Adirondack Trek Overview Canoeing, Hiking, Fishing and Combination Treks

Paddle across small ponds and large lakes connected by beautiful winding streams.  Climb to the peak of a challenging mountain. Smell the fresh mountain air. Set up camp on a remote island. Enjoy wildlife in a natural setting. Fish for trout, bass or northern pike. Wake to the sounds of a loon calling across the lake. All this and more awaits you on a weeklong high-adventure Adirondack Trek at Sabattis Adventure Camp.

Trek Highlights

• 6 million+ acres of wilderness to explore in New York's Adirondack Park
• 6,000+ miles of rivers and streams
• 46 Mountains over 4,000' to climb
• 2,000+ miles of hiking trails
• Base at Sabattis Adventure Camp in the heart of it all
• Wenonah Kevlar canoes included on all canoeing treks at no extra cost
• An Adirondack Voyageur guide accompanies all treks
• Top notch equipment and food
• Ideal way to prepare for a Philmont trek
• Motor coach service available from Northern NJ
• Crews of up to 11 people. Some treks, including our popular wilderness treks accommodate up to 7 participants.
• We handle the planning and logistics to make it easy for adult leaders
• All this, when combined with the Adirondack experience, will make this a trip to remember

Sabattis offers a full service trek program. All of our treks are approved under the strict regulations of the New York State Health Department, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Boy Scouts of America. We follow the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace to ensure a trek that will be both educational and fun. Sabattis Adventure Camp provides your group with food, permits, transportation from starting and finishing points, Kevlar canoes, paddles, most group equipment, and a hot shower at the end of your trek! Even with optional bus transportation from northern New Jersey, a Sabattis trek is less than quarter of the cost of a Philmont or Northern Tier trek.

Scouts, Venturers and adult advisors love Adirondack Treks
The memories will last a lifetime

 

Why Sabattis Adventure Camp for your Trek?

• Kevlar canoes are included - They are much lighter, faster and more responsive than aluminum canoes. No other Scout camp in the Adirondack's has Kevlar.  If you have the opportunity to visit BSA's Northern Tier high adventure bases, you will see they offer Kevlar - at a significant extra daily fee.
• Transportation between base camp and the drop-off and pick-up sites is included
• Dedicated trek center
• Top notch equipment and food
• Full base camp for pre and post trek needs. Trekkers are welcome to take part in Sunday and Friday camp activities including opening and closing campfires, Sunday barbecue, Friday afternoon Paul Bunyan field day or water carnival, and .30-06 rifle shooting program when you return from your trek (14+). (Programs are not available during week 5 treks when summer camp is closed. Instead, enjoy the quiet solitude of the Adirondacks.)
• Base camp includes patrol box, wall tents with platforms, dining fly, cots and cooking gear. Use the shower house and laundry facilities.
• A BSA trained Adirondack Voyageur guide accompanies all treks for safety and fun!

Forms and Resources

Please visit the forms and resources page for dates, fees, trek availability, reservation form, our Adirondack Trek Guide and more. Check out our trek routes for more details on each trek.

Participation

Troops usually participate in the trekking program in one of several ways

• Full Troop for Two Weeks - Older Scouts take a trek one week and the rest of the troop joins them at Sabattis Adventure Camp for a second week.
• Full Troop for One Week - Older Scouts take a trek and the remainder of the troop has fun at Sabattis Adventure Camp while they are on the trek.
• Split Troop -  Older Scouts take a trek, and the remainder of the troop attends a local summer camp such as Camp Somers or Winnebago Scout Reservation. Some troops with a lot of first year Scouts like this option.
• Philmont Style - Use the trek as a high adventure opportunity instead of attending a regular summer camp. This option is often used by Venturing crews and provisional crews from towns, districts or councils. This is an excellent way of providing older and more experienced Scouts with a special program suited to their age and skill level.

Group Size / Leadership

State regulations limit the group size. Regulations vary depending on where you will be camping during your trek. Check the trek guide for details. You must provide at least one adult 21 years of age or older.  A trained Adirondack Voyageur accompanies all treks.  The Voyageur can serve as a second adult to meet BSA's two deep leadership requirements.

• Most canoeing treks can have up to 11 participants, plus the Voyageur. Some camping areas have lower limits. See the trek guide for details. In those cases, you will either need a smaller crew, or you will have to split your crew into two camp sites.  If you choose to split the crew, you will need enough adults to meet the two deep leadership requirement. 
• Backpacking treks can have up to 7 participants plus the Voyageur.
• Our standard fishing trek can have up to 7 participants plus the Voyageur.  Contact the trek director if you are interested in a fishing trek with a larger group.
• Wilderness treks can have up to 7 participants plus the Voyageur.

Here are New York's Backcountry Hiking & Camping Rules.

Trek Fees

Treks fees are for an entire crew of eleven or seven participants. To calculate your cost per person, divide the total fee by the number of participants. If you need more youth or adults to fill your trek crew, contact Camping Services.  They will try to pair you with another unit.

Age Requirement

All trek participants must be 13 years of age or older.

Swimming Proficiency

All Scouts and adults participating in treks that include canoes, must pass the BSA swimmer test given at camp. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Equipment

We supply Kevlar canoes, PFDs, paddles, food, cooking stoves, maps, first aid kit, cooking gear, bear bags and lines, water jugs, dining fly and other reasonable group equipment.

Crews must supply their own personal gear including tents, sleeping bags and packs. See the Trek Guide for more details.

Transportation

Units arrange their own transportation to Sabattis Adventure Camp. Please arrive on Saturday afternoon and plan to leave the Saturday after your trek.  Late arrivals and early departures are possible, but require advance planning. Motor coach service is available from Northern NJ.  Please contact the council camping office for more information. We also provide transportation between base camp and the drop-off and pick-up sites.

Weather

The weather at Sabattis Adventure camp can range to clear and sunny in the 80s to clear and cool at night with lows sometimes in the 40s. Please check the weather prior to coming to camp. The Long Lake, NY zip code is 12847.

Training and Preparation

It is strongly recommended that all scouts going on a canoe trek have the Canoeing merit badge or equivalent canoe experience. Trekkers (Scouts and adults) planning to head into the High Peaks should be in excellent physical condition. Even carrying just your day pack, climbing any one of the top ten High Peaks can be trying. Attempting to do several in a few days can be a strenuous experience.

Check out Fundamentals of Trek Preparation which includes some great tips.

If you have any questions, please e-mail the Sabattis Trek Director.

        

Page last updated: 03-21-2013 06:49 am

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