Goodbye Oshkosh, Hello Wyoming!: The International Pathfinder Camporee is Moving

On Jan. 6, 2021, Pathfinder history was made. The International Camporee Executive Advisory Committee made the historic decision to change the location of the International Pathfinder Camporee from its previous site in Oshkosh, Wis. to Gillette, Wyo. The 2024 Believe in the Promise Camporee taking place Aug. 5-11 will be held in the camporee’s new location: the Cam-Plex Facilities in Gillette.

However, this is not the first time that the camporee has moved. The first international camporee took place in 1985 in Camp Hale, Colo. The second, held in 1989, was in Mount Union, Pa. In 1994, the camporee moved to Morrison, Colo. In 1999, the international camporee came to the Experimental Aircraft Association property in Oshkosh, Wis., where it has been held every year since.

In a statement announcing the move, the committee said, “As the International Camporee has grown, so has our desire to make each camporee experience better than the last. For months, evaluation teams have visited the Cam-Plex Facilities in Gillette, Wyo., to determine if this new site offers more support for the International Camporee. After numerous site visits, various committee votes and meetings, and with today's final vote of the executive committee, we are excited for the move and are confident that this decision will greatly improve the International Camporee experience for all attendees.”

The committee is excited for the opportunities that the new location presents. “The Cam-Plex facilities regularly host large events that include camping and on-site activities much like our camporee, and it boasts the largest campground of full amenities in the world. Get ready for double the indoor activity space, more camping space, and more than 25 new additional activities unique to the west. New experiences are just around the corner! You will not believe how much Wyoming has to offer,” continued the statement.

If you have any questions regarding the new location or want to learn more about the upcoming camporee, they will be hosting a Facebook Live question and answer session on Feb 2 at 1 p.m. EST. Also, feel free to check out the camporee’s website at www.camporee.org for any additional information.

Hannah Olin is a sophomore

history education major from

Princeton, Ill.