Scouts bsa camping
east & west resident camp
TRADITIONAL resident camp
For six weeks each summer our two full-service camps, East Camp and West Camp, serve thousands of Scouts from the Northeast Illinois Council and beyond. The Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation offers Scouts and leaders top-tier programs and facilities. We strive to meet your unit’s program needs and pride ourselves on providing the best possible customer service through our friendly, well-trained staff.
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NEW IN 2025
Unit commitment deposits: Troops and Crews can make a "Troop Commitment" with a $100 per Week Deposit that your Unit's Registration Contact can apply toward Scout or Adult fees after Participant Registration Opens. The $100 Troop Commitment Deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE.
Campsites and their Fees: During your unit's registration, you will be able to list up to three preferences for your campsite. We will do our best to place you in your first choice but may need to assign you to one of your alternates based on your total number of completed registrations and the needs of other units (i.e. accessibility, confirmed registrations vs. site capacities, etc.). Consideration will also be given to those units who are returning for a consecutive year, for the same session, and who wish to remain in the same site.
Your Unit's Campsite will be confirmed after March 1st (the early fee deadline), based on the above factors. Additional Campsites will be added as needed, per the number registered and paid online. Each campsite costs $100.
2025 Camp Costs
Early-Bird Fee - $400 per Scout, per week until 11:59 PM, February 28th, 2025
Regular fee - $500 per week starting 12:00 AM, March 1st, 2025
Any Scouts who attend a second week of camp in 2025 will get their second week for $350. The Scout’s name must be spelled the same each week for the system to work. (the two weeks do not need to be consecutive).
Arrow of Light Cub Scouts who have crossed-over into a Scouts BSA troop can register for the $400 fee until 11:59 PM on May 15th.
The first two Full-time Adult Leaders you register will receive a full discount.
All subsequent full-time leaders will pay $150 per week.
Looking for more information? Check out the Camp Planning Resources page.
Provisional (Independent) Camping
If a Scout wants to camp at Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation when their unit isn’t, they can still attend as a provisional camper. This can also be a great opportunity to spend a second or third week at camp for a reduced fee! Your Scout can either join other provisional campers in a unit organized by us, which is led by our camp staff and other adult leader volunteers, or we can assist in making arrangements for them to attend with another Troop or Crew. If you are an adult interested in assisting with provisional unit leadership, or hosting provisional Scouts in your unit, please contact reservationdirector@makajawan.com.
For Scouts wishing to camp as a provisional camper:
Have a parent or unit leader contact Debi Geiger at debi.geiger@scouting.org and she will assist with the start of the registration process.
Once your Scout’s week and host troop have been confirmed, Debi will email you registration instructions. Contact us if you're interested in Provisional Camping.
Scholarships
Thanks to many generous Northeast Illinois Council donors, we can provide scholarships for part of a Scout’s camp fees. We never want financial challenges to stand in the way of the Scouting experience. The process is entirely confidential. Here is the link to the 2025 NEIC Camps Scholarship Application. Financial assistance is available for all Scouts, including out-of-council Scouts.
If you are a Scout leader or Camp Coordinator, consider sharing the application with all of your families, even if they haven’t signed up for camp yet.
More Questions?
Go to our Frequently Asked Questions page.
activities at camp
Program Areas
Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan operates 12 different program areas. Both East and West Camps operate their own core program areas—Aquatics, Ecology-Conservation, Handicraft, Scoutcraft, Shooting Sports, and Trailblazer (for first-year Scouts). We also offer High Adventure program areas for all scouts to add even more opportunities for adventure: the Triangle-M Horse Ranch, cycling base, climbing wall, and zipline.
Learn about our program areas >
Merit Badges
Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan has a nationally recognized merit badge program offering a diverse selection of badges. Our skilled merit badge counselors are passionate about what they teach and are always finding new and fun ways to share their Scouting knowledge. We are constantly changing our offerings, so there is always something new for scouts to learn.
More information about merit badges >
Order of the Arrow
Weeks one, three, and five at Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan always end with our closing campfire and Order of the Arrow Callout Ceremony. During this ceremony, Scouts and adults who have been elected to join the Order of the Arrow (BSA’s national service organization) officially begin their OA journey through a process called the Ordeal. If Scouts are already Ordeal members of the OA and wish to obtain their Brotherhood honor, they can do so at camp.