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Camp Snyder

Camp Snyder dining pavilion with a lawn and woods in the background, Haymarket, Virginia

You Cannot Recreate Legacy

Camp William B. Snyder · Haymarket, Virginia · Since 2006

“Camp Snyder dining pavilion” by Jarek Tuszyński, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped.

In their own words · May 13, 2025

Scouting America Promised to Reinvest in Camp Snyder

“I am speaking here today, representing 20,000 youth in the DMV area. The sale of 1600 John Marshall Hwy will allow our council to take the sale of that property to reinvest in Camp Snyder and to be a successful camp for the future and serving youth in the community.

We are currently under contract with St. John Properties. Again, our intent is to reinvest the funds of the sale into Camp Snyder so it can continue serving the Prince William area and to continue to provide life-changing opportunities for the youth of our community.

I see the sale of this property being able to allow Camp Snyder to be upgraded.”

— National Capital Area Council representative, speaking for the council’s CEO, Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting, May 13, 2025

Listen to Scouting America’s National Capital Area Council and Prince William District representatives tell the Board of County Supervisors that money from selling 1600 John Marshall Highway would be reinvested in Camp Snyder.

Camp Snyder Lost Forever?

The 548.6-acre Camp Snyder campground could be sold and converted to thousands of homes, at 20 homes per acre. We oppose turning this open space into sprawl.

“Through a very generous gift, William B. Snyder was instrumental in the purchase of Camp Snyder from the Walt Disney Company in 1997. Camp Snyder has been a wonderful place for young people to enjoy.”— National Capital Area Council, “James E. West – Buy a Brick”

That sentiment may be the true story of Camp William B. Snyder’s first twenty summers. Buildings have been added. Trees have grown. Programs have expanded. Thousands of young people have learned skills, earned advancements, and discovered newfound confidence. Yet the camp’s greatest achievement is something less visible. It is found in moments like Joe Sciacca’s return, when a former staff member sleeps in the same campsites, teaches the same aquatics skills he learned years ago, and shares those experiences with his son.

We Own Adventure, ‘Twenty Summers Later,’ July 28, 2026

Our position

We oppose the sale of Camp William B. Snyder, 548.6 acres of camp, forest and wetlands in Haymarket, for dense residential development of roughly 20 homes per acre. This is a position about land use, not about any person or group. The people who run and support Scouting, the neighbors, and the officials who will weigh in all care about this community. We ask that this land stay a camp and open space, and that the public be heard before anything changes.

Aerial view of Arrowood in Vienna, Virginia, built at about 20 homes per acre, with the words Save Camp Snyder, Stop Sprawl.
What 20 homes per acre looks like: Arrowood in Vienna, Virginia. Under the proposed 20-homes-per-acre density, Camp Snyder’s open land could be built out like this.

Why this land matters

  • A place for kids to camp close to home. Camp Snyder is one of NCAC’s two owned camp properties and the closest Scout camp to Washington, D.C. When it opened, the council’s next closest camp was three hours away. (Sources: NCAC camps page; AP, April 10, 2006.)
  • Natural land. Camp Snyder covers 548.6 acres of forest, wetlands, nature trails and open space, home to more than 250 bird species, including bald eagles and red-tailed hawks. (Sources: Prince William County staff; gotosnyder.org.)
  • Protected wetlands are part of it. A 125-acre wetlands bank built from 1998 to 2000 was donated to the Boy Scouts and incorporated into Camp Snyder. (Source: Wetland Studies and Solutions project page.)
  • Open year-round and well used. It has a lake, a water-slide pool, 14 group campsites, cabins and a dining hall. In 2025, NCAC reported 738 youth and 402 adults at summer day and resident camps there. Year-round rental and event numbers have not been published that we found. (Sources: NCAC camps page; NCAC 2025 Annual Report.)
  • A major investment in kids. AP described the 2006 opening as a $17 million project, “one of the most expensive scouting construction projects in the nation.” (Source: AP, April 10, 2006, via blog repost.)
  • Rural-area land use. The county’s long-range land use map shows Camp Snyder as Parks and Open Space, with neighboring rural parcels mapped Agriculture and Forestry. The camp sits in an area long described as the county’s rural crescent. (Sources: PWC GIS Comprehensive Plan layer; Potomac Local, June 27, 2018; Prince William Times, Dec. 14, 2022.)
  • Community use. Camp Snyder hosts Scout units, schools, church groups, youth organizations and government agencies for rentals. (Source: campreservation.com listing.)

