Deer Valley YMCA Family Camp

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Deer Valley YMCA Family Camp is a YMCA summer camp in Fort Hill, Pennsylvania, near Meyersdale. It sits on 742 acres of mountains near Mount Davis and has a 125-acre Deer Valley Lake. The camp is owned by the YMCA of Pittsburgh and has been operating since 1956. It runs ten months a year and hosts summer camps for families and groups from all over the country.

The land has a long history. It belonged to the family of Howard G. Peck for generations. In 1931 Curtis Howe “Doc” Springer opened a health resort on the property, which later closed. The land changed hands several times and was connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows before being bought by the YMCA of Pittsburgh on December 30, 1952. The camp was started by Thomas Reid Alexander and his family, and the first Deer Valley family camp season opened in 1957, drawing 838 campers in eight weeks. In 1972 the camp was updated to operate year-round, and since then it has offered programs for ten months each year.