Camp Cherry Valley
Encyclopedia
Located in Los Angeles County, California
's San Gabriel Valley
, the Boy Scouts of America's San Gabriel Valley Council (#40) is one of five councils serving Los Angeles County. It is headquartered in Pasadena
.
leaders, were recruited to help start new Troops and spread the new scouting program. They were sent out into the San Gabriel Valley towns to organize new troops and recruit leaders. By March 1919, there were nine active troops with 190 boys in the SGV. The Pasadena Council (also known as the Pasadena District Council) of the Boy Scouts of America was organized March 3, 1919, with jurisdiction over Pasadena, Altadena and Lamanda Park
.
A charter was granted by the BSA National Headquarters dated April 1, 1919 to the Pasadena District Council. Tallman Trask was hired to be the first Scout Executive. Trask had been a District Executive for the Los Angeles Council
. He had also served as Los Angeles’ Camp Director. Prior to joining the BSA, Trask was an executive for the YMCA and had run several camps for them. By October 1, 1919, there were 15 active troops with 299 Scouts.
The Council’s name was changed in 1929 to Pasadena-San Gabriel Valley Council to better reflect the geographic area served by the Council. In 1951 the name was changed to San Gabriel Valley Council to shorten it and better identify the 29 cities and towns that made it up.
The current SGVC Scout center and Scout Shop, at the Smiser Scout Center, was dedicated on July 16, 1994. Smiser Scout Center
3450 East Sierra Madre Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91107, Phone: 626-351-8815.
in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains
. It is located above the sawpit dam off of Monrovia Canyon Park. Camp Trask offers, Cub Scout
Programs, Family Camp programs and Boy Scout
Programs on a year round basis. The Camp has a full size Fort used for many program activities, called Fort Rotary
. The camp is in a riparian zone
ecosystem. Canyon stream and the camp are shaded by deciduous trees, white alder
s and bigleaf maple
s, evergreen canyon and coast live oak
s.
in the old mining district of Belleville
in the Holcomb Valley
on the site of the old Hitchcock Ranch. Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch is North of the town of Fawnskin. The road from Fawnskin to Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch is a 4WD road. Most use the Van Dusen Canyon Rd to get to the Ranch, as it is OK for 2WD. The Camp offers Boy Scout summer resident camp and a week long Oak Badge-National Youth Leadership Training
class. One Hike offered is to the Big Bear Discovery Center. Cougar Crest hike to Bertha Peak gives an amazing view of Big Bear Lake
. Spring creek trail offers a more level long hike. Not far from the camp is the Pacific Crest Trail
. Near the camp is a USFS public camp ground Holcomb Valley Camp Ground.
Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch was formerly part of Old Baldy Council. The Scout Ranch was turned over to the San Gabriel Valley Council in 2005. The Old Baldy Council took title to the property in 1965 from William Hitchcock. The Hitchcock Ranch is still part of the Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch. Guy Reide, Old Baldy's Scout Executive(1949 to 1966) in 1965 had the vision and work with William Hitchcock to have the Ranch turned into a Scout Camp. Loren Baldwin became the first camp ranger and Holcomb Valley held its first Boy Scout summer resident camp in 1974. Holcomb Valley is named after William F. Holcomb, who discovered gold there and staked a claim in May 1860 with his partner. Holcomb became known for his marksmanship. After 10 years of prospecting he still had no major success. As food sources were diminishing, some of the prospectors hired Holcomb to hunt for grizzly bear
to provide food for the long winter months. While trailing a bear he found Holcomb Valley.
Bonanza
and many other western films and TV shows were shot in Holcomb Valley. For a short time under Old Baldy Council the camp was called "Camp Lipscomb" after US Congressman Glenard P. Lipscomb
.
on the leeward side of Catalina Island
, California
, operated by the San Gabriel Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America
. It is located two coves north of Two Harbors
at Cherry Cove. The camp, valley and cove get their name from the catalina cherry trees native to the island. It also offers non-Scouting programs on a year round basis.
camp since the 1920's, but other groups use it as well. CIMI, the Catalina Island Marine Institute
, runs a program from September through November, taking a winter break then recommencing February through May. The CIMI program caters to youth groups other than boy scouts. Being right on the Pacific ocean
, the camp allows superb snorkling and scuba diving
. During the summer the calm waters stay around seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Scouts sleep in two-person canvas tents set on wooden platforms located up the canyon under the cherry trees.
