Camp Tongawood

For decades, **Camp Tongawood** has been a beloved institution in Northeast Kansas, serving as a powerful venue for outdoor adventure, leadership development, and hands-on learning. As the dedicated **STEM and outdoor education center** for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri (GSKSMO), this 80-acre property in Tonganoxie is far more than just a campground; it’s a dynamic outdoor classroom. It’s where generations of Kansas girls have forged lifelong memories, developed crucial life skills, and discovered a fearless sense of exploration.

The camp is uniquely characterized by its dramatic and varied landscape, featuring a long north-to-south ridge, west-facing wooded slopes with rock outcrops, and an open wetland meadow. This topography provides the perfect setting for a diverse range of unique, place-based experiential education opportunities. While the camp is primarily utilized by the Girl Scouts—a place where troops always have a fun week—the facilities are meticulously designed to inspire and empower girls of all ages through challenging activities and engaging with the natural world, fostering courage, confidence, and character.

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Camp Tongawood is ideally situated in the scenic woodlands of **Tonganoxie, Kansas**, making it a highly accessible retreat for residents across the Greater Kansas City metro area and Eastern Kansas. The camp's physical address is **18634 Evans Rd, Tonganoxie, KS 66086, USA**. This location places it just west of the Kansas Speedway and is conveniently reachable via major state highways, ensuring that travel to and from the camp is straightforward for organized groups and troop leaders.

The camp is located in the **Osage Cuestas ecoregion** of Eastern Kansas, characterized by undulating slopes and mosaics of tallgrass prairie and oak-hickory forest. This regional setting ensures that guests are fully immersed in the natural heritage of the area while remaining close enough to necessary metropolitan resources. Its location within the GSKSMO council area solidifies its status as a central hub for outdoor experiences and is a regular destination for troops, service units, and day camp attendees from across the region.

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Camp Tongawood offers a variety of camping and lodging options to suit different group sizes, weather needs, and desired levels of comfort. The facility types range from fully enclosed indoor spaces to primitive tent sites, all available for reservation by Girl Scout troops and service units.

• **Indoor Lodging (The Lodge):** Indoor camping with modern amenities available year-round. Features include a **full kitchen** with cookware and dining supplies, a restroom with **showers**, central A/C and heat, a large multipurpose room, and a basement bunk room.
• **Permanent Camping Units:** Includes **Adirondacks** and **Chalets**, which are canvas-sided structures with roofs, available year-round. These camps include cots, picnic tables, grills, fire pits, and wood.
• **Utility Access at Permatents:** Electricity is available at the unit shelter for both Adirondacks and Chalets. Running **water is generally available** at the units, except during winter months.
• **Primitive Tent Camping:** Available from April to November. Sites like **Yucca Flats** (near the pond) have running water nearby, while other Primitive Campsites (near the Traverse Wall) do not offer running water.
• **Essential Supplies:** Each unit/site is stocked with basic gear, including **pie irons, a Dutch oven, dish pans**, fire buckets, and maintenance tools (rake, shovel).
• **Reservation System:** A dedicated **online reservation system** allows troops to check availability, reserve facilities, and plan private adventure sessions up to three months in advance (or up to six months for larger events).

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The strength of Camp Tongawood lies in its high-adventure programming and specialized educational features, solidifying its role as the council’s primary center for STEM and outdoor activities.

• **High-Adventure Activities:** The camp features exhilarating activities designed to build confidence, including a **Zipline**, a challenging **Traverse Wall**, and **Tomahawk Throwing**.
• **Outdoor Skills Training:** Features hands-on learning opportunities like **Archery** and **Slingshots**, which are popular activities for all ages.
• **Water Recreation:** Guests can enjoy activities on the camp's pond, including **Canoeing** and **Fishing**, providing a relaxing complement to the high-energy adventure programs.
• **STEM and Nature Focus:** The camp serves as a **STEM and outdoor education center**, utilizing its unique landscape, including wetlands, rock ledges, and wooded slopes, for hands-on, **place-based experiential education opportunities**.
• **Community Spaces:** Features numerous common areas, including a **Gaga Pit** (a favorite camp game), an Amphitheater, and a Flag Pole area, often used for ceremonial and traditional camp events.
• **Wetlands Exploration:** A planned **Wetland Boardwalk** is intended to enhance engagement with the existing open wetland meadow, offering unique opportunities for environmental study.

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For Kansas users, particularly Girl Scout troops and leaders, seeking reservation or general information about Camp Tongawood, the contact information is provided below. Note that the phone number connects to the GSKSMO council's general line.

• **Address:** 18634 Evans Rd, Tonganoxie, KS 66086, USA
• **General Phone / Inquiries:** (816) 358-8750
• **Mobile Phone / Direct Contact:** +1 816-358-8750

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Camp Tongawood is unequivocally the preferred choice for Kansas families and youth organizations seeking a **structured, adventurous, and educational camping experience**. What is truly worth choosing here is the camp’s dual focus as a high-adventure hub and a **dedicated STEM and outdoor education center**. It offers activities like ziplining and archery that go far beyond what standard public campgrounds provide, making it a place where **awesome memories** are created and girls leave feeling empowered.

While the camp does have recognized drawbacks—namely the extreme **mosquito population** near some camping areas (making strong DEET essential) and the need for renovation or replacement of older units like the **chalet canvases**—the overwhelming positive impact of the program and the fantastic range of activities available make these minor drawbacks worth navigating. The rich history and the rewarding experiences for troops, highlighted by the fact that former campers now love bringing their own troops here, confirm its status as a vital part of the Kansas camping and youth development landscape. For a truly transformative outdoor experience, Camp Tongawood is a must-choose.