Pondside

Site Highlights

Sharing 600 acres of beautiful woodlands with our Hilltop facility, Pondside has ample opportunities for exploration. With a variety of trails of varying difficulty and length, Pondside provides an exciting experience for all explorers.

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Groups can take the Sand Trail to a large clearing that was caused by a tornado in 2011, where they can learn about destruction and successional regrowth in our forests. Continuing past the recently created meadows, students can find a swamp ecosystem and investigate how prolonged flooding can affect the plants growing in an area.

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On the other side of property, students can walk through a pine grove and discover Hemlock Falls, a small waterfall created by a stream passing over large glacial erratic rocks.

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In addition to our many trails, field groups can also make use of our low ropes challenge course. Here students practice working cooperatively as a team while attempting to complete a series of initiatives.

Housing and Facilities

Center Building: With two dormitory wings on either side of the Dining Hall, the Center building can sleep a total of 48 students. Each wing has a bathroom with three toilet stalls and three shower stalls. The dorm rooms include two bunk beds and a dresser. There is also a chaperone room with a single bed and en-suite in both wings.

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Lodge Building: Located above four large activity rooms the Lodge Building can house up to 60 students in its two separate wings. Each wing has a bathroom with three toilet stalls and three shower stalls. The dorm rooms include two bunk beds and a dresser. Both wings have a private chaperone room with en-suite. There are two additional chaperone rooms with exterior entrances, also with private en-suites.

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Ranger Building: This smaller building has a unique layout and is ideal for small groups or additional adults. There are two separate sides, each with its own bathroom and three bedrooms which can house a total of seven people. Each side has a single room for chaperones.

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Pavilion: The Pondside facility shares a large indoor gymnasium with Hilltop. This space is multi-purpose and includes a stage at one end. The Pavilion is perfect for many large-group activities, as well as free time on rainy days.

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Recreational Facilities: During free time, Pondside offers students the use of a gaga pit, a basketball court, a foursquare court, a soccer pitch, and large fields.