E. Urner Goodman Owasippe Museum

05/02/2026

The mission of the Owasippe Staff Association, Inc (OSA) is organized to provide assistance in the maintenance of facilities and in service to the program of the Owasippe Scout Reservation in Blue Lake Township, Michigan, as is deemed necessary and/or feasible by the Owasippe Staff Association in cooperation with the ownership of that facility. This is the blue print of the rifle ranges the OSA built in the early 80's.

05/01/2026

Coming soon! 🎥 A new installment of “Owasippe: Our History & Our Heritage” featuring guest Norville Carter!

Join us as Norville talks about joining Scouting on Chicago’s Southside in 1949, changes in Scouting after desegregation, and working at Blackhawk in the 50’s!

04/25/2026

The final of the three-day Owasippe Maxed program is Angler Camp. Fishing has long been a favorite pastime of Scouts and leaders alike. From bluegill and sunfish to bass and pike, Scouts have caught countless fish in Owasippe’s waters over the years. While often enjoyed as a free-time activity, Owasippe has also offered numerous organized fishing programs throughout its history. Fishing Merit Badge, Fishing Outpost, and Lake Michigan Sport Fishing Outpost have provided Scouts with opportunities to develop their angling skills while learning more about the natural environment.

Owasippe Maxed Angler Camp helps participants work toward Scouting America’s Complete Angler Award. The award requires Scouts to earn all three angling-related merit badges in addition to completing several supplemental requirements, many of which are incorporated into the Maxed program. Participants construct an artificial fish habitat and take part in a reservation-wide fishing derby.

Show us some of the fish you've caught at camp!

For additional information regarding Owasippe Maxed Angler Camp, please view the Maxed Guide:
https://pathwaytoadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-OSR-MAXED-Guide-v.260309.pdf

For the Complete Angler Award Requirements:
https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/outdoor%20program/pdf/complete_angler_recognition.pdf

04/24/2026

Hiking has played a major role in the Owasippe experience since the reservation opened. If a Scout remains within their subcamp, it is easy to miss "all the wealth of earth and heaven” found throughout the reservation. The bogs, barrens, Paradise Valley, and Cleveland Creek can remain unknown to Scouts who choose not to venture beyond their immediate campsites.

In earlier decades, it was not uncommon for troops to embark on multiday hiking trips, stopping overnight at one of the many backcountry campsites historically available throughout the reservation, including Dead Man’s Rollaway and Hog’s Wild. These hikes remain fondly remembered by many who participated.

More recently, Owasippe offered the Manistee Quest, in which Scouts embarked on a five-day, four-night trek along the North Country National Scenic Trail, with optional rendezvous points at the Muskegon River, Pere Marquette River, Pine River, or Manistee River for day or overnight float trips.

Owasippe Maxed’s three-day OSR Trek Camp now gives Scouts the opportunity to explore vast portions of the reservation on a two-night hiking excursion. Participants learn backpacking fundamentals and other essential outdoor skills before planning their route and departing for primitive campsites while completing outdoor skill requirements along the way.

What are your favorite memories from along the Owasippe trails?

For additional information regarding Owasippe Maxed’s three-day Trek Camp, please view the Maxed Guide:
https://pathwaytoadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-OSR-MAXED-Guide-v.260309.pdf

04/23/2026

Owasippe and athletics have always gone hand in hand. From Zaxieball and the ever popular Gaga ball to the Channel Swim, 5Ks, mountain biking, and obstacle courses, athletic activities have long been a core part of the Scout experience. Owasippe even hosted its own Olympics in the 1930s, featuring events such as swimming and boating races, fire-building, and signaling.

The Owasippe Maxed Multisport Merit Badge 3-Day Camp gives Scouts the opportunity to train and compete in a triathlon while learning from an experienced racer. Participants will take part in a series of challenges and complete the race requirements for the merit badge with the aim to qualify for the main event, which includes a 0.8 mile swim, 6+ mile bike ride, and 3.5 mile run. Scouts will be recognized for their achievements at the Owasippe County Fair.

For more information on the Owasippe Maxed Multisport Merit Badge 3-Day Camp, view the guide:
https://pathwaytoadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-OSR-MAXED-Guide-v.260309.pdf

For the Multisport Merit Badge Requirements:
https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/multisport/

04/22/2026

In honor of Earth Day, we celebrate the long history of ecological stewardship at our camp. The land Owasippe now occupies was heavily logged throughout the 1800s, and by the time the camp was established the surrounding forests were a shell of their former selves. Our initial 40 acres was a former farm and much of the surrounding property was also farmland. Early Scouts took on the responsibility of restoring the land, planting hundreds of thousands of trees in the 1920s alone, including twenty thousand pines around present-day Blackhawk in 1927. Their efforts earned national recognition, including the Izaak Walton League Conservation Award in 1932. In more recent years, projects have included improving growing conditions for the endangered Karner blue butterfly’s host plant, wild lupine, and the Owasippe Future Forest Project, which introduced a wide range of native trees across 40 acres of Scout property.

