Camp Belzer

Camp Belzer has 130 acres of wooded campsites next to Fall Creek. It is close to Interstate I-465 which enables easy access to downtown and the airport. The area where the camp now sits used to be a Miami Indian hunting ground. The original name of the camp was Chank-Tun-Un-Gi, which in the language of the Miami means "a loud, happy place". This name was chosen because there used to be a waterfall running into Fall Creek on the west side of the Shadeland Avenue bridge just downstream from camp that made quite a roar. And with Scouts running throughout the camp, it was a loud happy place! The waterfall is just a trickle now due to construction on the interstate and Shadeland Avenue bridge, and the camp was renamed in honor of "Chief" Francis O. Belzer, the first Scout Executive of the Central Indiana Council and founder of Firecrafter, after he died in 1947. The Crossroads of America Scout Band was founded at the camp in 1917 and played there every summer until after World War II. The Scout Band still has a band hut where equipment is stored at the camp. Firecrafter was founded at the camp, with the first Firecrafter rank being awarded in 1920. The Central Indiana Council's (and today the Crossroads of America Council's) Boy Scout summer camp began moving to Camp Ransburg when that camp opened in 1966. Today Belzer is used for Cub Scout Day Camp during the summer months. The camp is also a base for the Voyageur Canoe Training program and outfitting. Camp Belzer has 10 campsites, a Webelos area, the Gyro Center meeting hall, and a swimming pool. The last Rituals held here were in 1995.

• Take I-465 to the 56th Street exit on the northeast side of Indianapolis.
• Go east on 56th Street past Lawrence Central High School.
• Turn left at the third stoplight on to Boy Scout Road.
• Follow Boy Scout Road for a mile or so, the camp entrance will be on your left.

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