Can young women survive and prosper in the great out-of-doors?

That is the question Dr. Susan Kingsbury and Florence Marshall set out to answer when they opened Alford Lake Camp in 1907.

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The first summer at ALC, eighteen bold young women spent eight weeks in the woods . . . and so the legacy began.

Since the summer of 1907, there have been only four directors, Dr. Susan Kingsbury (1907-1949), Mrs. Carlton (Gertrude) Knight (1949-1962), Jean Gentry McMullan (1962-1993), and the current director, Sue Stocker McMullan (1993-present). Each of the dynamic leaders have guided ALC in a unique way, creating an atmosphere of respect, warmth, challenge and community. 

There have been changes at ALC over the years. Mail is no longer delivered by horse. Bathing suits aren't made of wool. But you may be surprised by how much has not changed. For generations, we have slept in Alford Lake's signature white canvas tents and awakened to reveille. 

We have all spent hours in the lake learning to swim and relished the adventure of hiking through nearby mountains. And we have always loved to sing before and after most meals, at campfires, and on the trail.