Camp Recreation

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"Civilian Conservation Corps in California, March Field District," ca. 1933. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Recreational activities in the CCC camps often revolved around sports, with baseball, football, and basketball being the most popular. The Army, charged with providing supplies to each camp, included a set amount of sports equipment for baseball, basketball, and boxing. Groups in local communities also supplied sports equipment for the young men.

Camps also had pool tables and ping pong tables, along with small camp libraries consisting of around 200 books for indoor recreation. Movies were also shown occasionally for entertainment. Journalism was a popular activity for the men, with many camps producing their own newsletters.

CCC men could also walk to the nearest town to take part in activities there. Lights out in the camps was at 10:00 p.m. and the men rose at 6:00 a.m. to begin their day. Camps also had dances, plays, and choruses, with the music supplied by musically talented enrollees.