Boy Scout Camp Haunted by Child Accident
2482 Grand Avenue, Waverly, IA 50677
Age
Scouts and Approved Programs Only
Cost
$
Scout camp program fees vary by program
Access
Limited Access
Outdoor camp terrain with varied ground
Equipment
No Photos
Camp Ingawanas serves as a regional Scout camping facility operated by the Winnebago Council, the Boy Scouts of America administrative body covering northeastern Iowa and adjacent regions. The camp provides outdoor recreation, skills training, and character development programming through established Scout curricula and activities.
The facility maintains typical Scout camp infrastructure including program areas, camping spaces, activity stations, and recreational amenities. The camp's location in the Waverly area provides access to natural features and woodlands suitable for Scout outdoor education programs.
The camp's history includes both established programming and local folklore. The specific historical incident surrounding the paranormal reputation—a child fatality occurring approximately three years before documentation of the accounts—represents a tragedy within the camp's operational history. Whether this incident occurred within formal Scout programming or involved community members using the facilities is not specified in available accounts.
Sources
The paranormal reputation of Camp Ingawanas centers on a tragic child fatality. According to local folklore documented approximately three years after the incident, a twelve-year-old boy suffered a fatal head injury while playing at the camp. The account describes the child swinging when he jumped and struck his head on a five-inch rock. Reports vary regarding the immediate cause of death—some accounts describe instantaneous fatality, others suggest prolonged suffering.
Following the incident, paranormal phenomena allegedly began manifesting at the swing location. The most distinctive reported phenomenon involves autonomous swing movement at a fixed and consistent height. Witnesses describe the swing moving back and forth in rhythmic motion without external force, notably at a specific elevation that neither increases nor decreases. This mechanical consistency—the swing maintaining identical height throughout its movements—distinguishes the reported phenomena from normal swing physics, where momentum naturally creates height variation.
The absence of wind during autonomous swing movement is documented in some accounts, eliminating natural ventilation as explanation. The consistency of the phenomenon across multiple witness reports and across seasons lends credibility to either genuine paranormal manifestation or a reproducible mechanical peculiarity of the specific swing.
Auditory phenomena accompany the visual manifestations. Some witnesses report hearing giggling—described as childlike in quality and tone. The giggling is attributed in folklore to the deceased child, with the spectral laughter interpreted as playful rather than malevolent. This interpretation fits broader paranormal typology in which child entities are characterized as less dangerous and more emotionally accessible than adult spirits.
The folklore has become established within Scout and community consciousness. New participants encountering the swing reportedly observe the same phenomena described in accounts preceding their visits, suggesting either consistent paranormal manifestation or psychological expectations generated by the location's reputation.
Participation in Scout camping programs at Camp Ingawanas/Ingawanis Adventure Base. The swing area where the reported accident occurred remains part of the camp facilities and is accessible to Scout participants during regular programming.
View the camp facilities from the road. The specific swing location is within the camp grounds and not accessible to non-program participants.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Gatlinburg, TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves 522,427 acres of southern Appalachian terrain across Tennessee and North Carolina. The land was the heart of the Cherokee Nation before forced removal in 1838 along what became the Trail of Tears, and home to Appalachian Scots-Irish and English settler communities through the early twentieth century. Congress authorized the park in 1926; it was formally dedicated by Franklin D. Roosevelt on September 2, 1940.
Tullytown, PA
On May 30, 1935, Gertrude Louise Spring, a 25-year-old woman dressed in formal pink gown attire, died in an automobile accident near Tullytown, Pennsylvania. The incident involved a vehicle plunging into or near Tullytown Lake (also known as Van Sciver Lake or Penn Warner Lake). Her companion's body was recovered, but Gertrude's remains were never found.
Beaver, PA
Mudlick Hollow in Brighton Township, Beaver County, was the site of a tragic 1800s carriage accident. According to local legend, a newlywed couple's horse-drawn buggy was spooked by an animal, rolled into a creek, and resulted in the deaths of both the bride (broken neck) and groom (crushed under horse).