ACA Camp at Lake Sebago and Sebago Canoe Club Cabin – New Fees and Rules for 2010

As a member of Sebago Canoe Club, you have access to the American Canoe Association’s lovely camp on the shores of Lake Sebago, in Harriman State Park. All members of our Brooklyn club are automatically members of the ACA. You may have noticed on your latest bill a line called "PAM fees." This $30 for an individual ($40 for a family) is your Paddle America Membership, another name for your ACA dues. When you receive your ACA card, you get all the benefits of membership in that nationwide organization, including use of the ACA camp.

To get there, take the New York State Thruway north to Exit 15A, Sloatsburg/Suffern. Take Route 17 north to Seven Lakes Drive. Turn right and go exactly 3.2 miles. After you have passed the entrance to Harriman State Park, the ACA camp will be down the first road on your left. The sign says SB2, ADK and Nawakwa. If you are on Seven Lakes Drive and you see the lake on your left, you have passed the entrance to the camp.

The ACA camp is a great place to paddle, and people from all over the area come to spend a few hours, have a workout and go home again. You MUST sign in and pay ACA CAMP fees at the Pavilion at the top of the hill each and every day you are there.

There is a day usage fee at the camp: $8 for each adult and $3 for each child, up to a maximum of $20 per family. These are the fees for ACA members. If you bring a guest with you, and s/he is not an ACA member, the fees are $12 for an adult and $5 for a child. Why so much more? The additional fee is for insurance while your guest is in the camp itself or on the water. Lucky for you, as an ACA member your insurance while at the camp and on the water is covered. Keep in mind that no pets are allowed to come with you to the ACA camp.

If you find yourself at the camp frequently, you may purchase a season pass instead of paying every day you visit. It costs $65 for an adult, $50 for a senior (over 65), $30 for a child (under 18), or $125 for a family, and is good from May 1 through October 15. You can download an application at aca-atlanticdivision.net/Canoesport/100316canoesport2010_webfinal.PDF. If your guest is going to come with you several times in a season, you may decide to purchase ACA membership for them instead of paying the higher non-member fees. An individual membership costs $40, and a family can join for $60. You can find information at americancanoe.org. Remember, you must still sign in to the camp every day, even if you have a season pass.

If you plan to spend the night at the lake, you have several options. Like many area clubs, Sebago Canoe Club has its own cabin, and you can have the key if you are a senior member. You can still use the cabin as a conditional member, but you must be there overnight with a senior member. You must make a reservation to spend the night at the club’s cabin. This is to ensure that there is room for you, as there are sometimes classes at the lake that take up all eleven beds!

No one can reserve the cabin for their group alone. You have to be ready to share with anyone who may show up. There are three bedrooms: two rooms with bunkbeds for four, and one room with a queen-size bed, plus there is a single bed in the main room. You should bring all bedding with you, as none is provided except a mattress. There is a refrigerator, a stove and oven, a microwave, and electricity, but no running water in the cabin. Toilets and showers are available in a camp facility that is close by.

Day fees for using the Sebago Canoe Club cabin are $5 per person, with a maximum per family of $10 each day. You must pay your fees in the box in the cabin, using the envelopes provided. A season pass is available for the cabin, and is $50 per individual or $100 for a family. You can request one by contacting bethbloedow@netzero.com. Remember to sign in at the cabin, noting your dates of arrival and departure. The fees and sign-in are IN ADDITION to fees and sign-in for the ACA camp. You MUST pay your ACA CAMP day usage fee separately from your payment for using the cabin. We cannot do it for you.

If the cabin is full, or if you are interested in having your own space, the ACA camp has several facilities that can be rented for a night, a weekend or a few weeks. These include four rental cabins and a tent site. Complete information on what is available and how to apply can be found at aca-atlanticdivision.net/Canoesport/100316canoesport2010_webfinal.PDF. Make reservations as early as possible. There are also several motels in the area.

Whether you visit for a day or a week, take advantage of your access to Lake Sebago. It is an incredible resource, just one hour away from the city. You will meet people from all over the world who have lots in common with you: paddling and love of the outdoors. The camp has been around since the Great Depression, and many families have been paddling and roughing it there for generations. Visitors often say they feel like they are in the Adirondacks when they are there.

If you have any questions, if you are a senior member and you would like a key to the cabin, or if you want to make reservations, please contact the cabin steward, Michael Boxer, racing@sebagocanoeclub.org.