Camp Emerson History
Boy Scouts first began camping in the Camp Emerson area of Idyllwild in 1919, making the camp one of the oldest camps in the West.!
Camp Emerson was initially formed in 1919 through a generous grant of 5 acres of land from Mr. C.L. Emerson. The area officially bore the name Camp Emerson in 1921 when the land was deeded on paper to the Riverside County Council.
During the six week Summer Camp period in 1921 Camp Emerson was host to 433 boys. Camp Emerson acted as both a long term camp and base camp for scouts hiking into the San Jacinto wilderness.
The A.H. Sweet pool was finally rehabbed and modernized in 1975 when the filter system was changed out from Chlorine Gas to the current system. The pool also saw another addition in 1991 when Cahuilla Lodge-Order of the Arrow purchased new heaters for the pool.
In the past 10 years the addition of showers and flushing toilets has occurred through the rehab and construction of several facilities that include the Simonds Flats, Family, Boathouse and Wagon Wheel Restrooms. We have also recently redone our pool and it has become one of our boy scouts' favorite place to go at Camp Emerson!
Camp Emerson was initially formed in 1919 through a generous grant of 5 acres of land from Mr. C.L. Emerson. The area officially bore the name Camp Emerson in 1921 when the land was deeded on paper to the Riverside County Council.
During the six week Summer Camp period in 1921 Camp Emerson was host to 433 boys. Camp Emerson acted as both a long term camp and base camp for scouts hiking into the San Jacinto wilderness.
The A.H. Sweet pool was finally rehabbed and modernized in 1975 when the filter system was changed out from Chlorine Gas to the current system. The pool also saw another addition in 1991 when Cahuilla Lodge-Order of the Arrow purchased new heaters for the pool.
In the past 10 years the addition of showers and flushing toilets has occurred through the rehab and construction of several facilities that include the Simonds Flats, Family, Boathouse and Wagon Wheel Restrooms. We have also recently redone our pool and it has become one of our boy scouts' favorite place to go at Camp Emerson!