37748 Furnace Road
Lisbon, OH  44432
330-424-0256

Units must park vehicles in designated area (parking lot).  Only one vehicle with trailer may park near your camping area.  Towing will not be provided and damage to grass areas will be charged to camping unit. 

Camp McKinley is located in Columbiana County, near Lisbon, Ohio. The 300 acre camp has been owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America since 1934.

Camp McKinley is the Buckeye Council's most historic camp. The modern history of the area began back in 1807 when Ohio was a new state of only three years. Gideon Hughes, a local businessman, built a blast furnace in "new Lisbon" to supply the needs of the settlers heading west. The remains of the Rebecca Furnace are still visible on the camp property. Mr. Hughes also built a stone "mansion" across from his furnace. The house, known as the McKinley homestead, was the home of President William McKinley's grandparents for a number of years. President McKinley no doubt spent many summers wandering the hill of the present Camp McKinley. The Stone House is now the residence of the Camp Ranger.

The geography of the area changed dramatically during the mid-1800's with the construction of the Sandy & Beaver Canal. On the camp property you can still find the remains of several canal locks, complete with the original cut-stone walls.

The camp offers great diversity in terrain, including wide-open fields, to towering cliffs and ridges. A great many scenic hiking trails criss-cross the property, offering challenges to groups of all ages. Camp McKinley has two cabins, Riddle Lodge and Zaplata Cabin. Riddle has sleeping accommodations for 16 and Zaplata has room for 20 plus a separate room for 2-4 leaders, under normal circumstances. Each cabin has wood-burning cook stoves, metal and spring bunks, picnic tables, privacy and scenic beauty. Water and restroom facilities are located adjacent to each cabin.

In addition to the cabins, McKinley has two sets of "adirondack" cabins. These three-sided cabins offer sleeping for four campers each. There are four adirondacks in the Polar Bear Field, with seven more on a knoll that overlooks "Furnace Run", the valley that once contained the Sandy & Beaver Canal.

For tent camping, McKinley offers a variety of campsites. Several improved campsites, with latrines, running water, and landscaped surroundings are available as well as nearly unlimited primitive sites. The property at Camp McKinley is so diverse; it has been said that you could camp there every weekend for a year and think you were in a different part of the country each time.

Camp McKinley also has a beautiful, fully-functioning dining hall and kitchen that seats 100+ people. The modern dining hall has all the appearance and "feel" of an old-time Scout camp dining hall with its treasures and trophies of 60 years of Scouting adorning the walls and filling the display cases. The dining hall is used extensively for training meetings and district and council activities and is available for rental.

Click here to download a topo map of Camp McKinley

Click here to download interactive map of Camp McKinley

Cabin Rentals:

Reservations can be made on the web site and all COVID-19 protocols must be followed.  Cabins can be rented by Troops keeping all COVID-19 and Youth Protection rules in mind.

Other Camping Guidelines

• Prior to arriving at camp, all participants must complete and bring with them the Covid-19 Questionnaire form with parent signature (for those under 18 years old) and receive a temperature check upon arrival at camp. This temperature check will be completed by the unit leader upon arrival, with assistance from Campmasters if needed. This temperature check will be documented at the bottom of the Covid-19 Questionnaire.
• We understand there may be a need for a Scout or leader to leave at some point during the trip with plans to return. If this is to happen, the participant’s temperature must be taken again upon return to camp.
• If a temperature screening is 100 degrees or more, you should not attend any Scouting function.
• If the temperature of an individual rises to the 100-degree threshold during an event, they will need to leave the event.
• Masks or Face Coverings should be worn by all leaders and Scouts during any camping programs.
• All camping reservations must be less than 72 hours in length

Camping is a major part of the Scouting program, but socially distancing in tents presents some obvious challenges. The best practice is to have one Scout per tent unless Scouts are from the same household. 6 feet of space between tents.

Carpooling is discouraged, unless Scouts are from the same household. Assessing County Public Health Emergency Levels: Default to the county that has the highest level of risk, either county of origin or county of destination.  Be advised of any destination state's restrictions and other travel restrictions as Scouting plans are developed. Consider staying local to your geographic area and if you must travel, limit mixing with others along the way.

If your unit will be serving food, it is very important to take steps to limit the risk of spread. These best practices will help you safely limit the risk of spread:

• Clean and disinfect common surfaces between groups
• Keep people 6 feet apart
• Stagger meal times to minimize the number of people dining inside at one time
• Assign seats for the duration of meals
• No self-serve buffet meals or common water coolers. Use disposable utensils, napkins, cups and plates.
• Clean and disinfect eating and cooking gear after each use. 
• Ensure proper sanitation and handwashing.
• Prioritize use of “grab and go” services (i.e., boxed meals), in which meals are packaged or assembled on a tray for diners to retrieve or plate meals individually.
• Discontinue the use of beverage dispensers (e.g., fountain drink dispensers, common milk pitchers, etc.) Arrange bottles of beverage choices along a table or counter for diners to retrieve.
• Discontinue the use of shared condiments. Offer condiment packets along with the meal.
• Post signs reminding diners of the guidelines, such as handwashing, social distancing, etc.

• Scouting Ahead Guidebook
• PDF Guide to Unit Restart Guidelines
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