Henson Scout Reservation

Richard A. Henson Scout Reservation, named for the famous aviator and philanthropist from Salisbury, Maryland has been in continuous operation by the Del-Mar-Va Council since the summer of 1965. The original name has been retained in the current facility that is called Camp Nanticoke. The 1889 acres of prime wooded pinelands is wholly owned by the Council. The property and facilities are maintained at the highest possible standard of excellence. The beautiful natural resources of the property have been noted in the Nature Conservancy's Last Great Places campaign.

To learn more about Richard A. Henson click here

Henson Scout Reservation, Camp Nanticoke, has a long standing reputation of maintaining a high standard program accreditation within the National Scouting framework. Evaluations are conducted annually by the North East Region of the BSA. Henson Scout Reservation is said to offer the perfect combination of out-standing facilities and the best program offered at any camp in the Region! 

Excerpt from "On the Naming of Campsites", by Ken Gerlach

The Richard A. Henson Scout Reservation lies on the peninsula of land formed by the confluence of the Marshyhope Creek and the Nanticoke River in northeastern Dorchester County, Maryland. The land, which was purchased by the Del-Mar-Va Council in the early 1960's was originally named the Nanticoke Scout Reservation. The name was changed in 1987 to commemorate the large bequest of Richard A. Henson. The original plan of the Council was to develop two camps at this site, with the second camp lying in the south part of the Reservation. This second camp, which has never been developed, was referred to simply as Camp 2. The tentative name of Choptank had been considered. This was logical, since that is the name of the other major Native American tribe of Dorchester County.

When the land was acquired, except for one house near the Reservation entrance, it was uninhabited land and, indeed, there were no buildings whatever. Most of the northern area had been ravaged by timber cutting, rendering most of it unsightly second growth forest, but dotted with carpets of blueberry and mountain laurel. The original County road many years before had pass over the current entrance road and turned sharply north near the waterfront along what is today the road to the Rifle Range, where it continued north eventually to El Dorado. Thus it pass through the current campsites from Tamaran/Tiawco to Algonquin. The road/trail from the present Trail Post to Red Bank is the south was also an ancient part of the county road system and was reported plied by passenger and mail coaches.

The area where Sandah and Tamaran are located had been replanted in loblolly pine south to Small Homony many years before, creating a very attractive, park-like area. Also park-like was the campsite area as far north as Algonquin, which consisted largely of mature deciduous trees, including many large beech. On the other hand, the more central area extending south of the pool, bounded on the west by the Trail Post and on the east by the woods east of the Administration parking lot and north to the Reservation boundary (beyond which were tilled fields) was very scrubby second and third growth forest resulting from a devastating wildfire which had swept through the area some years before.

Shep Henry - Camp Ranger - 1965-1978

Enter to Learn... Go Forth to Serve

Henson Scout Reservation
5700 Nanticoke RD
Seaford DE 19973-6079 (mailing)
5700 Nanticoke RD
Rhodesdale MD 21659 (physical address)
Phone 410-202-0053
Email hsr@dmc.org