Camp Navarro

Camp Navarro is located near Navarro in Mendocino County, California.

Camp Navarro began as a lumber camp of the Albion Lumber Company. A spur of the Fort Bragg and Southeastern Railroad from Albion to the mill at Wendling (now Navarro) and Christine (now Floodgate) ran through the camp and up Neefus Creek. There was a "Y" for turning engines around that is still vaguely visible in camp. A piece of rail and large chain are also some railroad remnants that are displayed in front of the dining hall. Lumbering and the railroad stopped in the 1920s but notches cut in redwoods for springboards can still be seen in the Mohawk campsite and outside of the staff shower area. Goosepens, circles of redwoods sprouted from the roots of cut trees, are throughout the camp. All but one of the portable buildings that were built on skids to be moved from camp to camp, have disappeared. The one that remains is used as a tool shed. Part of a water tank on skids can also be seen.

The camp was used as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp during the Depression, and as an army camp at the start of World War II. When acquired by Scouting it still had a row of decrepit plywood barracks along the river side of the parade ground. The lumber camp buildings on skids were used as Scout camp staff quarters for a number of years.

When Camp Navarro opened in 1956 the Adirondack shelters were built. Many of these same structures remain today. The current craft lodge is all that remains of the original dining hall. The foundation of a metal flagpole is still visible where the "55 Navarro Salute" cannon once stood. A wood-frame dam was erected on the North Fork of the Navarro River each summer to create a swimming area; in 1965 it gave way and the practice of building a gravel dam began. The gravel dam has not been built since 2001, however.

Camp Navarro Staff – mid-1960’s

In late 1955, the land became the property of The Masonite Corporation. For 17 years, Masonite leased the camp to the Sonoma-Mendocino Area Council BSA for one dollar per year. Masonite sold Camp Navarro to the Sonoma-Mendocino Area Council on August 29, 1973 for one dollar, and it was renamed Camp Masonite Navarro. In 1993 the Redwood Area Council and Sonoma-Mendocino Council merged to form the current Redwood Empire Council. For many years, the camp hosted a summer program for Cub Scouts that lasted four days. It also held two annual sessions of Family Camp, Webelos Woods, and occasionally hosted other Scouting events such as Woodbadge and BSA National Camp School.

On April 18, 2012 it was announced that the Redwood Empire Council had sold Camp Masonite Navarro to Northwest Stewards LLC. The property was sold for $1.9 million. The terms of the agreement allow the council to continue to use the property for scout-related activities. Since 2001 environmental regulations prevented the damming of the North Fork of the Navarro River. Without a waterfront the camp was unable to attract scouts to fill enough summer camp sessions to keep the camp solvent. As a result the camp became a financial burden that caused the council to run a deficit and go into debt. The proceeds from the sale will retire all of the council's outstanding debt, and will fund a three-year outreach program and a long-term endowment to support the council's future efforts.

Since that time, the camp has been renamed to Camp Navarro.