Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation

Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
Reservation Scouts learning to swim captured on a postcard
Owner	Baltimore Area Council
Location	1929 Susquehanna Hall Rd Whiteford, MD 21160
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation Show map of USA Maryland Broad Creek Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation Show map of Maryland Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation Show map of the US
Country	United States
Coordinates	39°41′51″N 76°16′16″W / 39.6974848°N 76.2711785°W / 39.6974848; -76.2711785
Camp size	2,500 acres (10 km2)
Founded	1948
Website broadcreekbsa.org

Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation, more commonly called just Broad Creek, is the sum of eight separate areas in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The reservation is 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Maryland and Pennsylvania border within Harford County, 25 miles (40 km) from the Maryland and Delaware border, and 28 miles (45 km) from Baltimore. During the summer Camp Saffran focuses on older youth while Camp Spencer focuses on younger youth. Camp Oest was focused on younger youth, but that operation moved to Camp Spencer in 2016. Camp Oest is now used for large events, such as Woodbadge and NYLC. During the off-season Camp Oest, Camp Saffran, and Camp Spencer are open for weekend tent and cabin camping. Five other less developed areas of the reservation used for outpost camping and hiking are called Camp Cone, Camp Finney, The Pines, The Hemlocks, and OA Hill. The facilities at the reservation are used by 36,000 youth each year, 17% of whom are not affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America.

The 55 acres (0.22 km²) Lake Straus was formed in the 1940s when Susquehanna River tributary Broad Creek was dammed. Later Saffran, Oest, and Spencer each built piers to access Lake Straus. Spencer also has an additional pier upstream from Lake Straus. In 1948 an administration building was added in Camp Saffran. In July 1953 Post 716 of the Saint Elizabeth Catholic War Veterans contributed to the Broad Creek Memorial Camp Fund. Canoe trips for older Boy Scouts began May 1954. In 1967 the Seabees built a bridge across the dam at the reservation. In June 1972 Hurricane Agnes overflowed the dam by 7 feet (2.1 m) and flooded not only the reservation, but flooded areas in many states. Camp Spencer was closed after the summer of 2012. Spencer reopened in 2015 as a specialty resident STEM camp. That program moved to Camp Saffran just before the summer of 2017. In 2016 and 2017 Camp Spencer hosted a resident camp for the youngest youth called Cub Camp at Broad Creek.