Girl Scout Camp Redwing closing after over 100 years
Camp Redwing, a century-old Butler County institution, is no more.
The Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania announced on Tuesday, Sept. 23 their intention to permanently close the 123-acre camp in Forward Township and put the property up for sale as part of a facilities update.
“Costs to repair and maintain the camp have exceeded what the council can sustain, and relocating the camp away from the creek is not feasible,” said Lisa Shade, vice president of brand marketing for the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. “After careful review of all options, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close and sell Camp Redwing.”
The camp, located along the banks of the notoriously flood-prone Connoquenessing Creek, had been closed since June 25 to give the Girl Scouts organization time to consider implementing improvements to the pool and water system, and to lessen the impact of creek flooding.
According to a statement from the Girl Scouts, the organization considered several alternatives to permanently closing the camp, before ultimately deciding that none of them were workable. These included replacement of the water system or pool, or even relocating the entire camp farther away from the creek.
“The decision to sell a camp is not made lightly and is done with input from local experts as well as through cost-benefit analysis,” Shade said. “We understand that it can be emotional when a camp is sold, but please be assured we are focused on supporting Girl Scouts to have similar experiences through other venues and programs, such as collaborations with our partners as well as outdoor programming at the council’s three camps.”
In addition to Camp Redwing, the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania also announced the closure of an office and retail shop in Greensburg.
With the closure of Camp Redwing, the closest major Girl Scout camp in Western Pennsylvania is now the 371-acre Camp Skymeadow in Avonmore, Armstrong County, roughly a 50-minute drive from Butler.
Longtime campers and former campers will get one last chance to visit Camp Redwing when the Girl Scouts hold a closing ceremony this fall. Specific details have yet to be announced.
This is not the first time that the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania has been forced to close locations. In 2017, the Girl Scouts shuttered five of its then-nine camps, but left both Redwing and Skymeadow intact. According to a contemporary statement from the Western Pennsylvania Girl Scouts’ CEO, Pat Burkart, Camp Redwing was one of their more popular camps at the time.
