Camp Minsi Ecology

Explore the forests, wetlands, bogs, and wildlife that make Camp Minsi and the Pocono Plateau unique. Use this page to help Scouts prepare for camp, support ecology-focused programs, and deepen their understanding of the environment they’re camping in.

A black bear strolls along one of Camp Minsi’s forest trails — a reminder that we share these woods with some of Pennsylvania’s most iconic wildlife.

A beaver lodge sits quietly on Stillwater Lake. Beavers are nature’s engineers, shaping wetlands that support countless other species.

Looking up the smooth, gray trunk of a towering American beech — one of the many hardwoods that make Camp Minsi’s forests so diverse and beautiful.

Carnivorous pitcher plants thrive in Camp Minsi’s bog habitat, capturing insects to survive in nutrient-poor soil — a fascinating example of nature’s adaptations.

A pair of white-tailed deer cross the cool stream below the old first bridge, one of the many peaceful moments that can be found in Minsi’s backcountry.

A bald eagle perched high in a pine tree overlooks Stillwater Lake — a proud symbol of strength and the wild spirit of Camp Minsi.

As the sun sets over Stillwater Lake, the water glows with golden light — the perfect close to another unforgettable day in camp.

Early morning rays stream through the pines, lighting the trail and inviting Scouts to begin a new day of adventure and discovery.

An eastern box turtle explores the camp’s forest floor — one of the many reptiles that make their home in Camp Minsi’s protected habitats.

The Landscape

Camp Minsi is located on the shores of Stillwater Lake atop the Pocono Plateau in Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania. The area is a mix of broad, flat wetlands and low hills covered in northern hardwood forest. Camp Minsi encompasses more than 1,200 acres of Pennsylvania woodlands, with the 314-acre man-made Stillwater Lake as a central feature of the landscape.

Natural History

About 20,000 years ago, a massive glacier—at least a mile thick—covered this region. As the ice retreated, it left behind rocky glacial till, wetlands, and sphagnum bogs that still define the area today. Early inhabitants would have found dark evergreen forests, deep wetlands, and seemingly bottomless bogs.

In the 1800s, extensive logging changed the forest. Today, much of it has regrown as a mixed hardwood forest dominated by American beech, oak species, and red maple.

Plants and Trees

You’ll find a rich variety of plant life in and around Camp Minsi:

Common trees

American beech
Black cherry
Bear oak
Red maple
Sugar maple
White pine
Eastern hemlock
Several birch species

Forest floor

Hay-scented fern
Lowbush blueberry
Princess pine

.Seasonal highlights

Early May: Serviceberry blossoms before the canopy leafs out
Mid-June: Mountain laurel in bloom
Late June–early July: Rhododendron
Mid-July: Highbush blueberries ripen (a favorite of bears, birds, and Scouts)

Special habitats

Bogs around camp support unique plants such as pitcher plants, cotton grass, sedges, and yellow bladderwort—a carnivorous plant whose tiny underwater bladders trap aquatic organisms.

Wildlife

Mammals commonly seen

White-tailed deer, black bear, beaver, turkey, squirrel, chipmunk, muskrat, mink, fox, and raccoon.

Birds

Look and listen for species such as Blackburnian warbler, red-breasted nuthatch, and northern waterthrush—birds well-suited to conifer forests and wetland edges.

Amphibians and reptiles

In spring, spotted salamanders, Jefferson salamanders, and wood frogs gather in vernal pools and bogs to breed.

Black bear safety

Black bears do live in the region. Most avoid people, but bears attracted to human food can become bold. If you encounter a bear near camp: