Preserving the Legacy of Wah-Tut-Ca
Saving This Special Place, Now & Forever
Our Mission
For nearly ninety summers, the eastern shore of Northwood Lake, New Hampshire, has reverberated with the sounds of children playing, learning, discovering, and growing at summer camp.
Operating for decades as Wah-Tut-Ca Scout Reservation, and in recent years as the Lantern Light Camps, the camp has been a place for young people to swim, canoe, sail, learn outdoor skills, and gain respect for the environment. Most importantly, it allows youth to develop friendships, learn social skills, gain confidence, and begin a lifelong love of the outdoors.
The Wah-Tut-Ca Preservation Association is committed to preserving the rich history and natural beauty of our 286-acre youth camp on Northwood Lake, NH. We strive to ensure that this property is secured for future generations to enjoy and benefit from the opportunities to learn and grow.
The Challenge
This special place is at risk
Lantern Light Camps, which in its short existence has won acclaim as New Hampshire’s best youth camp, has placed a particular focus on working with children who are being raised by grandparents. Lantern Light Camps is in the final year of a five-year lease. The owner of the property, the Spirit of Adventure Council, Scouting America, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, had plans to sell the property for development. If that were to happen, this special piece of land would no longer serve children, and this quiet and rustic part of Northwood Lake would now be filled in with housing. The loss to the ecosystem, to the serenity of Northwood Lake, to the children of New Hampshire and New England, and to the community would be immense.
The Solution
A small group of staff alumni founded the Wah-Tut-Ca Preservation Association in 2025. The Association’s purpose is to acquire the camp to ensure that the land is environmentally protected and preserved, and to keep it available for use by children and young adults in New Hampshire and New England as an outdoor training and recreational facility in perpetuity. Through the efforts of Wah-Tut-Ca Preservation Association, the camp would be maintained, and the Association would support Lantern Light Camps as its landlord/facility partner next year and into the future.
The Wah-Tut-Ca Preservation Association has negotiated to buy the camp for $1.8 million. Board members have already committed more than a third of that amount. The Wah-Tut-Ca Preservation Association hopes to obtain commitments for the $1.8 million sales price before October 1, although it is prepared to borrow the money needed to cover any shortfall and then to retire that debt as soon as possible.
The Association goal is to raise a total of $2.5 million. This would allow us to purchase the property, retire any debt, perform critical deferred maintenance and develop a permanent endowment to ensure the maintenance of the Wah-Tut-Ca/Lantern Light property.
Voices from Our Community
"We want to thank you for your support for the Lantern Light Camp. As grandparents waiting to adopt their granddaughter, we are beyond grateful for the opportunity to send her to such a wonderful place. If not for the financial assistance of your organization, we could not do so. She’s making so many great memories."
Grandparent
"Thank you for providing a place where children feel seen, supported, and encouraged to try things that are outside of their comfort zone. The activities were wonderful, but it’s obvious that the people are what truly make Lantern Light special.
Most of all, thank you for making camp possible for us. It is an experience my child will remember for a very long time, and one that I will always be grateful for."
"The Wah-Tut-Ca property has some exceptional natural features that deserve protection: High basin vernal pools provide habit for threatened species. A talus forested slope is a rare feature found in North America that creates an unusual microenvironment. The extended shoreline of a mile plus on Northwood Lake is the primary undeveloped area that contributes to lake health."
Jeremy Lougee
Natural Conservation Service, USDA
Parent
Take Action
Thank you for your interest in the Wah-Tut-Ca Preservation Association. This is a journey. If you would like to help us assure Wah-Tut-Ca is protected now and forever, we would love to talk to you. Please submit the form below and we will contact you. We look forward to your questions and are always grateful for your support.