To reach the camp, Scouts take a two-hour chartered ferry
across the channel, a 22-mile distance from San Pedro
or Long Beach
to Two Harbors
and then hike 1.3 miles to the camp. The camp promotes itself to scouts with the Tribe of Torqua. The "Tribe" was instituted by Council Executive H. Benjamin "Skipper" Robinson as a special group of honor campers. The Tribe of Torqua remains strong to this day, with thousands of youngsters in its ranks.
mine
located in the cove left from the time the western part of Catalina Island was full of such mines. The mine was shut down by orders from Abraham Lincoln
, after he had got rumors the Confederate
army may attack California to acquire gold
and silver to fund their war
efforts. In 1864 Union Troops
were put on the island to stop mining.
Throughout the 1920s-1930’s, Scouts would travel via train from Pasadena to San Pedro, then take the Great White Steamer, SS Catalina
, to Avalon
. After arriving in Avalon, they would then travel up to Cherry Cove on the Betty-O, a Wrigley tour boat, now a Marina del Rey fishing boat.
Cherry Valley opened in 1923. It was very primitive that first year. There was no pier
so campers had to wade ashore or be shuttled from the Betty-O to shore via rowboats. Scouts ate at an “open air” Dining Hall and were plagued by yellow jackets. In 1947 scout now traveled directly from San Pedro to Cherry Cove on the H-10 Water taxi
. They would continue to travel via water taxi until 1973.
The original 1937 lighthouse
was blown down in a storm in 1998. It was rebuilt in 2003 and christened "Thompson’s Light" in honor of Dr. Henry Thompson
The 1935 film Mutiny on the Bounty
used the Cherry cove as part of its filming.
lodge is the Ta Tanka Lodge (#488).
Chapters:
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
's San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
, the Boy Scouts of America's San Gabriel Valley Council (#40) is one of five councils serving Los Angeles County. It is headquartered in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.
Organization
- Golden Eagle District
- City of IndustryIndustry, CaliforniaIndustry is an industrial suburb of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County. Home to over 2,500 businesses and 80,000 jobs, but only 219 residents at the 2010 census - down from 777 residents as of the 2000 United States census - the city is almost entirely industrial...
, Hacienda HeightsHacienda Heights, CaliforniaHacienda Heights is an unincorporated census-designated place in and below the Puente Hills of the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
, La PuenteLa Puente, CaliforniaLa Puente is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 39,816 at the 2010 census.* City flower: The Golden Hibiscus* City colors: Green and White.-History:...
, Rowland HeightsRowland Heights, CaliforniaRowland Heights is an unincorporated community of , located in and below the Puente Hills in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. The population of the census-designated place was 48,993 at the 2010 census, up from 48,553 at the 2000 census...
, West CovinaWest Covina, CaliforniaWest Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles...
, ValindaValinda, CaliforniaValinda is a census-designated place in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,822, up from 21,776 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Diamond BarDiamond Bar, CaliforniaDiamond Bar is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 55,544 at the 2010 census, down from 56,287 at the 2000 census. It is named after the "diamond over a bar" branding iron registered in 1918 by ranch owner Frederick E...
, PomonaPomona, California-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
and WalnutWalnut, CaliforniaWalnut is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 29,172 at the 2010 census and its current mayor is Tom King, a former Detective from the Los Angeles Police Department....
. - The cities of Diamond Bar, Pomona and Walnut were added to Golden Eagle District when Old Baldy Council was split at the Los Angeles–San Bernardino county line on May 1, 2006, and was merged into the San Gabriel Valley Council and California Inland Empire Council.
- City of Industry
- Lucky Baldwin District
- ArcadiaArcadia, CaliforniaArcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....
