I went to a sleepaway camp or two when I was a kid, mostly through Girl Scouts. However, we never stayed away from home for long — three days at the most. We’d make lanyards, canoe and flip ourselves on a rope swing over a pond. It was always fun, but I can’t help envying those who got the “real camp” experience, going away for weeks or months at a time. (Have I mentioned that I’ve watched Wet Hot American Summer about 100 times? Because I have.)

Scouting NY recently visited Camp Wishe, an abandoned summer camp in upstate New York. Started post-World War II, it was a children’s sleepaway camp until 1995, when it came under new management — and was immediately left to fester in the elements. Though many of the buildings are now in disrepair, I’m endlessly pleased to see that cabin markers and the campers’ cabin graffiti remains. So sweet, so sad! Read more about the history of Camp Wishe on their website, and see what remains of the camp on Scouting NY.