Camp History
YMCA Camp Wa Wa Segowea
has one of the longest and richest camping traditions of any camp in America. Segowea was
established in 1913 on Long Pond in Columbia County,
New York by the Poughkeepsie YMCA before
moving in 1928 to its current location in Southfield, Massachusetts. Camp was
created as a place where boys could have positive life-changing experience
through the adventures of group camping.
Segowea’s beautiful new home in the Berkshires was one of the most
ideal locations in the country
for a YMCA children's camp. Under YMCA Executive Director Dean Temple’s strong
leadership, Camp Wa Wa Segowea
continued to thrive becoming co-ed in the 1960’s. Since it was established, Wa Wa
has been the inspirational home to over 50,000 children and young adults.
Segowea temporarily closed in 2006 and
the Poughkeepsie YMCA closed in 2009. In 2008, Camp Segowea’s ownership board,
Smith Park of New York began partnering with the Capital District YMCA of
Albany, New York to reopen Segowea. The Capital District YMCA owns and operates Segowea’s sister camp, YMCA Camp
Chingachgook on Lake George in the Adirondacks which also began in 1913, the
same year as Segowea. In 2009, Segowea hired two camping professionals, Norm
Button a year-round facility director, and Toby Hettler a year-round camp director. Both directors have been actively working with hundreds of alumni and community leaders to
reopen Segowea's spectacular property for children once again in 2010. This summer
will be one of our best ever and we look forward to seeing you there.