Honored in the Congressional Record: Supervisor John D. Jenkins

In June 2009, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia entered a tribute to longtime Prince William County Supervisor John D. Jenkins into the Congressional Record, after Jenkins received the Occoquan District Good Scout Award from the Boy Scouts’ National Capital Area Council. The tribute credits Jenkins with helping get Camp Snyder built:

“Camp William B. Snyder in Haymarket, VA opened its doors in 2006 due in part to the Supervisor’s efforts to end its stalled development.”
— Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Congressional Record, June 26, 2009, p. E1573
Congressional Record, June 26, 2009, page E1573: A Tribute to Prince William County Supervisor John D. Jenkins, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia
“A Tribute to Prince William County Supervisor John D. Jenkins,” Congressional Record, Extensions of Remarks, June 26, 2009, p. E1573. Read the full record (PDF).

Antioch Road: One of the County’s First Scenic Byways

Camp Snyder sits on Antioch Road (Route 681), part of the first group of Virginia Byways in Prince William County. On December 7, 2016, the Commonwealth Transportation Board designated Antioch Road, from Waterfall Road south to John Marshall Highway (Route 55), along with five other rural roads, as Virginia Byways, and directed VDOT to make every effort to maintain their scenic integrity. (Source: Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board resolution, Dec. 7, 2016.)

Antioch Road (Route 681) joins two scenic routes. At its south end it meets John Marshall Highway (Route 55), a byway that continues into Fauquier County. At its north end it meets Waterfall Road, which continues west as Hopewell Road to The Plains, where Route 626, also a Virginia Byway, runs on to historic Middleburg in Loudoun County. (Sources: Commonwealth Transportation Board resolutions, July 28 and Dec. 7, 2016; VDOT Virginia Byways map.)

Thoroughfare: A Historic Community Nearby

Camp Snyder is adjacent to the historic community of Thoroughfare.

Part of the camp is on Thoroughfare Road, and county GIS shows the county-owned Thoroughfare Historic Park parcels within about a quarter mile of the camp. The county says Thoroughfare was established after the Civil War by African Americans and families of mixed African American and Native American descent, from Fauquier, Culpeper, Rappahannock and Warren counties. It was a farming community that prospered into the 1940s, with its own school and church (Oakrum Baptist Church). The county is preparing a Thoroughfare Historic Overlay District and National Register nominations, and it is planning a historic park around the Fletcher-Allen and Potter’s Field cemeteries. (Source: Prince William County, Thoroughfare Community Updates.)

At the heart of the community is Oakrum Baptist Church, founded in 1865 by Alexandra Johnson, a freed slave, who began holding services in a brush arbor just after the Civil War. The church was reorganized as Little Zion in 1883, later renamed Oakrum, and rebuilt in 1909. (Sources: Oakrum Baptist Church history; Prince William County Historic Preservation, Thoroughfare Historic District publication.)

From our own archive: May 18, 2021: Thoroughfare Update and Data Center Encroachment; WTOP: A small Virginia town fights to save historic cemeteries of former slaves; Coalition to Save Historic Thoroughfare joins the National Park Service Reconstruction Era National Historic Network; and more in Cemeteries & Settlements.

Prince William County is working on a proposed Thoroughfare Historic Overlay District along John Marshall Highway (Route 55) west of Haymarket, a short distance from Camp Snyder. The Board of County Supervisors initiated the zoning study on June 15, 2021 (Res. No. 21-358), but as of November 1, 2026 the district has not been adopted, and its boundaries and design guidelines are still being developed. If adopted, it would not prevent by-right development, but it would require design review and added procedures before changes are made to historic resources. The Planning Office has scheduled a community update for November 30, 2026. (Source: Prince William County Planning Office, DPA2022-00004)

From the archives

For His Devotion, a Scout’s Honor

Carrie Weimar, St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times), May 1, 2006 · Read the article

In September 1941, a young lawyer in Bill Snyder’s West Virginia hometown tried to start a Boy Scout troop. After Pearl Harbor the leader enlisted and the troop folded. Snyder never lost his admiration for Scouting. He later encouraged his son to join, and Snyder, the former chairman of GEICO, served on the National Capital Area Council board.

