Barry Conservation Camp
Barry Camp is a highly acclaimed youth conservation camp located within the White Mountain National Forest in Berlin, New Hampshire. Originally called York Pond Conservation Camp, the facility was renamed in 1985 in honor of the Barry Family – Everett, Charles and Rebecca – who dedicated more than seventy-five combined years of service to the NH Fish and Game Department.
The motto of the camp is Connecting Youth to Life Outdoors. Since the beginning the camp has been co-sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension – 4H and Youth Development. The primary focus of the camp is conservation, including increasing campers’ knowledge of how to manage and conserve the natural world as well as providing opportunities to learn shooting sports and fishing skills and wilderness adventures.
The week-long overnight sessions blend learning and camp fun for kids age 8-16. Each week has a theme focusing on a specific outdoor activity: shooting sports, fishing, hunter education, 2 north country adventures, and a mini-camp. Scholarships for campers are available each year through many NH sportsmen’s clubs.
The camp is located on the grounds of the Berlin State Fish Hatchery. Six rustic cabins, a program building and a multipurpose dining hall/kitchen building support up to 216 campers each summer. Major capital improvements started in 2011 to repair and upgrade the buildings and site, and continue to this day. Each of the cabins was adopted by a sportsmen club who provided renovations and painting to the cabins. The camp is also used as a training facility at other times of the year for teacher institutes and sportsmen’s groups.
An exciting fundraiser is the Barry Camp Wild Game Culinary Adventure. Held each September, this 2-day event is hosted by the Belknap County Sportsmen’s Association, and gives participants the opportunity to learn to prepare game dishes under the supervision of a well known game chef.
Ongoing improvements and repairs to help maintain this valuable NH asset for our youth is supported through donations to the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of NH earmarked for Barry Camp. To learn more about Barry Conservation Camp, click here to connect to the Fish and Game website.
