West Central Florida Council

Sign for the entrance to the Sand Hill Scout Reservation in Spring Hill, Florida.

Sand Hill Scout Reservation is a Scout camp of over 1,212 acres (4.90 km²) in the west central Florida region, located near Spring Hill, Florida. Sand Hill Scout Reservation belongs to the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Venturers of the West Central Florida Council and Gulf Ridge Council and is intended for their instruction and enjoyment. Sand Hill Scout Reservation offers many different activities including archery, small-bore rifle, shotgun trap and skeet shooting, hiking, camping, Project COPE course, climbing wall, rapelling tower, swimming pool, large athletic fields, 10 improved campsites (complete with shelters, water, latrines, and hot water shower facilities), handicapped accessible campsite and facilities, 2 primitive campsites, chapel, large air-conditioned dining hall, trading post, camp medical center, activities shelters, nature center, 15 staff cabins, and training buildings. This camp is also the residential Boy Scout Summer Camp for the West Central Florida Council. Hundreds of boys from the Greater Tampa/St. Petersburg area and throughout Florida attend camp every summer. Thousands of Scouts, leaders, and outside organizations use Sand Hill Scout Reservation every year for camping, training, and other activities. A full-time Camp Ranger and his family live on the property. Sand Hill Scout Reservation is large enough to host more than 1,500 Scouts at one time. Sand Hill has hosted Scouts and other organizations since the early 1980s. Sand Hill is also home to the Brooksville Raid Civil War battle reenactment every January.[3]

The "Sand Hill Grace" traditionally said by campers before meals:

Camp Soule serves the West Central Florida Council. It is located on 50 acres (200,000 m²) of pristine wilderness, in the heart of Clearwater, Florida. It offers protected trees, wildlife, and beauty centered in the most densely populated county of Florida. Camp Soule offers four improved campsites (with Adirondack shelters, latrines, and showers), six primitive campsites, a dining hall, trading post, large activity fields, Olympic-size swimming pool, pool house, BB gun range, Cub Scout and Boy Scout archery ranges, two cabins, Council campfire ring, chapel, and a home occupied by a full-time camp ranger and his family. Camp Soule is constantly utilized for short-term Boy Scout camping, Cub Scout family camping, Cub Scout Summer Day Camp, Tiger Growl, training courses, and various other activities. The dining hall and camp medical building/camp office have recently been renovated. This major rebuild of the dining hall involved installing air conditioning, a new entrance, and a large porch. Camp Soule has served the West Central Florida Council since the 1930s.

Bigfoot Wilderness Camp (BWC) is a hidden gem at Green Swamp, east of Dade City, Florida. It is located within a 30,000-acre (120 km²) wildlife preserve owned by the State of Florida - Southwest Florida Water Management District. The facility includes a 1,200-square-foot (110 m²) cabin with electricity and indoor plumbing on the banks of the Withlacoochee River, two small box stoves for heating, showers both indoor and outdoor, a campfire area, an outhouse latrine and four adjacent primitive patrol campsites. There are 5-mile (8.0 km), 8-mile (13 km), and 10-mile (16 km) hiking loops starting and ending at the cabin. These loops intersect with segments of the Florida National Scenic Trail which extends over 35 miles (56 km) to the north and 10 miles (16 km) to the south. Bigfoot Wilderness Camp provides a great opportunity for camping in a rustic, primitive "Old Florida" setting.

BWC has both Facebook and Twitter accounts that are updated weekly with photos and local conditions. Search for "Bigfoot Wilderness Camp, BSA" or "@BigfootCampBSA". The FB page also has a map of the hiking trails.