Acagisca

[Dusty]

Hello, my Pine Barrens-loving friends,

A couple of days ago my mother and I went out for a drive and happened upon a place called Acagisca, or something similar. Upon further investigation, we found out it used to be a Girl Scout camp. I find it interesting but logical that the Girl Scouts would sell a park to Atlantic County. Can anyone tell me more about this place fro mwhen it still functioned as a camp? Like when it was established and when it was sold? Thanks, it's much appreciated.

 

[Teegate]

Google has a few bits of info about it.

Guy

 

[Boyd]

I have driven past there countless times but never taken the time to learn or explore. Just looking quickly, I see that it operated from 1952-1963 and the name is an acronym for Atlantic City Area Girl Scout Camp. I always wondered about that... although it doesn't account for the final "A" (maybe it was for "Association?).

 

[Dusty]

Thanks Boyd! That's all new to me... I must not bee Googling hard enough, haha. That's interesting about the name, I just assumed it was Native American or something. When we drove through, it looked very small (in comparison to the other camps I've been to), but it might stretch farther back from the dirt road we were on.

 

[lakesgirl]

being a former girl scout who spent many a summer camping at Sacajewea in Piney Hollow, I always wanted to spend a week or two at Acagisca. It never happened. The Holly Shores GS Counsel closed the camp due to, if I remember correctly, a lack of funds and staff. This was the most rustic of the three camps here in SJ. The other being Shepards Mill near Greenwich.

It stood unused until the Atlantic County Park system took it over. There is a canoe/kayak take out back there that is used by Palace Outfitters and the campground on 559 (the name escapes me now). You can get information from the ranger station at Lake Lenape regarding using this part of the park.

sorry I don't have more info.

 

[Dusty]

being a former girl scout who spent many a summer camping at Sacajewea in Piney Hollow, I always wanted to spend a week or two at Acagisca. It never happened. The Holly Shores GS Counsel closed the camp due to, if I remember correctly, a lack of funds and staff. This was the most rustic of the three camps here in SJ. The other being Shepards Mill near Greenwich.

It stood unused until the Atlantic County Park system took it over. There is a canoe/kayak take out back there that is used by Palace Outfitters and the campground on 559 (the name escapes me now). You can get information from the ranger station at Lake Lenape regarding using this part of the park.

sorry I don't have more info.

I've also camped at Sacajawea (or Sacy as some call it). Facilities were nice, aside from a rather unnerving number of daddy long legs... anyway, back to Agagisca. It belonged to Holly Shores... did Holly Shores possess Sacy, Shephard's Mill, and Agagisca? You might already know this, but Holly Shores merged in 1996 with Girl Scouts of Burlington County to form Girl Scouts of the South Jersey Pines. Then in 2007, GSSJP, Camden County Girl Scouts, and the Delaware-Raritan Council merged to form the current council, Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey.

Shephard's Mill, as far as I know, is sitting idle due to lack of funds... it's a shame, I'd have liked to camp there. Maybe it'll have the same fate as Agagisca, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

[turtle]

It stood unused until the Atlantic County Park system took it over. There is a canoe/kayak take out back there that is used by Palace Outfitters and the campground on 559 (the name escapes me now). You can get information from the ranger station at Lake Lenape regarding using this part of the park.

There are 3 group camping areas there that are reasonably priced, fairly private, and have access to the river .....abeit a steep bank with steps to climb. There are restroom facilities and a decent pavillion with a huge stone fireplace/grill. I have been there once or twice, but not recently. The public campground that borders it is Winding River Campground. http://windingrivercamping.com/

turtle

 

[lakesgirl]

did Holly Shores possess Sacy, Shephard's Mill, and Agagisca? You might already know this, but Holly Shores merged in 1996 with Girl Scouts of Burlington County to form Girl Scouts of the South Jersey Pines. Then in 2007, GSSJP, Camden County Girl Scouts, and the Delaware-Raritan Council merged to form the current council, Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey.

Shephard's Mill, as far as I know, is sitting idle due to lack of funds... it's a shame, I'd have liked to camp there. Maybe it'll have the same fate as Agagisca, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Both Sacy and Shepards Mill belonged to Holly Shores. I spent 2 weeks at SM in '67. It was different than Sacy in that if you had the money to pay the additional fee, there was horseback riding as part ofthe activities...really wanted to do that but at the time just the basic camping was all we could afford. We drove past SM awhile back and I was saddened to see it looked to be unused.

My last year with the scouts was in '69....I knew the councel merged with another but didn't know who. sacy is near and dear...I spent 2 weeks every summer there from '62-'69.

 

[Kevinhooa]

I always wondered what the story behind that place was. Curiosity got the best of me one day and I decided to take a drive through. I saw a ranger in there and waved and he motioned me to stop. He told me without a permit I shouldn't have even been driving through there. Weird I thought, I guess that must have missed that if it was written on the sign at the front. I've never had that happen before.

 

[lakesgirl]

You have to go to the station at lake lenape to gain access. I think it's a $5.00 fee to use the canoe access. And there is no parking, just drop off or pick up. At least that's what we found out last smmer.