Scouts bsa camping
east & west resident camp
TRADITIONAL resident camp
For six weeks each summer our two full-service camps, East Camp and West Camp, serve thousands of Scouts from the Northeast Illinois Council and beyond. The Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation offers Scouts and leaders top-tier programs and facilities. We strive to meet your unit’s program needs and pride ourselves on providing the best possible customer service through our friendly, well-trained staff.
2024 Summer Camp Costs
We have Camperships available! Apply for one here.
The following prices will be honored when payment is made in full by the published deadlines. More details can be found on page 11 of our 2024 Planning Guide.
$385 - Early Discount* (If full payment is received online or by our office by February 1, 2024)
$415 - Regular Fee (If full payment is received online or by our office by March 1, 2024)
$515 - Late Fee (If full payment is received online or by our office after March 1, 2024)
$240 - Flat Rate, Full-Time Adult Fee
*For Arrow of Light Scouts and Crossovers (including any new youth recruited to the Troop after the Early Bird deadline), we will honor the Early Bird rate of $385 for 30 days from their joining the Troop. Please communicate this with our office when registering.
2024 Summer Camp Dates:
Week 1: June 23 - 29 Week 2: June 30 - July 6
Week 3: July 7 - 13 Week 4: July 14 - 20
Week 5: July 21 - 27 Week 6: July 28 - August 3
Signing up for camp is a three-step process for your Unit:
Step 1 - Reserve a campsite for your unit today!
Before you sign up, check out East and West Camp. They each offer a unique setting for your troop’s summer camp experience. More information is available about each camp here: MSR Camp Map | East Camp Information | West Camp Information
Step 2 - Pick out your campsite and return the campsite form with the appropriate payment.
2024 Campsite reservations are now open!
2024 MSR Campsite Reservation Request Form (9/15/23)
See which sites are available using the 2024 MSR Reserved Campsites Chart.
Click on the ‘i’ or hover over the column header to get a brief description of the column.
On the desktop version of the link, columns can be sorted to help you quickly see which sites are available.
Step 3 - Complete an online registration for the Scouts and Adults from your troop who will attend (Reserving your campsite is NOT “registering” for camp). Registration details will be provided to your Scoutmaster and Registration Contact (if you provide one).
Looking for more information? Check out the Resources Camp Planning Guides page.
Provisional Camping
If your Scout can't make it to camp for the same week as their unit, we recommend attending as a provisional camper. This can also be a great opportunity to spend a second or third week at camp! Your Scout can either join the unit organized by us, which is led by our camp staff and other adult leader volunteers, or we can assist in making arrangements for them to attend with another Troop or Crew. This program is for youth only, not adults. No exceptions.
Contact Debi Geiger at debi.geiger@scouting.org and she will ask you to provide the details needed to help us place your Scout.
Once your Scout’s week and host troop have been confirmed, Debi will email you registration instructions. Contact us if you're interested in Provisional Camping.
Scholarships
Thanks to many generous Northeast Illinois Council donors, we can provide scholarships for part of a Scout’s NEIC camp fees. We never want financial challenges to stand in the way of the Scouting experience. The process is entirely confidential. Interested families should fill out the 2024 NEIC Camp Scholarship. This application closes at 11:59 PM May 2, 2024 (11:59 PM) but may close sooner if funds are depleted. It will stay open if funds remain or if more funds become available. Bottom line: Complete the scholarship application as soon as possible.
If you are a Scout leader or Camp Coordinator, consider forwarding this link to all your families, even if they haven’t signed up for camp yet or asked about financial assistance.
More Questions?
Go to our Frequently Asked Questions page.
activities at camp
Program Areas
Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan operates 12 different program areas. Both East and West Camps operate their own core program areas—Aquatics, Ecology-Conservation, Handicraft, Pinnacle, Scoutcraft, Shooting Sports, and Trailblazer (for first-year Scouts). We also offer High Adventure program areas for all scouts to add even more opportunities for adventure: Triangle M Horse Ranch, our cycling base, climbing wall, and zipline.
Learn about our program areas >
Merit Badges
Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan has a nationally recognized merit badge program offering a diverse selection of badges. Our highly skilled merit badge counselors are passionate about what they teach and are always finding new and fun ways to share their Scouting knowledge. We are constantly changing our offerings, so there is always something new for scouts to learn.
More information about merit badges >
Order of the Arrow
Weeks one, three, and five at Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan always end with our closing campfire and Order of the Arrow Callout Ceremony. During this ceremony, Scouts and adults who have been elected to join the Order of the Arrow (BSA’s national service organization) officially begin their OA journey through a process called the Ordeal. If Scouts are already Ordeal members of the OA and wish to obtain their Brotherhood honor, they can do so at camp.