A site that was used for scouts for almost 100 years is now open to the public.

It’s been seven years since Camp Barton, a place for hundreds of kids to spend the week learning archery, swimming in the lake, and eating in the dining hall, was open for summer camps in Seneca County. Scouting America membership has declined over the years, around a million kids as of last year. Declining enrollment is one reason Scouting America sold Camp Barton.

Now, with a state partnership and a collaboration with local municipalities, the land is available to everyone. It’s now Three Falls State Park. It’s home to peregrine falcons, and it’s just a short drive away from the existing Taughannock Falls State Park.

What You Need To Know

Ninety acres of property, including Cayuga Lake waterfront, have been sold by Scouting America to New York State

The former Camp Barton is now a state park called Three Falls

The state partnered with three municipalities which formed an LDC to make the state park a reality

“Very sacred ground for scouting,” said Matthew Bull, a scout executive with the Scouting America Baden-Powell Council. “Frontenac Point is really the heart of our camp. It’s right on the water. It’s where we say scouting meets the lake. This is where we would have our big assemblies every morning at the flagpole. We had our own marching band that would come in with a big bass drum.”

Bull said the pandemic took a hit on enrollment, the camp needed significant repairs, and they needed to pay into the scouts’ bankruptcy settlement.

“Really painted a picture where we had too many camps. Camp Barton presented a unique opportunity where we could really get a good value for it and ensure that it stayed a public property,” said Bull.

The scouts didn’t want Camp Barton to be kept private for another 100 years, so they reached out to the local towns and village.

“If they hadn’t reached out to us, this could have gone in a very different direction. And I think that’s the direction some other properties like that are going currently in New York State,” said Katelin Olson, supervisor of the town of Ulysses.

“It’s simply a fact that very little property on Cayuga Lake is accessible to the public. Most of it is privately owned,” said Rordan Hart, mayor of the village of Trumansburg.

“Immediately upon seeing this, I knew that we had to do this no matter what it took. We had to preserve this and keep it nice for the public,” said Deborah Nottke, deputy supervisor of the town of Covert.

Trumansburg, Covert and Ulysses created the Three Falls Local Development Corporation to make the state park a reality. While the state owns the park, the LDC is overseeing day-to-day operations. Recently, the name of the park, Three Falls, was officially announced.

“Kind of thrown out the name Three Falls because there was three falls there and three municipalities. I mean, what else would you call it?” said Nottke.

If their draft plan for the 90 acres is approved, they can start working on additions like parking spots, hiking trails and restored cabins.

“I’m hopeful that, let’s say 10 years from now, we think of Three Falls State Park as a public access and event venue type of park,” said Hart.

“But we are extremely happy that it is now a state park,” said Bull.

While the buildings on the property aren’t used anymore, scouts will still return to Three Falls for a weekend of earning badges.

Three Falls is open to visitors; for now, though, parking is limited, swimming is not allowed and trash is carry-in, carry-out.