Programs such as Conservation Outpost and other conservation-focused areas have inspired generations of Scouts to develop a deeper appreciation for nature and carry an environmentally conscious mindset into their lives. Many have gone on to careers in forestry, ecology, and environmental science, while others continue conservation efforts in their own communities through native gardens, volunteering in forest preserves to remove invasive plants, and even removing “itsy bitsys” from nature.

Owasippe Maxed’s 3-day Ecology and Conservation Camp continues to inspire our Scouts through hands-on experience with the camp’s diverse ecosystems. Participants will explore ecological sites, learn about Owasippe’s different biomes, and gain a deeper understanding of conservation practices. Scouts will also have one final opportunity to work toward the Wildland Fire Management Test Lab Badge while it remains in its trial period.

For more information on the Ecology and Conservation Camp, view the Maxed Guide:
https://pathwaytoadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-OSR-MAXED-Guide-v.260309.pdf

04/22/2026

Flintlock is getting a new building!

Timbers are on site at Flintlock Village! Travel into the 18th century for Pulp and Paper, Graphic Arts, and Printing Press programs... coming soon!

04/21/2026

Horses and ponies have been part of camp life almost as long as the Scouts themselves. As early as 1914, we offered a program called “The Wild West in Easy Lessons,” which taught Scouts how to ride and care for the camp’s horses, and in those early years the horses even traveled with Scouts aboard the S.S. Carolina. It is said the program was such a hit that it became a permanent part of camp. Over time, programs such as Wrangler Outpost, Wagon Trail Outpost, and Horsemanship Merit Badge continued that tradition, with Wagon Trail and Wrangler offering overnight horseback trips where Scouts rode to campsites and learned skills like roping, branding demonstrations, and chuck wagon cooking.

The Owasippe Maxed Diamond “O” Ranch Equestrian 3-Day Camp builds on this legacy by taking Scouts to areas of camp not previously explored on horseback. In addition to overnight trail adventures, participants will learn horse care from veterinary professionals and develop advanced riding skills beyond those taught in the Horsemanship Merit Badge.

Learn more about the Owasippe Maxed Equestrian Camp in the Maxed Guide:
https://pathwaytoadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-OSR-MAXED-Guide-v.260309.pdf

04/20/2026

Canoeing has been a staple of summer camp since our inception. The White River, Muskegon River, Pine River, and Marquette River have provided countless miles of exploration for Scouts over the decades. More recently, we have offered a two hour trek along the White River, giving Scouts a brief taste of what our surrounding waterways have to offer, but these rivers hold far more than can be possibly experienced in such a short trip.

For many years, Owasippe offered a program called Voyageur. Voyageur began in the 1960s as a program for older campers to explore the surrounding woods and waterways of Owasippe. It started as a three day excursion to various points of interest in the immediate area such as Cisco Rollaway, Deserters' Cave, and Pine Island Lake. After completing the requirements, Scouts were awarded the Voyageur segment, paddle, or patch depending on the era.

Owasippe Maxed 3-day River Canoe Camp allows Scouts to once again take part in a Voyageur-like experience. Participants begin with a canoe trip to the Wolverine headwaters and then plan their own river route before setting out. Along the way, Scouts experience many of the same sights enjoyed by past generations while camping and cooking at primitive riverside campsites. All the while the participants are working towards the Scouting America 50-Miler award.

How many of you were an Owasippe Voyageur? What memories of the program do you have?

For more information regarding Owasippe Maxed, please view the Maxed Guide:
https://pathwaytoadventure.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-OSR-MAXED-Guide-v.260309.pdf
(Note: The maps are over 50 years old and should only be used to view historical routes.)

04/19/2026

In the 115 years of Owasippe, there have been countless programs offered that are beloved by those who experienced them as youths: from the forgotten Owasippe Olympics of the 1930s, to the voyageur canoe program that spanned decades, to the dozens of former outposts scattered throughout the reservation, and the famed Manistee Quest that many of our aging leaders reflect on fondly. These programs stand out in our memories of Owasippe because they were meaningful, challenging experiences of our youth, and many have expressed a desire for today’s Scouts to have something similar. Over the decades, many of these programs were discontinued, whether due to legal or logistical reasons. However, this summer, Pathway to Adventure Council is offering a program called Owasippe Maxed, which resembles many of the programs mentioned above.

Owasippe Maxed will operate from June 28–July 4, 2026, and will feature six three-day camps for Scouts to choose from: Angler Camp, BSA Trek Camp, Diamond “O” Ranch Equestrian Camp, Ecology Camp, Multisport Merit Badge Camp, and River Canoe Trip. Our next few posts will cover these three-day camps as well as similar historic programs that formed many memories for our Scouts.

For additional information regarding Owasippe Maxed, please view the Maxed Guide on the PTAC website: