Chesebrough Scout Reservation
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Chesebrough Scout Reservation, also called Camp Chesebrough is a 544 acre (2.2 km²) Boy Scouts of America camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, California. The camp is owned by the Memorial Foundation of the Santa Clara County Council, and is used year round for troop campouts, Order of the Arrow events and Wood Badge trainings; and as a Cub Scout day camp and a junior leadership resident camp during the summer.
History
The original 404 acres (1.6 km²) of Chesebrough Scout Reservation, in Santa Cruz County, were donated to Santa Clara County Council by Paul and Nessie Chesebrough in 1977. Paul had inherited the camp and much of the surrounding area from his aunt Edith Van Antwerp in 1949. The Chesebroughs felt that the land should remain open and available for use by the people of California, so they donated much of it to the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District, the Sempervirens Fund, and of course, the Boy Scouts. The Chesebroughs donated another 140 acres (0.6 km²) adjoining the property in San Mateo County in 1983.
The council wanted to use Chesebrough as an undeveloped wilderness camp, but the closing of Camp Stuart in Saratoga in 1990 forced many of the activities from that camp to Chesebrough, including the Cub Scout day camp which required the construction of additional facilities.
Location
Chesebrough Scout Reservation stradles the Santa Cruz-San Mateo county border, and is located nine miles (15 km) south of Saratoga on California Highway 9, and two miles (3 km) south of that road's intersection with California Highway 35, or Skyline Boulevard at Saratoga Gap. The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail passes through the camp about five miles (8 km) from its Skyline terminus, in Castle Rock State Park.
The camp is bordered by Saratoga Gap and Long Ridge Open Space Preserves of the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District, and Castle Rock and Portola State Parks.
Facilities
Chesebrough Scout Reservation has about 8 campsites, each capable of holding at least 30 campers. In addition, the camp has a large modern kitchen, a 300 seat campfire ampetheater, BB gun and archery ranges, and 32 miles (51 km) of hiking trails. The trails connect to the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, giving access to Castle Rock State Park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and Cutter Scout Reservation.