Bucktail Council The Bucktail Council of the
Scouting America serves
Cameron,
Clearfield,
Elk,
Jefferson, and the western portions of
Centre County. The Council was organized on July 24, 1930, and is headquartered in
DuBois. It adopted its constitution and by-laws on April 28, 1931, thanks to the efforts of John Q. Groves of Dubois. The Council unified several independent Boy Scout troops from the surrounding areas, including
Brockway,
Brookville,
Clearfield,
DuBois,
Johnsonburg,
Mahaffey,
Philipsburg,
Reynoldsville,
Ridgway, and
St. Marys, under a single leadership. The Council's name references the
13th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment, also known as “Bucktails,” a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the
Army of the Potomac during the
American Civil War. When the regiment was first forming, one recruit —many of whom were woodsmen and lumbermen— decorated his hat with the tail of a
white-tailed deer he had found in a butcher shop. Other men adopted the decoration, and the regiment came to be known as the “Bucktails.” On July 23, 2025, the leadership of Bucktail Council held a public meeting titled “The Future of Bucktail Council” at Camp Mountain Run, to address the Council’s financial status and long-term viability, including the future of Camp Mountain Run. During the meeting, Council leadership cited declining participation, outstanding debts, recent staff turnover, and a conditionally approved charter from the
Scouting America National Council. As a result, Council leadership announced the serious consideration of a merger with the
Laurel Highlands Council, based in
Pittsburgh, as well as the sale of the nearly 100-year-old Camp Mountain Run. However, no final decision has been made. {{Infobox WorldScouting
District The Bucktail Council has a single district: PA Eastern Wilds. The district covers the following school districts:
Cameron County,
St. Mary’s,
Bald Eagle,
Clearfield,
Curwensville,
Moshannon Valley,
West Branch,
Philipsburg-Osceola,
Johnsonburg,
Ridgway,
Brockway,
DuBois,
Brookville,
Clarion-Limestone, and
Punxsutawney.
Camps • Camp Mountain Run In 1931, the Council used Camp Coffman, then part of the Oil City Scout Council (now part of
French Creek Council), for its first summer camp program. On May 1, 1932, the Bucktail Council Camp Committee reported that it had inspected two potential sites for a permanent Council camp: one near
East Branch Clarion River in Elk County, and another near a beaver dam along Mountain Run Stream in
Penfield, Clearfield County. The Council approved the leasing of the Mountain Run site, which would be developed into the 380+ acre Camp Mountain Run Scout Camp.
Camps • Camp Olmsted
Order of the Arrow • Gyantwachia Lodge #255
Columbia-Montour Council Columbia-Mountour Council is headquartered in Bloomsburg. It serves Columbia and Montour counties. The council operates Camp Lavigne with an office at 35 Camp Lavigne Road,
Benton. During the summer season Camp Lavigne conducts a Boy Scout summer camp program, Cub Scout and Webelos Scout resident program, as well as a Cub Day Camp program. During the non-summer season, Camp Lavigne hosts a Klondike Derby, Cub Winter Fun Day, Orienteering Competition, Cub Skill Weekend, and Haunted Harvest Fest. The council's Order of the Arrow lodge is Wyona Lodge #18.
Cradle of Liberty Council The
Cradle of Liberty Council (#525) is a
Boy Scouts of America council created in 1996 with the merger of the former Philadelphia Council (covering the city and county of
Philadelphia) and the former Valley Forge Council (covering
Delaware and
Montgomery counties).
Camps •
Resica Falls Scout Reservation (
East Stroudsburg) •
Musser Scout Reservation (
Marlborough Township) •
Treasure Island Scout Reservation (
closed)
Order of the Arrow •
Unami Lodge #1
French Creek Council The
French Creek Council serves scouts in six counties in northwestern
Pennsylvania and
Brookfield Township in Ohio. The council was organized in 1972 from a merger of the former Washington Trail Council of
Erie, Custaloga Council of
Sharon, and Colonel Drake Council of
Oil City. Its headquarters is located in Erie, PA. The council is divided into two districts: Lakes and Rivers, to effectively execute operations across Northwest Pennsylvania.
Camps • Custaloga Town Scout Reservation (
Carlton)
Order of the Arrow • Langundowi Lodge #46
Hawk Mountain Council The
Hawk Mountain Council serves
Berks,
Schuylkill, and
Carbon counties in
Pennsylvania. The council has headquarters near
Reading, PA. The Council was formed in 1970 with the merger of the Appalachian Trail and Daniel Boone councils.
