Ockanickon Scout Reservation

Chief Ockanickon was the Leni Lenapi Chief who accompanied William Penn as he scouted, surveyed, and took charge of this part of the English Colonies that was granted him and given his name, Penn’s Woods, or Pennsylvania. It was in the Chief’s honor that the Bucks County Council of the BSA established this camp. It has been in operation since 1941, and has grown to several hundred acres through intelligent acquisition and donation over the years.
Lying just outside Pipersville, its hilly topography is ideally suited for the outdoor life skills taught to the Boy Scouts of Bucks, Hunterdon and Mercer Counties. It is fortunate to have received unique assets over the years, including a science center and inflatable planetarium where science related merit badges can be earned. It is also in the same area where parts of the American Revolution were fought, and the struggle between those demanding freedom from the Crown, and those demanding loyalty to it, fought for supremacy. The infamous Doan Family lived nearby and knew this area like the back of their hands. They often hid in these mountains to escape the anger of patriots seeking their capture.
Today, it is a fantastic place for an outdoor experience if you are a Boy Scout. A week or more here teaches the skills needed for survival and the teamwork that assures it. Beyond camping, ecology, husbandry, and respect for nature are the paramount virtues with which every young man is instilled.
For adults it is off limits during summer camping season. There is a strict no visitation policy. This is the boys’ world, and only scout leaders are permitted to interact with the scouts while they are here.
These young men return from the experience better prepared and closer to manhood.