Take a tour of Camp-X

All that remains of Camp - X today is this simple cairn sitting on top of a hill overlooking the 17 acres of rolling hills called, 'Intrepid Park'.

If you would like to visit Camp - X, use the following directions.  When you arrive at Camp -X, do not park on the street as it is too dangerous. Park directly across the street from the monument.  The owner of the parking lot has given permission to park there for anyone visiting the site.  What you'll need to know on your excursion through Camp -X:

1./ After leaving the monument, walk towards Lake Ontario.  At the pathway you will see a sign with pictures of Camp -X.  Follow the path directly behind the sign.

2./ As you walk down the path, approximately 50 feet from where you started and approx. 25 feet in on your left side, you will find a large crater about 25 feet in diameter and three feet deep.  This is the site of where the agents received there training with RDX explosives.  A picture of the actual location, taken during the war (1943), is on page 134 of the pocket book edition. This is one of many sites used for this type of training but is the only one left as the other sites now have buildings on them.

3./ When you reach the half way point, you will be standing at the site where two men died during live ammunition training exercises as described in chapter VII 'Deaths' in Inside-Camp X.

4./ As you continue your walk down the path you will exit at the beach at the foot of Corbett Creek.  Pictures of this location taken in 1943 are available at:

http://webhome.idirect.com/~lhodgson/campxI.htm

It is at this exact spot where Bill Hardcastle pulled the young WAC's body from the dark cold waters of Lake Ontario as described in Inside-Camp X page 226 of the paperback edition.

5./ On your immediate right you will see a large mound which looks like an ancient Indian burial hill.  It is actually the site where many of the buildings were buried after they were bulldozed into the ground.

6./ As you walk along the beach heading east or left you can find many Camp -X artifacts on the beach.  Such as, pieces of the cement tiles which were used for the siding on the buildings, pieces of barbed wire, pieces of molten rock from the explosions, pieces of plates and cups and solid silver spoons & forks.  It has been said that many artifacts can be found further out in the lake.  For one, the Camp -X jeep and numerous weapons.

7./ As you walk further along the beach you will start to notice the high bluffs.  It is here where the agents trained climbing the bluffs with full pack on their backs and running off the bluffs blindfolded only to land on bales of hay.

8./ If you look closely on your journey, you can find many concrete pieces sticking out of the ground from the original W.W.II site.

Have fun!