, MonroviaMonrovia, CaliforniaMonrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,590 at the 2010 census, down from 36,929 at the 2000 census...
, Sierra MadreSierra Madre, CaliforniaThe city of Sierra Madre is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California whose population was 10,917 at the 2010 census, up from 10,580 at the time of the 2000 census. The city is located in the Foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below the southern edge of the Angeles National Forest. ...
, AzusaAzusa, CaliforniaAzusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
, BradburyBradbury, CaliforniaBradbury is a small, affluent city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below Angeles National Forest. Bradbury is bordered by the city of Monrovia to the west, and Duarte to the south and...
, DuarteDuarte, CaliforniaDuarte is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 21,321, down from 21,486 at the 2000 census....
, IrwindaleIrwindale, CaliforniaIrwindale is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census, down from 1,446 at the 2000 census....
, and Temple CityTemple City, CaliforniaTemple City is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Temple City is part of a cluster of cities, along with Arcadia, Rosemead, Monterey Park, San Marino, and San Gabriel, in the west San Gabriel Valley with a rapidly growing Asian population. Temple City also has a Cuban and Puerto Rican...
.
- Arcadia
- Mission Amigos District
- AlhambraAlhambra, CaliforniaAlhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...
, Monterey ParkMonterey Park, CaliforniaMonterey Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's motto is "Pride in the past, Faith in the future"...
, El MonteEl Monte, CaliforniaEl Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...
, San GabrielSan Gabriel, CaliforniaSan Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
, South San GabrielSouth San Gabriel, CaliforniaSouth San Gabriel is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 8,070 at the 2010 census, up from 7,595 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South San Gabriel is located at ....
and RosemeadRosemead, CaliforniaRosemead is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 53,764. Rosemead is part of a cluster of cities, along with Arcadia, Temple City, Monterey Park, San Marino, and San Gabriel, in the west San Gabriel Valley with a growing Asian...
. - The city of Rosemead was part of the former El Camino Real District until 2007.
- Alhambra
- Rose Bowl District
- AltadenaAltadena, CaliforniaAltadena is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States, approximately from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center, and directly north of the city of Pasadena, California...
, La Cañada FlintridgeLa Cañada Flintridge, CaliforniaLa Cañada Flintridge is a small and affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States whose population at the 2010 census was 20,246, down from 20,318 at the 2000 census. According to Forbes, as of 2010, La Cañada Flintridge ranks as the 143rd most expensive U.S...
, PasadenaPasadena, CaliforniaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
and San MarinoSan Marino, CaliforniaSan Marino is a small, affluent city in Los Angeles County, California. Incorporated in 1913, the City founders designed the community to be uniquely residential, with expansive properties surrounded by beautiful gardens, wide streets, and well maintained parkways...
.
- Altadena
- Valle De Sol District
- CovinaCovina, CaliforniaCovina is a small city in Los Angeles County, California about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley region. The population was 47,796 at the 2010 census, up from 46,837 at the 2000 census...
, GlendoraGlendora, CaliforniaGlendora is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census, the population of Glendora was 50,073....
, Charter OakCharter Oak, CaliforniaCharter Oak is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, approximately east of downtown Los Angeles. The population was 9,310 at the 2010 census, up from 9,027 at the 2000 census....
, La VerneLa Verne, CaliforniaLa Verne is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,063 at the 2010 census, down from 31,638 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, San DimasSan Dimas, CaliforniaSan Dimas is a city located in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 33,371. The city historically took its name from San Dismas Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains above the northern section of present day San Dimas...
and ClaremontClaremont, CaliforniaClaremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
. - The cities of La Verne, San Dimas and Claremont were added to Valle De Sol District when Old Baldy Council was split at the Los Angeles–San Bernardino county line on May 1, 2006 and was merged into San Gabriel Valley Council and California Inland Empire Council.
- Covina
- Former district called: Trails of the Valley District was moved into the Lucky Baldwin District and Mission Amigos District in 2010.
