Exploring an ABANDONED Summer Camp (Exeter, RI)

J-MASS INSTAGRAM: @jmassofficial

Deep in the woods of the Arcadia Management Area in the town of Exeter, Rhode Island sits the ruins of a once-thriving summer camp, with numerous cabins left behind to decay. While this summer camp does not have an official name, what we do know is that it was constructed in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program, which aimed to create jobs for young working men and stimulate the economy during the Great Depression. It was also a Recreational Demonstration Area (RDA), formed by the National Park Service. This campground featured many amenities, including cabins for both campers and staff, a camp office, dining halls, an infirmary, bathrooms and showers, and much more. There were also a few ponds located nearby for campers to swim, including Beach Pond and Breakheart Pond. Unfortunately, this summer camp would close down for unknown reasons in the 1970s, leaving it abandoned for decades. Today, all that remains are the ruins and remnants of cabins, foundations, fireplaces, and a water tank.

I had never been to an abandoned campground before, so I was wicked excited to check this place out! To get there, I had to take the Shelter Trail within the Arcadia Management Area; the specific trail I took was very long, at a total of 6.5 miles in length. However, the hike there was gorgeous, with stunning natural beauty all along the way. The abandoned summer camp itself was a fascinating sight: there were many abandoned cabins, most of which were partially-collapsed ruins, but a few other landmarks remained, from two fireplace chimneys to a towering water tank. All of this, mind you, deep in the middle of the woods, which gave it a rather eerie and unsettling feeling. This abandoned summer camp in Exeter, Rhode Island was a welcome surprise, and much larger than I anticipated initially! Well worth a visit if you love both urban exploration and nature! If you guys liked this video, make sure to stay tuned for more exploration videos all across New England!

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/rhode-island/abandoned-summer-camp-trail-ri/

00:00 "J-MASS Explores New England" Intro
00:20 Introduction to the Summer Camp
02:53 Start of the Journey
04:54 First Cabin Ruins
06:46 More Cabin Ruins
11:03 Center of the Campground
15:22 Abandoned Water Tower
17:14 Even More Cabin Ruins
25:52 Outro