Crystal Lake Scout Reservation
Samoset Council, Wisconsin
Photograph by Judy Griesedieck
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What’s your reward for the forearm-burning ascent to the top of a 60-foot climbing tower? If you’re at Tesomas Scout Camp in Wisconsin, reaching the summit means a peaceful zip-line ride that offers breathtaking views. It’s the highest high-adventure activity for boys who spend time at Tesomas each summer.
- You’ll find Tesomas Scout Camp inside Crystal Lake Scout Reservation, located near the city of Rhinelander in north-central Wisconsin.
- You can choose one of three sides of the climbing tower based on difficulty: easy, medium, and hard. As the number of handholds and footholds on each side decreases, the challenge increases.
- Upon reaching the top, you can rappel down. But most boys prefer the scenic route: a 450-foot-long soar through the trees on the Hanna Zip Line, named after the Hanna Venture Base, which is the high-adventure section of the camp.
- When the ride ends, you’ll swing to a stop 12 feet above the ground. Staffers bring a ladder and help you down, and most boys eagerly get back in line for another trip down.
- If you choose to skip the traditional climb, scale the 70 steps of the interior staircase to the top instead.