For years the council looked for land closer than Goshen, a three- or four-hour drive for most Scouts. Site after site failed environmental reports. Then Disney announced Disney’s America near Haymarket in 1993 and walked away a year later. Scout executive Ron Carroll had Disney contacts from his years in Orlando. In 1997, Disney sold the site to the Boy Scouts for $1.5 million. Snyder secured the money and was one of about 10 people who paid for the land.

The camp that carries his name cost $16 million to build, and opened to Scouts in May 2006. Snyder called naming it for himself ridiculous. “It should be named for Ron Carroll,” he said. “It was really his effort that made this all happen.”

Camp Snyder Today

Since then, Cub Scout packs have camped there on weekends, troops and adult leaders have trained there, and families have come back year after year. At a town hall in late October 2026, council president Lewis Molini said the camp “has played a meaningful, meaningful role in the lives of 1000s of scouts and families.”

The council has been selling property. In May 2024 it put its Bethesda headquarters and a 21.5-acre Haymarket parcel on the market, citing “historically high values.”

Now the council is weighing a sale. Virginia’s new Faith in Housing Act, which takes effect January 1, 2027, says local zoning must allow nonprofit-owned land like this to be built at a minimum of 20 homes per acre, with no rezoning. Molini told families that “no decisions have been made.” Scout Executive Mario Perez said the camp will stay open “through at least 2027.”

Bill Snyder’s gift turned a would-be theme park into a camp for children. Selling it for housing would end that.

Read the full transcript of NCAC’s town hall on Camp Snyder in late October 2026 (PDF).

Sources: NCAC, “James E. West – Buy a Brick” (Camp William B. Snyder Brick Plaza); NCAC, “Camps”; CACI International SEC filing, 1999 (Snyder, former GEICO chairman and CEO); The Washington Post, “Theme Park-Like Camp for Cub Scouts Built on Old Disney Site,” April 5, 2006; St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times), “For his devotion, a Scouts honor,” May 1, 2006; NCAC / We Own Adventure, “Scouting Growth Necessitates Expanding Local Presence,” May 8, 2024; We Own Adventure, “Twenty Summers Later: A Camp William B. Snyder Staffer Returns Home,” July 28, 2026; NCAC town hall transcript, late October 2026; Va. Code § 15.2-2288.9 (SB 388 / HB 1279, 2026).

What the council has said (Sept. 24, 2026 letter)

In a Sept. 24, 2026 letter, NCAC (the Scouts’ National Capital Area Council), through Scout Executive Mario Pérez, wrote that it is evaluating a “unique opportunity” and that “recent legislation in Virginia may have significantly increased the value of certain nonprofit-owned properties.” It said it is “conducting due diligence and evaluating a range of options related to Camp William B. Snyder, including the potential sale of part or all of the property.” It also wrote: – “No decisions have been made, and all options remain under consideration.” – “Camp William B. Snyder remains open and fully operational, and all programs, events, camping opportunities, and reservations will continue as scheduled.” – “Before any final action is considered, we will seek input from Scouts, parents, volunteers, alumni, donors, and community stakeholders. Town hall meetings will be announced soon.” – NCAC said any sale would aim to reinvest in programs and facilities, and said that “under no circumstances will we take any final action that reduces or disrupts the camping opportunities that are fundamental to our mission.” (Source: NCAC Scout Executive letter, Sept. 24, 2026. The letter says “recent legislation in Virginia” and does not name a specific law.)

We take NCAC at its word that no decision has been made and that it will seek community input. That is why we are speaking up now.

What about 20 homes per acre?

  • NCAC cites only “recent legislation in Virginia.” As context, not as NCAC’s stated reason: Virginia’s Faith in Housing Act (Va. Code 15.2-2288.9; effective Jan. 1, 2027, expires Jan. 1, 2031 unless reenacted) lets certain tax-exempt nonprofit property owners build residential projects by right, with no rezoning or legislative approval. Its default allowances include 20 units per acre and 45-foot height. (Sources: Va. Code text at law.lis.virginia.gov; Williams Mullen; WTOP.)
  • The Act has conditions, including that the land be served by or within an area planned for public water and sewer, at least 60% of units be affordable, and that the project meet environmental, wetlands, stormwater and VDOT access rules. (Source: same.)
  • Open question: we found no source saying whether the Act would apply to Camp Snyder, and no county ordinance implementing it. Water and sewer service and the wetlands would matter. We are asking the county planning staff to answer this publicly. (Source: our review of the Act and the sources above.)
  • For scale, 20 homes per acre applied to 548.6 acres would mean a very large number of homes. This is arithmetic, not a forecast; we have found no plan or buyer. (Nothing we found says anyone is developing the property.)