Camps • Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation
Order of the Arrow • Kittatinny Lodge #5
Juniata Valley Council Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Centre & Juniata Counties
Camps • Seven Mountains Scout Camp
Order of the Arrow • Monaken Lodge #103
Laurel Highlands Council Laurel Highlands Council serves youth in Allegheny, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, and Washington counties in Pennsylvania; Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, and Mineral counties in West Virginia; and Allegany and Garrett counties of Maryland. Laurel Highlands Council was formed when the Greater Pittsburgh and Penn's Woods Councils merged in 2011. Potomac Council was then added in 2014.
Camps • Camp Anawanna • Camp Baker • Camp Guyasuta • Heritage Reservation (containing camps Liberty, Freedom, Eagle Base, and Independence) • Camp Potomac • Camp Seph Mack • Camp Twin Echo. (1928-2020) closed July 2020
Order of the Arrow • Allohak Menewi Lodge 57
Minsi Trails Council Minsi Trails Council serves Scouts of eastern
Pennsylvania's
Lehigh Valley and
Pocono regions as well as parts of western
New Jersey. The council serves six counties:
Lehigh,
Northampton,
Monroe,
Carbon,
Luzerne, and
Warren. The council was formed in 1969, after the merger of the Bethlehem Area, Delaware Valley Area, and Lehigh councils. The council consists of six districts and maintains two camping properties: Camp Minsi in
Pocono Summit, and Trexler Scout Reservation in
Jonas.
Districts • Anthracite District • Forks of Delaware District • North Valley District • Pocono District • South Mountain District • Trexler District On January 1, 2021 Minsi Trails Council realigned its districts by counties to form Carbon-Luzerne District, Lehigh District, Monroe District, Northampton District, and Warren District.
Camps • Camp Minsi (
Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania) • Trexler Scout Reservation (
Jonas, Pennsylvania) Now no longer a Scout camp. Final season was 2023
Order of the Arrow • Witauchsoman Lodge #44
Moraine Trails Council Districts • Glacier Ridge District (Butler) • King Beaver District (Lawrence) • River Valley District (Armstrong/NW Westmoreland Counties)
Camps • Camp Bucoco
Order of the Arrow • Kuskitannee Lodge #168
New Birth of Freedom Council The New Birth of Freedom Council serves south-central Pennsylvania. The council was formed by a merger of the York-Adams Area Council and Keystone Area Council on April 1, 2010.
Northeastern Pennsylvania Council Northeastern Pennsylvania Council, with headquarters in
Moosic, formed in 1990 from the merger of the Forest Lakes and Penn Mountains councils. The council serves units in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. Its Order of the Arrow lodge is Lowwapaneu Lodge #191. It has two districts: Two Mountains and Dan Beard. The council operates two camps: Goose Pond Scout Reservation and Camp Acahela. Since its founding the council has conducted a biennial Traveling Camporee that takes Scouts to camp at locations that rotate among Williamsburg, Virginia, Baltimore Maryland, Boston, Massachusetts, Niagara Falls, New York, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Camps • Camp Acahela • Goose Pond Scout Reservation
Pennsylvania Dutch Council Pennsylvania Dutch Council is in south-central
Pennsylvania serving
Lebanon and
Lancaster counties. The council has two districts: Iron Forge and Susquehanna.
Camps- • Bashore Scout Reservation • J. Edward Mack Scout Reservation
Order of the Arrow • Wunita Gokhos Lodge #39
Susquehanna Council Camps • Camp Karoondinha (
Glen Iron)
Order of the Arrow • Woapeu Sisilija Lodge #343
Washington Crossing Council The
Washington Crossing Council (formerly Bucks County Council) serves
Bucks County, PA,
Hunterdon County, NJ, and
Mercer County, NJ.
Westmoreland-Fayette Council The Westmoreland Fayette Council was formed in 1937. The council is made up of three districts, Old Trails District based primarily out of Fayette County, Bushy Run District based primarily in Westmoreland County along with Laurel Hills District also based primarily in Westmoreland County. Throughout the time in which the council has been serving there have been 6 different districts. These districts were Braddock Trails, Bushy Run, Chestnut Ridge, Forbes, Laurel Hills, and Old Trails Districts.
Camps • Camp Conestoga • Camp Buck Run • Camp Tenacharison
Past camps • Camp Wesco • Camp Wildwood • Camp Pleasant • Camp Paul Bunyan
Order of the Arrow • Wagion Lodge #6 ==Non-Pennsylvania-based Scouting America councils==