Page updated 1/28/24
J. Froimson
Durland Scout Reservation is a 1,400 acre Scout reservation in Putnam County, NY, just east of the Hudson River. It is owned by Greater Hudson Valley Council, the result of the 2021 merger of the Hudson Valley Council and the Westchester-Putnam Council. The camp has two lakes: the smaller Mud Lake and the very deep Clear Lake.
The camp has 9 cabins in 3 clusters of 3 cabins, all in one area of the camp. Each cluster has a latrine with running water. Each cabin has one large bunk room and 2 small bunk rooms (ideal for leaders) with a total of 30 beds in the "small" cabins and 40 beds in the large cabins.
There are several tent sites scattered around the camp. Frost-free valves are somewhat sparse around the camp. Of these, one is near the Campmaster cabin, and one is near Site 40.
The camp was created with the 1968 purchase of the land. It was originally called Clear Lake Scout Reservation after one of its lakes.2
The cabins were built in approximately 1993 with some of the proceeds from selling Camp Siwanoy.3
In 1994, the Westchester-Putnam Council received $2.1 million in a deal arranged by the Open Space Institute to preserve the reservation in its current state and to make part of it available to the general public1. This would probably be called a conservation easement today.
"In 2007, the council renamed Clear Lake to the Agatha A. Durland Scout Reservation. The reservation's namesake had donated her Long Island Sound bayfront mansion in Rye, New York on Milton Point, to the council and a 20-year trust to the council. In 2007, the waterfront property, Durland Scout Center, was sold to private developers. Durland's will required that if the property were to be sold, it would be used to establish a new or similar Camp Durland elsewhere, resulting in an investment into Clear Lake, and its name being changed." 2
According to a 6/22/21 article on Patch, the Council put this camp and two others up for sale. According to a 12/6/21 post on WRCR AM 1700, the council decided not to sell the camp due to lack of interest. This was likely due, in part, to the deal with the Open Space Institute.
Camp Map - for how to get there, from the Council
Cabin Locations Map from the Council
Trail and Campsite Map from the Council
Camp address:
1 Clear Lake Road
Putnam Valley, New York 10579
Camp entrance: 41.408573, -73.836588
The main route to the camp (such as using Google Maps) includes travel on the Taconic State Parkway which only permits cars, not trucks or trailers. To get to the camp without using the Parkway, take a sensible exit off I-84 (look at the map before leaving to select that) and then set Google Maps to avoid highways.
1 "1,400-Acre Putnam County Scout Camp Preserved as Open Space", New York Times, May 25, 1994.
2 "Durland Scout Reservation" on Wikipedia as of 1/20/2024
3 Conversation with Josh Davies, Council Vice Chair, Operations, Greater Hudson Valley Council, on January 13, 2024.
Page updated 1/28/24 |
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