Camp Kiwanilong 1.35

Now you might wonder how Camp Kiwanilong ended up with such a funny name. It comes from the words “Kiwanis” and “Long.” Long is the name of the lake that is part of the campsite, and Kiwanis (the Astoria Kiwanis Club, specifically) is the service organization that provided the principal labor and supplies required to build the cabins, shelters and infirmary on the site.

On the shore of Long Lake and shaded by mature Sitka Spruce trees, Camp Kiwanilong is ideally situated for outdoor activity. It features several trails, including a two-mile path that winds through lush wetlands before arriving at the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. And the area surrounding the 270-acre campsite has its own attractions, including Fort Stevens State Park, Fort Clatsop, the famous Peter Iredale shipwreck, and several Native American historic sites.

Before hosting its first young campers, the site that eventually became Camp Kiwanilong served as an experimental arboretum, where the Civilian Conservation Corps planted many unusual varieties of trees. This was part of a historic effort in the 1930s to secure the north coast sand dunes. Those efforts left a remarkable variety of plant life on the campsite that campers and visitors alike enjoy to this day.

From 1936 to 1975, Clatsop County leased the Camp Kiwanilong property to the Girl Scouts. By 1979, and after years of vacancy, the campsite was in severe disrepair. The county agreed to lease the camp to an independent board of directors that would operate and maintain the facility as a non-profit organization.

The Camp Kiwanilong board of directors has overseen management of the camp ever since. It employs one fulltime staff person, and funds all of the camp’s expenses through registration fees, donations and grants. Contributions of labor and supplies from various individuals and local service organizations also help significantly defray the cost of operation and maintenance.