Scouting Adventures in Chesapeake

Chesapeake, Virginia, is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise and a convenient resource for Scouting merit badge acquisition and community service opportunities. Check out what features and group activities Chesapeake can offer for your boy or girl scout troop!

Merit Badges
The city of Chesapeake is home to the Northwest River Park and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Rich in wildlife, infused with thousands of years of history and filled with miles of waterways, Chesapeake is the perfect one-stop-shop for merit badges ranging from American Heritage to Wilderness Survival, as well as the Outdoor Survival and Wildlife Girl Scout badges.                                   

The "Scouting Is Fun" program was designed to make acquiring merit badges easy for both Boy and Girl Scouts. Simply contact Chesapeake's Parks & Recreation Department, tell us which badges the troop is working toward, and we'll develop an itinerary to fulfill badge criteria that is unique to the skills and requirements of your troop. We'll even help you book accommodations and scout-friendly eateries along the way.

The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is home to one of the largest populations of black bears, bald eagles, tundra swans, snow geese and more than 200 other species of birds. That's why Chespeake is such an ideal location for the Fish & Wildlife Management and Bird Study merit badges.

Eagle Scout, Star Scout and Life Scout
Chesapeake's Parks & Recreation Department also provides community service projects to fill Eagle Scout, Star Scout and Life Scout requirements. The refuge can also be used to meet requirements for the Get with the Land Patch and can be the location for starting a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award.

Scout Troop Trips
Northwest River Park offers 70 groomed campsites for families and 4 group campsites with amenities, birding, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boats, fishing, hiking and horseback riding are also offered year round. Scout troops can use the facilities to earn their Hiking, Canoeing, Nature or Camping merit badges.

Scout troops may also be interested in:

• Regulation-length orienteering course
• Rentals and trained guides for paddling trips
• American flag retirement ceremony space
• Primitive camp area to train for extensive hiking and backpacking trips
• Rare birds of all species

Some summer events that may be of interest to scout troops include the 13^th Annual American Indian Festival (held in June) and the East Coast Wakefest (held in August). Check out the Chesapeake events calendar for more information.