Forest Lake Camp History

Forest Lake Camp History: Celebrating Our 86th Summer!

Forest Lake Camp for Boys opened in 1926, the year after Harold T. Confer, Athletic Director at Freeport High School on Long Island, bought the first 200+ acres around Forest Lake with the idea that he could provide an ideal setting for boys to spend the summer. The property included a farm house and a historic inn that used to be on the stagecoach route from Chestertown, New York to Saratoga Springs, New York. The camp has of course grown over the years, but that original farmhouse and old inn are still here.

In 1954 Harold’s son Philip took over, and he and his wife, Sally, ran the summer camp for the next 32 years until their son, Gary, took up the reins in 1986. During Phil’s tenure, the summer camp bought an additional 200+ acres on the other side of Forest Lake, protecting the shoreline from development and providing further space for hiking trails, overnight camping trips, and other outdoor activities.

In 1990, Forest Lake Camp for Girls opened, giving the girls the same life-expanding opportunities that for years had been limited to boys and creating an opportunity for Alumni to send their daughters to Forest Lake as well. Today, Forest Lake Camp operates as a "brother-sister" camp, differing from a true coed camp in that the campuses and the programs for each camp are separate. It is owned by the Blanck and Kelly families. Geoff Blanck was a camper in the 70’s and 80’s with his brother Rob, and his dad Bob was an FLC camper, CIT and counselor in the 50’s and 60’s. Geoff's daughters are third generation campers starting this year. Tobin Kelly was a long time camper himself at Camp Tohkomeupog in NH as well as a counselor, Head Counselor and Alumni Director. Tobin's daughter also now attends Forest Lake Camp.