- AzusaAzusa, CaliforniaAzusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
, Baldwin ParkBaldwin Park, CaliforniaBaldwin Park is a city located in the central San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 75,390, down from 75,837 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, BradburyBradbury, CaliforniaBradbury is a small, affluent city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below Angeles National Forest. Bradbury is bordered by the city of Monrovia to the west, and Duarte to the south and...
, DuarteDuarte, CaliforniaDuarte is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 21,321, down from 21,486 at the 2000 census....
, IrwindaleIrwindale, CaliforniaIrwindale is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census, down from 1,446 at the 2000 census....
, El MonteEl Monte, CaliforniaEl Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...
and South El MonteSouth El Monte, CaliforniaSouth El Monte is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,116, down from 21,144 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. - Formerly known as San Gabriel River District.
- The cities of El Monte and South El Monte were part of the former El Camino Real District until 2007.
- Azusa
History
With the founding of the BSA in 1910, the first goal of the San Gabriel Valley scout leaders was to organize as new troops. Paid professionals, many of whom were YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
leaders, were recruited to help start new Troops and spread the new scouting program. They were sent out into the San Gabriel Valley towns to organize new troops and recruit leaders. By March 1919, there were nine active troops with 190 boys in the SGV. The Pasadena Council (also known as the Pasadena District Council) of the Boy Scouts of America was organized March 3, 1919, with jurisdiction over Pasadena, Altadena and Lamanda Park
Lamanda Park, Pasadena, California
Lamanda Park is a neighborhood in Pasadena, California. It's bordered roughly by Foothill Boulevard to the north, Del Mar Boulevard to the south, the Eaton Wash to the east, and Allen Avenue to the west, with a panhandle extending south along the western bank of the Eaton Wash.Like Annandale, it...
.
A charter was granted by the BSA National Headquarters dated April 1, 1919 to the Pasadena District Council. Tallman Trask was hired to be the first Scout Executive. Trask had been a District Executive for the Los Angeles Council
Los Angeles Area Council
Founded in 1915, the Los Angeles Area Council serves most of the City of Los Angeles as well as several other cities in the greater Los Angeles area. It is one of five Boy Scouts of America councils in Los Angeles County, California. Since its founding in 1915, the Los Angeles Area Council has...
. He had also served as Los Angeles’ Camp Director. Prior to joining the BSA, Trask was an executive for the YMCA and had run several camps for them. By October 1, 1919, there were 15 active troops with 299 Scouts.
The Council’s name was changed in 1929 to Pasadena-San Gabriel Valley Council to better reflect the geographic area served by the Council. In 1951 the name was changed to San Gabriel Valley Council to shorten it and better identify the 29 cities and towns that made it up.
The current SGVC Scout center and Scout Shop, at the Smiser Scout Center, was dedicated on July 16, 1994. Smiser Scout Center
3450 East Sierra Madre Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91107, Phone: 626-351-8815.
Camps
- Holt Scout Ranch (now closed) was an SGVC camp located in the San Bernardino MountainsSan Bernardino MountainsThe San Bernardino Mountains are a short transverse mountain range north and east of San Bernardino in Southern California in the United States. The mountains run for approximately 60 miles east-west on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert in southwestern San Bernardino County, north of the...
. The camp was named in honor of Herbert Brayton Holt on June 15, 1968. Prior to that time, the camp was known as Camp Cedar Canyon and opened in 1955. In 1975, the camp was sold to a private party. The camp was located off SR-38. 34.0907°N 116.96684°W The fire access road, which started at the hairpin curve on SR-38 connected to the camp entrance road. Just before the camp entrance (where the camp director's home was located), the fire access road forked to the left to make its way up the mountain.
- Camp Eaton, (now closed) was formally called Camp Cumorah Crest. It had five conference rooms, dining hall, winterized dormitories for 125, pool, softball, basketball in the San Gabriel MountainsSan Gabriel MountainsThe San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
, part of the Angeles National ForestAngeles National ForestThe Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
, off Hwy 2, the Angeles Crest HighwayAngeles Crest HighwayThe Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane segment of California State Route 2 in the United States. The road is in length, with its western terminus at the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and its eastern terminus at State Route 138 northeast of Wrightwood...
