Master Plan

Established in 1913, YMCA Camp Chingachgook on Lake George is one of the oldest children's summer camps in the country. The 200-acre site in Pilot Knob, NY was first used in July and August as a Schenectady YMCA boys' camp (and the Boy Scouts shared the site in the 1920s and 1930s). Simple tents were originally set up along the shore, while a few primitive structures were constructed over the next few decades. In 1922, Rotary Lodge was built as the first permanent structure and dining hall. In 1954, a new dining hall was built and Rotary Lodge became a program space. The camp's programs grew in the 1960s and 1970s to include school outdoor education and family retreats.

In 1988, the Schenectady County YMCA retained the services of one of the leading camp planning firms in the country, Schmidt, Copeland, and Associates, to prepare a development plan for Camp Chingachgook. The plan was a result of the camp planning committee's work with guidance from the Camp Chingachgook staff and the consultants, and was approved by the Chingachgook board of managers. The resulting document was used consistently for the next six years as two YMCA capital campaigns and alumni fundraising resulted in major improvements and upgrades at Chingachgook.

In 1994, the Camp Chingachgook board of managers once again reviewed the entire long-range facility and program plan with the support of the Capital District YMCA (the new parent organization resulting from the 1990 merger of the Schenectady, Albany, and Troy YMCAs). With changes and additions to the 1988 plan, the new master plan was followed closely as Chingachgook continued to grow with significant facility reinvestment. In 1997, Chingachgook became a year-round operation. Since 1998, over $2 million of improvements have been made at Chingachgook.

We are pleased to present the 2000 Long-Range Plan of Site Development at Chingachgook. This plan is a result of extensive review of the 1988 and 1994 plans by the facility committee. This new conceptual plan has been carefully reviewed and unanimously approved by the facility committee, Chingachgook Alumni Association Council, the Chingachgook staff, and the Chingachgook board of managers in September, 2000.

Special acknowledgement is given to the LA Group of Saratoga Springs, NY. Their state-of-the-art Geographic Information Systems (GSI) Department produced all the maps in this document and provided many in-kind resources. Special thanks goes to Richard Neet, GSI specialist; Richard Weber, director of GSI; and Michael Ingersoll, principal.

Chingachgook's volunteer and staff partnership is very excited about our accomplishments, our momentum, and our vision for the future. We appreciate your review and feedback on the plan.