Lawhorn Scouting Base is a 2,400 Scout camping facility located in Georgia'sPine Mountain Range. Often referred to as simply "Lawhorn", the base is operated by the Flint River Council, Boy Scouts of America and has three activity centers: Camp Thunder, Flint River Adventure Area, and Pine Mountain Backcountry. In 2009, the base had over 23,000 visitors. The Lawhorn Scouting Base is open year-round as a campground for Scouts and non-profit groups. The base also operates an activity outfitter that offers canoeing and tubing on the Flint River, rock climbing, ropes course, and shooting activities. Several Scout weekends are held each year, including the very popular Spookoree each October. In addition, the base hosts 7 weeks of summer camp and high adventure camp each year. The base was known as the Thunder Scout Reservation until 2007, when it was renamed for Gerald I. Lawhorn, a major donor for Scouting and CEO of PetroSouth, Inc.
Camp Thunder
Camp Thunder is a Boy Scouts of America overnight council camp at the Gerald L. Lawhorn Scouting Base in Molena, Georgia. The camp is operated by the Flint River Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The scouting base is primarily known as a summer camp for the local council and the surrounding region. However, it also holds smaller winter camps and accepts troops from other councils and states for their events. Camp Thunder is the original property founded in 1938. Located on the northeast corner of the Lawhorn Scouting Base, Camp Thunder was donated to the Boy Scouts after the property failed as a peach and cotton farm. The original property includes Thundering Springs, the 3rd most prolific springs in the state of Georgia. The primary portion of the scouting base is centered around Lake Ini-To, an artificial lake, and the Fishing Lake. However, the scouting base as a whole is quite large in terms of Boy Scout facilities, being close to 2,400 acres in size. The camp and scouting base in its whole also acts as the venue for the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps' Raiders National Championship. The primary program held in Camp Thunder is the annual Boy Scout summer camp; it is the site of Lawhorn's traditional resident camp.
Flora and Fauna
The camp is located on the Piedmont Plateau of the Southern United States and the property has corresponding flora to that region. Quite common on the base are Southern Magnolias and various type of Oak. Relatively endangered species of plants and trees can be also found around the camp and scouting base. The threatened Longleaf pine is particularly prevalent on the property and has been the focus of some service projects by local scout troops. Similar to many areas in the Southern Piedmont region, several types of wildlife are particularly common. White-tailed deer are native to the region and are commonly spotted in and around the camp. Copperheads and cottonmouth snakes can occasionally be found in the area as well, but are well managed by the camp's nature lodge counselors and ranger staff.
Flint River Adventure Area
The Flint River Adventure Area was founded in 1988 as the Lawhorn Canoe & Training Center. It was the first Boy Scout high adventure base in the BSA's Southern Region and focused on canoe trips down the Flint River, ropes course and climbing programs, and mountaineering programs in north Georgia. When Thunder Scout Reservation was renamed in 2007, this camp was given the new FRAA title. The FRAA is located on the northwest corner of the Lawhorn Scouting Base. Structures in the Flint River Adventure Area include the Grand Pavilion, SkyWalk COPE Course, Eagle Mountain Climbing Center, River Experience Center, and 9 campsites. In 2010, new construction included the completion of a Cub Scout Shooting Complex that includes BB ranges, pellet rifle ranges, and archery ranges. This complex is open, but not yet complete. The Rotary Club of Griffin is currently completing a renovation of the old ranger cabin to establish a new "Adventure Office and Health Center" with an estimated completion of February 2011. In 2009, the adventure area's programs were re-written in an attempt to keep more programs on the property and limit the amount of transportation involved in activities. The caving and north Georgia programs were eliminated and replaced with a river trekking and backpacking expeditions. The camp ran 6 weeks of high adventure programs in 2010. For 2011, all the programs have been again rewritten, although the names remain the same. A new 10-day river and backpacking combination trek has been added.
Pine Mountain Backcountry
The Pine Mountain Backcountry consists of 2,000 acres and includes 16 campsites and 21-miles of trails. Currently, the local Order of the Arrow lodge has organized a Backcountry Development committee to revitalize campsites, trails, and increase promotion of the area. This project is headed by Keith Larson and is scheduled to run through 2013.
Camp Bel-Tel
Order of the Arrow
Ini-To Lodge chartered in 1945 and still active. Name changed from Thundering Spring Lodge #324 in 1952.
