Camp Tapico, BSA

Camp Tapico is a Boy Scouts of America camp located on Grass Lake in the North Western region of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The convert|1280|acre|km2|sing=on property is staffed and maintained year round by the Tall Pine Council. The location was initially used for logging operations around the turn of the century until it was converted into a private camp and sold to the Boy Scouts. The first Boy Scouts arrived during the summer of 1947 and the location has grown to accommodate over 3,000 campers on a yearly basis.

Location and geography

Camp Tapico is located in the eastern region of Kalkaska County just north of M-72 between Grayling and Traverse City; the camp's closest town is of the same name, Kalkaska. Directly to the north of the camp is the larger sporting lake of Manistee and to the east is Bear Lake. Camp Grayling, a United States National Guard installation, is also located convert|20|mi|km to the south east.

Camp Tapico has three bodies of water with the primary being the convert|120|acre|km2|sing=on Grass Lake. The other two are smaller, developing ponds set away from the general campers. Grass Lake however, features a robust ecosystem and is one of the main attractions to the property. The lake's deepest spot of convert|75|ft|m allows for large blue walleye (this is an error, the blue walleye is thought to have been extinct since the mid 1960s) and bass while shallow sandbars, make for great fishing.

Programs Offered at Camp

Camp Tapico offers many opportunities to campers. They have a convert|32|ft|m|sing=on tall climbing tower, a convert|120|acre|km2|sing=on lake with swimming and boating. Program areas such as Handicraft, Scout Craft, and Ecology Conservation, all offering many merit badges to scouts.