), formerly known as the American Camping Association, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves the United States. It is an association for camp owners, camp professionals and others interested in summer camps and ...
References
External links
*
{{Summer camps in New York
Summer camps in New York (state)
Warrensburg, New York
Buildings and structures in Warren County, New York
Tourist attractions in Warren County, New York
1926 establishments in New York (state)