Smithfield welcomes residents to tour 'jewel' Camp Shepard property

Additional dates and times may be scheduled in the future if demand warrants it.

Ben Dodge, of the Camp Shepard Subcommittee, said all committee members are in agreement that the property is such a special place that it needs to be shared with the community. He said he wants everyone to be excited about the purchase.

“I hope we have such an overwhelming response that we have to add a couple of weekends in afterward. If we do, that’s OK,” said Dodge.

Register on eventbrite.com by searching Camp Shepard Walking Tour Tickets.

Dodge said the committee already walked the property, and members were blown away by what a pristine piece of land Camp Shepard is.

“A couple of folks said it reminds them of New Hampshire, while others said this is what the settlers would have seen. Certain areas are just untouched,” Dodge said.

He said he was touched to hear the stories of youth from each subcommittee member and members of the public about spending time at Camp Shepard.

“They all seem to have their own story of what they did when they were younger. Camping, fishing, jumping off the cliff – we’re not going to have that any longer. It’s great to see everyone you speak with has a positive memory of what they used to do at Camp Shepard,” Dodge said.

Tours will be limited to areas that are open to walking and hiking, he added. Some areas, including some buildings, are not ready for the public to go into them. He added that not all trails are marked off yet, either.

“Even though none of that is done, the entire subcommittee feels it is very important to include the community on this journey,” Dodge said.

Dodge said members are pairing off to guide the tours, and look forward to hearing from residents their ideas and opinions on the future development of the property.

Smithfield purchased Camp Shepard in 2020 for $1.23 million from the YMCA of Greater Providence using capital lease funds, which allows the town to borrow money from itself and pay it back over several years.

The purchase caused some controversy, as some residents wanted the town to explore more options for purchasing the property, despite a firm 45-day closing period given to the town by the YMCA. For years, the town was in negotiations with the YMCA to use Camp Shepard for recreation activities, and after COVID hit, Y representatives approached Smithfield first before putting the property on the market.

Camp Shepard also includes six front-facing lots on Colwell Road that several local real estate investors were interested in purchasing for residential developments.

At the time of purchase, town officials said selling or developing the Colwell lots is an option, though there are no plans for development at this time.

In April, Smithfield resident John Snavely began a petition to bring a disc golf course to Camp Shepard, which received more than 1,400 signatures. Snavely said a disc golf course is perfect for the property because it causes little disturbance and requires little to no clear-cutting of the property.