, on Sulphur Spring Road near Mt. WilsonMount Wilson (California)Mount Wilson is one of the better known peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. It is the location of the Mount Wilson Observatory and has become the astronomical center of Southern California with and telescopes, and and tall...
. It was more of conference center than a Camp. It as sold when the SGVC started operating the Camp at Holcomb Valley in 2005. It was called Camp Eaton for the support of the camp from the Eaton Family operators of the Forest Lawn Memorial ParkForest Lawn Memorial-Parks & MortuariesForest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries is an American corporation that owns and operates a chain of cemeteries and mortuaries in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in Southern California. The company was founded by a group of San Francisco businessmen in 1906. Dr...
s in Southern California.34.3485°N 117.984°W
- Camp Huntington opened in 1920 (now closed) was at the mouth of Rubio Canyon. Many Scouts would take the Pacific Electric street cars (the Red Car) and then hike to camp. The camp was started by Henry Huntington. The camp was near entrance of the Mount Lowe RailwayMount Lowe RailwayThe Mount Lowe Railway was the third in a series of scenic mountain railroads in America created as a tourist attraction on Echo Mountain and Mount Lowe, north of Los Angeles, California. The railway, originally incorporated by Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe as the Pasadena & Mt. Wilson Railroad Co...
, closed in 1938. By the early 1960s, the city's population had expanded and there were now houses built right up to the Camp’s fence line. So, it as decided to close the camp, as it was now in the town of Altadena.
- Camp San Antonio (now closed) was opened on Mount BaldyMount Baldy, CaliforniaMt Baldy is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Mt Baldy is north of Ontario. Mt Baldy has a post office with ZIP code . The community was established as Camp Baynham in 1906; it changed its name to Camp Baldy in 1910 and became Mt Baldy in 1951. Its...
till 1970. Because of the closing of Catalina Island during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, there was a need for a summer camp close to the Council, so Camp San Antonio was opened. Camp San Antonio was located just South of the current Manker Flats Campground at 6,300 feet. Camp San Antonio was closed in the 1970s.34.2622272°N 117.6336658°W
Trask Scout Reservation
Trask Scout Reservation is in the City of Monrovia, Ca.Monrovia, California
Monrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,590 at the 2010 census, down from 36,929 at the 2000 census...
in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
. It is located above the sawpit dam off of Monrovia Canyon Park. Camp Trask offers, Cub Scout
Cub Scout
A Cub Scout is a member of the section of the worldwide Scouting movement for young persons, mainly boys normally aged about 7 to 11. In some countries they are known by their original name of Wolf Cubs and are often referred to simply as Cubs. The movement is often referred to simply as Cubbing...
Programs, Family Camp programs and Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
Programs on a year round basis. The Camp has a full size Fort used for many program activities, called Fort Rotary
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
. The camp is in a riparian zone
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
ecosystem. Canyon stream and the camp are shaded by deciduous trees, white alder
Alnus rhombifolia
Alnus rhombifolia, the White Alder, is an alder tree native to western North America, from Washington east to western Montana, southeast to the Sierra Nevada, and south through the Peninsular Ranges and Colorado Desert oases in Southern California. It occurs in riparian zone habitats at an...
s and bigleaf maple
Bigleaf Maple
Acer macrophyllum is a large deciduous tree in the genus Acer.It can grow to be up to 35 m tall, but more commonly grows 15 m to 20 m tall. It is native to western North America, mostly near the Pacific coast, from southernmost Alaska to southern California...
s, evergreen canyon and coast live oak
Coast Live Oak
Quercus agrifolia, the Coast Live Oak, is an evergreen oak , native to the California Floristic Province. It grows west of the Sierra Nevada from Mendocino County, California, south to northern Baja California in Mexico. It is classified in the red oak section Quercus agrifolia, the Coast Live Oak,...
s.
