Camp Saratoga Visitor Center project announced
WILTON, N.Y. » Local leaders joined with supporters of the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park and a new Scouting museum group at the trailhead at Camp Saratoga on Scout Road in Wilton.
They were there, not to start out on a hike, but to announce a project to develop a year-round Visitor Center that will become the focal point for visitors and users of Camp Saratoga.
It is being named after Larry Gordon, a long-time Town of Wilton resident and community leader, who spent most of his life protecting, enhancing, and promoting the conservation of the landscape of Camp Saratoga.
“The Visitor Center will allow the Town of Wilton and Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park to better meet the needs of the park’s users,” said John Lant, Supervisor for the Town of Wilton and one of the earliest advocates of the project.
“Park visitors will be able to come to a central location to gather information or maps and to learn about upcoming events and programs. Exhibits at the Visitor’s Center will be used to inform the public about the important historical and ecological features of Camp Saratoga and the Saratoga Sandplains.”
The Visitor Center will be a place where staff and volunteers will be present to share their knowledge, enhancing the park visitors’ experience.
The Center will also feature exhibits from the Larry Gordon Historic Scouting Collection.
“My dad, Larry Gordon, was an avid collector of documents and materials related to the history of Scouting at Camp Saratoga and Saratoga County,” said Scott Gordon.
“The family is so pleased to know that with his passing, the collection will have a permanent home in a museum located in the Visitor Center.”
“Camp Saratoga held a special place in Larry’s heart,” agreed Trish Watkins, Mr. Gordon’s widow. “He loved sharing his knowledge of the property and all that it has to offer with others. It is so fitting that a building named in his memory will continue to enhance the enjoyment of this property by its visitors.”
“This new facility will be filled with information and exhibits about the history, flora, fauna, and environment of the Saratoga Sandplains; will provide spaces for public programs; and will be an important part of our mission to encourage people to get outdoors,” said Margo Olson, Executive Director of Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park.
The Visitor Center will be owned and maintained by the Town of Wilton and will serve a dual purpose of housing the Nature Center for Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park and the Larry Gordon Historic Scouting Collection.
According to former Town Supervisor Art Johnson, “It will encourage visitation to the area and bring people in to learn about the history and natural history of this important part of New York State. It will enhance the conservation, education, and outdoor recreation efforts in the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park of which Camp Saratoga is an integral part. Visitor Centers like this one are drivers of economic growth in their communities, and we expect to see similar outcomes here.”
Linda Baker, former board chair of Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park and a local and national level Scouting leader, noted that “Camp Saratoga serves as the gateway for most people to their experiences in the area known as Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park. The welcoming new building would
be located at the previous site of the caretaker’s cabin for Camp Saratoga, a former Boy Scout camp which forms the central hub of activity for the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park.
“The excellent facilities that the Town of Wilton maintains at Camp Saratoga include trails, pavilions, several former camp buildings, new restrooms, the historic Cornell Hill Fire Tower, and camping sites.”
The Wilton Preserve area protects approximately 2,400 acres, includes a diversity of habitats, is the home of the endangered Karner blue butterfly, and provides public access through an extensive, multi-use trail system of more than twenty-five miles. The success of the unique public/private partnership between the Town of Wilton, Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park, Saratoga County, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, has contributed greatly to the year-round use of Camp Saratoga and the significant growth of the Wilton Preserve over the past years.
Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park uses Camp Saratoga for a large portion of its public and group programming. Most school groups start their visit from the trailhead at Camp Saratoga and utilize Delegan Pond in these programs.
The annual Wildlife Festival and Moonlight Ski and Snowshoe take place at Camp Saratoga. Camp Saratoga is also the location for the Nature Preschool Hours, the Nature Arts Hours, the Pond Exploration Programs, and many more public programs. The winter groomed trails are at Camp Saratoga and snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals are located in one of the old scout buildings.
“Having a physical Visitor Center for people to visit and to utilize as a resource for these programs and activities will greatly improve the educational and recreational programming,” stated Jennifer Benaman, board chair of Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park.
“We are thrilled to have so much community support as we move forward with this exciting project. We were able to quickly raise over $40,000 this January with a matching grant that was offered by the Parillo Family and Scotty’s. We have a long way to go, and more money to raise, but with community support we are confident that we will see this project through to completion.”
For more information about the Larry Gordon Camp Saratoga Visitor Center, please call the Wilton Preserve office at 518450-0321 or email info@ wiltonpreserve.org.
For up-to-date trail conditions or program information, please visit the website at www.wiltonpreserve.org.