What the law allows

  • Density: localities must allow at least 20 homes per acre, or the densest existing housing within 500 feet, whichever is greater.
  • Parking: residential parking requirements are capped at no more than one space per residential unit, or the local ordinance’s by-right minimum if that is lower.
  • Setbacks: local ordinances must allow setbacks of 10 feet or the smallest setback allowed for any existing property within 500 feet, whichever is less.
  • Height: buildings of at least 45 feet must be allowed.
  • Who qualifies: land owned for five years by a tax-exempt religious organization or 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with at least 60% of homes affordable (80% of area median income for rentals, up to 120% for sale) for 30 years.
  • Timing: takes effect January 1, 2027 and expires January 1, 2031.

Source: Va. Code § 15.2-2288.9 (2026 Acts, chapters 1009 and 1096; SB 388 / HB 1279).

Why we are against a sale for dense development

  1. It would end a rare, close-to-home camp. The next-closest camp was three hours away in 2006, and Camp Snyder’s year-round programs, rentals and training would go with it.
  2. It would convert open space into dense development on land the county maps as Parks and Open Space, in a rural-area setting.
  3. Roads and services are already strained. The only way in and out is a two-lane road over a state bridge that cannot be widened. The 2018 county and VDOT concerns about I-66 and Antioch Road show the area’s access limits. (We have not seen a traffic study for any proposal.)
  4. Decisions of this size deserve a public process with open information about what is proposed, where, and for whom.

What we are asking for

  • Keep Camp Snyder as a camp and open space.
  • Any proposal for dense housing on this land be made public, with an open county review and public hearings.
  • Prince William County planning staff publicly state whether the Faith in Housing Act could apply to the property.
  • Neighbors, alumni and families be given real notice and time to comment.

What we don’t know yet

  • Town hall dates: none found as of Oct. 11, 2026.
  • Whether a sale will happen, what part of the property it would involve, or who a buyer might be.
  • The parcel’s current zoning (not confirmed) or the outcome of the 2018 shooting-range permit application.
  • Any public statement from county officials; none found as of Oct. 11, 2026.
  • Whether the Faith in Housing Act applies here (see above).

What you can do

  • Ask your county supervisor and planning commissioners to state their position on any dense development at Camp Snyder.
  • Watch for NCAC’s town halls, attend and ask questions, and sign up for Coalition alerts.

Email the decision-makers

One click opens your own email with a short letter ready to send. Add your name and hit send.

Email decision-makers

Button not working? Copy the addresses: DelJThomas@house.virginia.gov, senatorroem@senate.virginia.gov, senatormcpike@senate.virginia.gov, Adventures@NCACScouting.org, Mario.Perez@scouting.org, Dwayne.Jones@scouting.org, camp.snyder@scouting.org, djeffeson@pwcgov.org, gstewart@pwcgov.org, tgordy@pwcgov.org

“We’re not doing this because the council is in financial distress… this is purely an opportunity to explore a council asset that, if sold, if transacted, could create generational wealth for this council.”

Mario Perez, Scout Executive and CEO, National Capital Area Council, at NCAC’s Camp Snyder town hall. Read the full town hall transcript (PDF)
Spring 2025 aerial photo of Camp Snyder in Haymarket, Virginia, with a yellow line outlining the camp’s approximate boundary. Forest and fields fill the outline, with a lake and wetlands in the lower left and camp buildings and lawns in the lower right. Antioch Road runs along the west side, I-66 runs along the bottom edge, and neighborhoods lie to the northeast.
An aerial view of Camp Snyder (Spring 2025). The outline is approximate, based on Prince William County parcel data, and is not a survey. Click the image for the full-size version. Imagery: Virginia Geographic Information Network (VBMP 2025). Parcels: Prince William County GIS.

Sources

Joe Sciacca, on the first summer staff in 2006, put it simply when he returned with his son in 2026: “It’s been so long. The trees have grown. There were no trees when camp opened.”

Why is Camp Snyder special to you?

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