History
Originally known as Monrovia Scout Reservation, Camp Trask was bought in 1966. The Camp was dedicated as Tallman H. Trask Scout Reservation on May 13, 1972.Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch
Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch, 7500' elevation, is located north of Big Bear LakeBig Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. At a surface elevation of , it has an east-west length of approximately 7 miles and is approximately 2.5 miles at its widest measurement, though the lake's width mostly averages a...
in the old mining district of Belleville
Belleville, California
Belleville, California was a gold mining boomtown in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California. It grew up rapidly following the discovery of gold by William F. Holcomb in Holcomb Valley early in 1860. Belleville was named after Belle, the first child born in the new town...
in the Holcomb Valley
Holcomb Valley
Holcomb Valley, located in the San Bernardino Mountains about five miles north of Big Bear Lake, was the site of the most gold mined in Southern California. It was named after William F. Holcomb, who discovered gold there in 1860. That year started the largest gold rush in Southern California to...
on the site of the old Hitchcock Ranch. Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch is North of the town of Fawnskin. The road from Fawnskin to Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch is a 4WD road. Most use the Van Dusen Canyon Rd to get to the Ranch, as it is OK for 2WD. The Camp offers Boy Scout summer resident camp and a week long Oak Badge-National Youth Leadership Training
National Youth Leadership Training
National Youth Leadership Training is the current incarnation of youth leadership development training offered by the Boy Scouts of America . The program is conducted at the council level over a week or over two weekends. It is intended to provide standardized, in-depth training covering a number...
class. One Hike offered is to the Big Bear Discovery Center. Cougar Crest hike to Bertha Peak gives an amazing view of Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. At a surface elevation of , it has an east-west length of approximately 7 miles and is approximately 2.5 miles at its widest measurement, though the lake's width mostly averages a...
. Spring creek trail offers a more level long hike. Not far from the camp is the Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...
. Near the camp is a USFS public camp ground Holcomb Valley Camp Ground.
History
Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch was formerly part of Old Baldy Council. The Scout Ranch was turned over to the San Gabriel Valley Council in 2005. The Old Baldy Council took title to the property in 1965 from William Hitchcock. The Hitchcock Ranch is still part of the Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch. Guy Reide, Old Baldy's Scout Executive(1949 to 1966) in 1965 had the vision and work with William Hitchcock to have the Ranch turned into a Scout Camp. Loren Baldwin became the first camp ranger and Holcomb Valley held its first Boy Scout summer resident camp in 1974. Holcomb Valley is named after William F. Holcomb, who discovered gold there and staked a claim in May 1860 with his partner. Holcomb became known for his marksmanship. After 10 years of prospecting he still had no major success. As food sources were diminishing, some of the prospectors hired Holcomb to hunt for grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
to provide food for the long winter months. While trailing a bear he found Holcomb Valley.
Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
and many other western films and TV shows were shot in Holcomb Valley. For a short time under Old Baldy Council the camp was called "Camp Lipscomb" after US Congressman Glenard P. Lipscomb
Glenard P. Lipscomb
Glenard Paul Lipscomb was a United States Congressman from the state of California.Born in Jackson County, Michigan, Lipscomb moved to California with his parents in 1920, where the family settled in Los Angeles. He was educated in the Los Angeles public schools, including Belmont High School...
.
Camp Cherry Valley
Camp Cherry Valley is a summer campSummer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
on the leeward side of Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, California
Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, operated by the San Gabriel Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. It is located two coves north of Two Harbors
Two Harbors, California
Two Harbors, colloquially known as "The Isthmus", is a small unincorporated island village on Santa Catalina Island, California with a population of 298 . It is the second center of population on the island, besides the city of Avalon. It is mainly a resort village. It has only one restaurant, one...
at Cherry Cove. The camp, valley and cove get their name from the catalina cherry trees native to the island. It also offers non-Scouting programs on a year round basis.
Program and activities
Camp Cherry Valley has operated as a Boy ScoutScouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
camp since the 1920's, but other groups use it as well. CIMI, the Catalina Island Marine Institute
Catalina Island Marine Institute
The Catalina Island Marine Institute is a non-profit educational program run by Guided Discoveries on Santa Catalina Island, California.It is the host to approximately 15,000 students a year, who visit it in school-organized trips and summer camps...
