Raven Knob Scout Reservation

Raven Knob Scout Reservation
A view of Lake Watson from the Program Center
Owner	Old Hickory Council
Location	266 Raven Knob Road Mount Airy, North Carolina 27030 (336) 352-4307
Country	United States
Coordinates	36°28′45″N 80°50′37″W / 36.47917°N 80.84361°W / 36.47917; -80.84361Coordinates: 36°28′45″N 80°50′37″W / 36.47917°N 80.84361°W / 36.47917; -80.84361
Founded	1954
Camp Director	Keith Bobbitt
Website www.ravenknob.com

Raven Knob Scout Reservation is a 3200 acre Boy Scout camp operated by the Old Hickory Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The reservation is located in Surry County, North Carolina, United States.

The Old Hickory Council, BSA held their first Scouting function, a spring camporee, at Raven Knob Park near Mount Airy, North Carolina in 1954. From this event, Council officials determined that the park site would be suitable for a summer camp. This new camp would replace Camp Lasater, which was located close to Winston-Salem. Raven Knob Park was purchased in June 1954 and became Camp Raven Knob. Local resident Kyle Norman was hired as Camp Ranger. Ted Waller was the first Camp Director.

The original facilities at Raven Knob Park included a man-made lake and bath house, a restaurant and dance hall, picnic tables, outdoor grills, an outdoor bowling alley, and several model cabins. Before the Order of the Arrow State Fellowship Meeting in April 1956, a dining hall, administration building, and health lodge were completed. In 1957, a flag pole for the parade ground in front of the dining hall and a granite main entrance gate were donated by the North Carolina Granite Corporation. The dance hall/restaurant became the camp trading post when the new Mary Reynolds Babcock dining hall was completed that year.

In the late 1950s, Chigger Hollow, near the main gate of camp, was used as the council campfire ring. This site was used for opening and closing campfires during summer camp until at least 1980. Also during this time, the Order of the Arrow Arena was improved and first used for visitor campfires on Wednesday evenings. The Arena has been expanded and upgraded several times, the last being in 2006 when it was renamed the Vaughn-Woltz Order of the Arrow Arena. The arena has a capacity for approximately 2000 people.

During the 1960s, an aquatics building was constructed and additional real estate, including the Knob itself, was purchased.

In 1974, Urner Goodman, the co-founder of the Order of the Arrow, attended the dedication of the G. Kellock Hale Jr. Training Center and Wahissa Lodge Building. The lodge was constructed on a hilltop behind the Trading Post with views of the lake and the knob. Before the building was constructed, Wahissa Lodge #118 used temporary tent areas and the Log Cabin as their headquarters. The Log Cabin became the traditional staff quarters for the Program Director and other senior staff. The John T. Atwell Cottage was constructed for use by the Camp Director.

From Winston-Salem, the traditional route to camp was along US Highway 52 past Pilot Mountain to NC Route 89 in Mount Airy. After 1976, with the opening of Interstate 77, travel time to camp for many in the council decreased and access to camp for scout groups along the eastern seaboard was much easier.