The Pathfinder Experience
Positive masculine culture and pure summer fun
'It was really fun to go on portages and paddle. On portages, my headman and other staff helped us learn how to do things. I even liked cleaning the equipment after we came back from a portage. It was good to sleep in a cozy bed after portages too! I had a lot of fun meeting new friends.
The most fun I had was doing the ropes course! I loved swimming and taking baths in the lake. But what was the absolute best part??? The food!! I can't wait to go back next year and to someday be a counselor to other kids.'
-Matt age 11, summer 2019
CAMP PATHFINDER MISSION
• Provide healthful, rewarding, maturing summer experiences;
• Nurture boys' ability and enjoyment of lifelong outdoor sports;
• Empower boys to challenge and extend their limits;
• Foster a lifelong personal connection to the natural world;
• Instill character, self-reliance, teamwork, comradeship, & respect;
• Prepare young men for leadership roles in the outdoors, and for the leadership roles of adult life.
Among the ways Pathfinder meets its mission to campers and staff is the camp’s outreach to indigenous peoples of the canoe country Pathfinder people have revered since our inception in 1914.
'...To join with these First Peoples in calling this place our home, we resolve to treat the land, plants, animals, stories and first peoples with honor and respect. We are grateful for the opportunity to live and grow within this beautiful territory....'
A BOY'S SUMMER LIFE
What is it like to be a Pathfinder camper?...
A Pathfinder camper enjoys exciting outdoor sports and canoe trips - a boy's ideal summer adventure. A Pathfinder summer also means growing independence, character, values, abilities, and friendships for life.
Boys attend Pathfinder from the U.S., Canada, Europe and South America. Our campers hail from 14 U.S. states, 4 Canadian provinces, and 6 overseas countries.
Since 1914, Pathfinder has provided a renowned canoe tripping program, and a rich in-camp program of paddling, nature lore / ecology, swimming, athletics, arts, and ropes-challenge. Traditions are many at Pathfinder, including everything from games to awards, to events celebrating our long history of fellowship. Pathfinder puts the emphasis on friendships and community, on simple-living in a low-technology setting and on a boy's personal connection to the natural world.
Great food, great friends, great memories - summer experiences of a Pathfinder camper are one of a kind.
Pathfinder is all about active summer days of healthy challenge and independence. Here, boys are surrounded by friends of many ages. Sports, canoe trips, activities and challenges unfold in this historic community, full of traditions, friendship and a real commitment to teamwork.
Camp is a positive place where boys respect each other and relish the privilege of belonging. The camp culture is decidedly cooperative rather than competitive. Boys learn how fun and rewarding it is to work as a team, both on trip and in camp.
WHY PATHFINDER?
“Pathfinder has been such a big part of his life and his approach to life. Problem-solving, taking responsibility, this incredible 'can do' -- 'let's get this done' attitude I see him take sometimes. We're indebted to you and the Pathfinder experience.”
— Camp parent, Buffalo, NY