, runs a program from September through November, taking a winter break then recommencing February through May. The CIMI program caters to youth groups other than boy scouts. Being right on the Pacific ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, the camp allows superb snorkling and scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. During the summer the calm waters stay around seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Scouts sleep in two-person canvas tents set on wooden platforms located up the canyon under the cherry trees.
To reach the camp, Scouts take a two-hour chartered ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
across the channel, a 22-mile distance from San Pedro
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
or Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
to Two Harbors
Two Harbors, California
Two Harbors, colloquially known as "The Isthmus", is a small unincorporated island village on Santa Catalina Island, California with a population of 298 . It is the second center of population on the island, besides the city of Avalon. It is mainly a resort village. It has only one restaurant, one...
and then hike 1.3 miles to the camp. The camp promotes itself to scouts with the Tribe of Torqua. The "Tribe" was instituted by Council Executive H. Benjamin "Skipper" Robinson as a special group of honor campers. The Tribe of Torqua remains strong to this day, with thousands of youngsters in its ranks.
Hikes
As of 2008, five main hikes were available for Scouts:- Emerald Bay: 4-mile hike with a 2-mile canoe/kayak trip. 33°27′57.46"N 118°31′35.69"W
- Parson's Landing: 7-mile hike with a 2-mile canoe/kayak trip. 33°28′24.13"N 118°32′58.81"W
- Shark Harbor: 16-mile round-trip hike to a sand beach on the windward side of the island. 33°27′28"N 118°33′57"W
- Silver Peak: 21-mile hike to the highest point on the West end of Catalina. 33°27′28"N 118°33′57"W
- Little Fisherman's: A 4-mile hike up to Goat Whiskers, 33.452147°N 118.522139°W the mountain at the top of cherry cove, then down to Little Fisherman's beach. 33.442038°N 118.491325°W
History
There is a small silverSilver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
located in the cove left from the time the western part of Catalina Island was full of such mines. The mine was shut down by orders from Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, after he had got rumors the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
army may attack California to acquire gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver to fund their war
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
efforts. In 1864 Union Troops
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
were put on the island to stop mining.
Throughout the 1920s-1930’s, Scouts would travel via train from Pasadena to San Pedro, then take the Great White Steamer, SS Catalina
SS Catalina
The S.S. Catalina, also known as The Great White Steamer, was a 301-foot steamship built in 1924 that provided passenger service on the 26-mile passage between Los Angeles and Santa Catalina Island from 1924 to 1975. According to the Steamship Historical Society of America, the Catalina has carried...
, to Avalon
Avalon, California
Avalon, or Avalon Bay, is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island of the California Channel Islands, and the southernmost city in Los Angeles County. Besides Avalon, the only other center of population on the island is the small unincorporated town of Two Harbors...
. After arriving in Avalon, they would then travel up to Cherry Cove on the Betty-O, a Wrigley tour boat, now a Marina del Rey fishing boat.
Cherry Valley opened in 1923. It was very primitive that first year. There was no pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
so campers had to wade ashore or be shuttled from the Betty-O to shore via rowboats. Scouts ate at an “open air” Dining Hall and were plagued by yellow jackets. In 1947 scout now traveled directly from San Pedro to Cherry Cove on the H-10 Water taxi
Water taxi
A water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
. They would continue to travel via water taxi until 1973.
The original 1937 lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
was blown down in a storm in 1998. It was rebuilt in 2003 and christened "Thompson’s Light" in honor of Dr. Henry Thompson
The 1935 film Mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935 film)
Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1935 film starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, and directed by Frank Lloyd based on the Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall novel Mutiny on the Bounty.The film was one of the biggest hits of its time...
used the Cherry cove as part of its filming.
Ta Tanka Lodge
The San Gabriel Valley Council's Order of the ArrowOrder of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...
lodge is the Ta Tanka Lodge (#488).
Chapters:
- Hunkpapa— Lucky Baldwin and Mission Amigos Districts
- Kiowa — Golden Eagle District
- Oglala Lakota — Rose Bowl District
- Teton Dakota — Valle Del Sol and Trails of the Valley Districts