As the year draws to a close, here are our Top 5 Abandoned Places of 2020. It’s been a rough year for everyone, but we still got to explore some really cool places.
Posts Tagged ‘Abandoned Summer Camp’
The Top 5 Abandoned Places of 2020
Posted: December 30, 2020 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Cabin, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned House, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned mill, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, abandoned paper mill, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Prison, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Summer Camp, Abandoned Tunnel, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Broken, Clinton Tunnel, Closed, commercial, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, Ghosts, Haunting, Hiking, History, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, New Hampshire, photography, Public Parks, Ruins, UCONN, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writingTags: 2020, abandoned, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Kennels, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned mill, Abandoned New England, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Prison, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Summer Camp, Abandoned UCONN, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Willimantic, abandoned wonders, Arcadia, Architecture, Art, Camp Nepaug, Clinton Tunnel, hiking, photography, UCONN, UCONN Forest, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, urbex, urbex photography, Willimantic
As Our Campfire Fades Away – The Abandoned Camp Mooween
Posted: June 19, 2019 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Cabin, Abandoned Cars, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned House, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned new england, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Park, Abandoned Resort, Abandoned Restaurant, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Road, Abandoned Summer Camp, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Automobiles, Broken, Closed, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, exploring the abandoned, forgotten beauty, Ghosts, Haunting, Hiking, History, left behind, Love, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, overgrown, photography, Public Parks, research, Ruins, State Parks, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writingTags: abandoned buildings, Abandoned Cars, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned House, Abandoned New England, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Summer Camp, Abandoned USA, Architecture, Art, Automotive, beauty, Blogging, business, Camp Mooween, cars, Cinema, comfort, Community, dreams, experience, experiences, hiking, hiking trails, history, home, horror, Lebanon, lost, Magic, Memories, Movies, Nature, Peace, Photographs, photography, Recreation, research, RIP, Summer 2019, Summer Camp, Sunset, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urban explorer, Urban Legend, urbex, Video, writing
As Our Campfire Fades Away
The Abandoned Camp Mooween
Written by: Wilk
Photographs by: Lassie
“Softly falls the light of day, as our campfire fades away.” These were the first lines of the last song we always sung around the campfire on our final night of summer camp. It was an annual tradition. Somehow, it almost always brought a tear to my eye. It was sung softly, after a night of s’mores and jolly tunes. When it was over, we all somberly went back to our tents for the night. We all knew full well that the next day, we’d all be going home. And a few weeks later, we’d all be returning to school. So I guess you could say, these lines always signaled the beginning of the end. Summer camp was always very important to me. I was in the Scouts from First Grade all the way through my Senior Year of high school. It truly made me the person I am today. And every year, summer camp was always the best part. But no matter how hard you tried, it was always over way too soon. And sadly enough, many summer camps do not last forever either.
This place was once known as Camp Mooween, located in Lebanon, Connecticut. Fun fact: the peculiar name is actually the Mohegan word for “Bear.” Which is cool. First opening in the early 1920’s, Camp Mooween was a summer camp for boys from all around New England. Nestled right on the banks of the gorgeous Red Cedar Lake, the camp featured all of the classic summer camp activities any young youth could ever ask for: boating, camping, ball fields, rope swings, and bug juice. For decades, it was a staple of the local community and a place of great joy. Sadly, the camp was abruptly closed in the 1960’s. I have scoured the internet for a reason why, but have yet to find one. Though there were efforts to revive it, the camp remained abandoned for many years. It wasn’t until decades later that the area would re-open as a state park. Luckily, it was through the efforts of former campers to preserve their old stomping grounds and christen it as “Mooween State Park.”
I had honestly never heard of this place. In all of my research throughout the years across the area, nobody had ever covered Camp Mooween. One summer day, we were heading to a family dinner in Lebanon. Since it was later in the afternoon, we decided to try squeezing in a quick hike before our cookout. After a quick search of parks in the area, this one caught my eye. And it was honestly a nice surprise. What many people do not know is that the town of Lebanon is bloody huge. It is honestly one of the biggest towns in Connecticut. And getting to the abandoned Camp Mooween ended up being quite a journey. But when we finally did reach our destination, it was well worth the trip. After a short walk in along the banks of the Red Cedar Lake, you are greeted right off the bat by an old abandoned car. It is a bit hidden, but still very much alive. Do not ask me the make or model. I have no idea because this thing is bloody rusted to Hell, and damn near buried in the foliage.
To the untrained eye, this park is just another nice wooded area for a quiet hike. You honestly have to do a little digging to find the abandoned remains of Camp Mooween. There are many rogue fireplaces with chimneys left standing in random corners of the woods. There are overgrown ball fields and vacant lots scattered across the park. Junk of all sorts rots into the fertile forest floor. But the star attraction of the abandoned camp is undoubtedly the remains of the great hall. If you’ve ever been to summer camp, you know this is where bloody everything happens. Meals. Announcements. Skits. Everything important happens at the great hall. Lying off the beaten path, you are suddenly greeted by this former installation. The concrete framework still stands. The stone hearth is crumbling. An old staircase leads you into what was once the kitchen, where plenty of old equipment has been left behind. As someone who spent many hours working in a summer camp kitchen once, it was pretty cool to see the old stoves were still here.
But sadly, aside from the great hall, there really isn’t too much to see here. Old reminders of what once was still haunt this quiet forest. And it honestly feels like a treasure hunt sometimes. You never know what you’re going to find off any of Camp Mooween’s winding trails. It could be some random piece of camp equipment, or another foundation of a building. I wanted to write about this place because I can really relate to those that have tried to preserve it. Though she now lies in ruin and despair, this place clearly once meant a lot to these people. You can still feel the love as you walk through these now empty woods. And I can honestly really empathize with that. Summer camp was always a place of magic for me. It was a time and place where you could escape from your parents and home life for a brief time. Whether it be for just a week or the entire summer, the memories and friendships made here last a lifetime. But it always ended with those fateful lines of that somber campfire tune: “Softly falls the light of day, as our campfire fades away.”