Cool Camp: Camp Ho Non Wah

Coastal Carolina Council

Wadmalaw Island, S.C.

See what life was like in the late 1700s at Camp Ho Non Wah’s Bohicket Towne. The colonial village, set under Spanish moss-draped oak trees on the banks of a saltwater creek and lake, gives older Scouts the chance to create candles, rope, knives and period-style tools. Scouts don a period hunting shirt, sign a leather ledger with a quill and ink, and work with wood, metal and leather projects all week. They also get to watch re-enactors fire a replica cannon.

The program is one way campers get an immersive educational experience at Ho Non Wah. The camp offers nearly 50 merit badges, including Aviation, Robotics and Fingerprinting. With water bordering the camp on three sides, Scouts have access to lots of aquatic fun: sailing, waterskiing, boating, paddleboarding and fishing for redfish, trout, stingrays and sharks.

“Ho Non Wah” means “Land of Rising and Falling Waters.” It is set on 184 acres at low tide — 154 when the tidal river comes in. The camp, built in 1931, also features a plantation home on the property, which is home to the Order of the Arrow lodge, a museum and a Scoutmaster’s lounge.

The camp boasts an experienced staff — two-thirds of whom are Eagle Scouts — and nearly all are Order of the Arrow members. They lead fun scavenger-hunt camp games, like Nine Flags, in which they hide flags around camp, or Red Ruby, which involves a red bowling ball for Scouts to find.

About half of campers come from out of state. Before or after camp, visiting units can check out the nearby USS Yorktown, H.L. Hunley Confederate submarine or the South Carolina Aquarium. During camp, younger Scouts can hike to the Charleston Tea Garden, the only tea plantation in North America.

Find more Cool Camps and watch accompanying videos at go.scoutingmagazine.org/coolcamps.

Photos courtesy of Camp Ho Non Wah.