Camp John Hay

Camp John Hay was established in 1903 as an American military rest and recreation facility, occupying a large block of pine forest on Baguio's southeastern side, and it stayed in American hands until the bases agreement ended in 1991. It was then developed as a leisure estate: the wooden officers' cottages survive as accommodation, a golf course occupies the old links, and the pine woods have been kept and threaded with walking and cycling trails - the best remaining stand of Benguet pine inside the city, which matters in a place that has lost most of its trees to development. Within the grounds are the Bell House and its gardens, the Historical Core with its amphitheatre and Cemetery of Negative Emotions, a treetop adventure park, hotels and a shopping complex. The estate's ownership and lease have been the subject of long-running legal disputes, which has affected what operates there at any given time.

History

American troops set up a hill station here in 1900 on land the Ibaloi called Kafagway, owned by the Ibaloi leader Mateo Cariño, and in October 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt set aside 213 hectares as Camp John Hay. The camp was handed over to the Philippine government on 1 July 1991, with plans to turn it into a resort (Wikipedia, Camp John Hay).

What to look for

• The pine forest - the best surviving stand in the city.
• The heritage cottages - the old American officers' housing.
• The Bell House - the commanding officer's residence and gardens.
• The trails - walking and cycling routes through the woods.

When to go

November to May for dry trails; Baguio is cool all year. Weekday mornings are quietest - the estate fills at weekends and in the March-to-May peak.

Before you go

Facilities within the estate charge individually and the commercial areas are extensive. Ongoing legal disputes over the lease have affected which parts operate. Traffic into the estate backs up at weekends.

Nearby

Burnham Park and Session Road are in the centre; Mines View and Wright Park are on the other side of the city.

Key facts