History

Forest Lake Camp for Boys first opened in 1926, the year after Harold T. Confer, Athletic Director at Freeport High School on Long Island, bought 200+ acres in the beautiful Adirondacks. The property included a farm house and an old inn that used to be on the stagecoach route from Chestertown to Saratoga Springs. The camp has of course grown over the years, but that original farmhouse and old inn are still here. After Harold’s death in 1954, his son Philip took over, and he and his wife, Sally, ran the camp for the next 32 years until their son, Gary, took up the reins in 1986. During Phil’s tenure, the 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 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. Alumni were now able 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. Mingling is done at weekly “socials.” About 300 Campers attend Forest Lake each summer.