Muffler Man: Camp Bullowa
I'm running out of Muffler Men to see in close proximity to New York, but this weekend I crossed two more off my list. The first one we saw on our way to the Catskills is located at Camp Bullowa, a Boy Scout and Cub Scout camp in Stony Point, New York. Stony Point is in Rockland County, about 45 minutes north of where I live in Harlem.
The Camp Bullowa Muffler Man is one of the early Paul Bunyans made by International Fiberglass in the mid-1960s. The Bunyan has been at the camp since the mid-'90s, and its whereabouts before then are unknown. He was previously located on a steep hill, but mischievous scouts would periodically push him down the hill into the lake. The hollow fiberglass statue would float, but he was moved near the entrance and in view of the ranger's home to discourage similar pranks.
The wooden axe (secured with the largest zip ties I've ever seen) is a replacement of the original, his salt-and-pepper beard is painted that way, and if you look closely you can see curly little chest hairs poking out of his shirt. I'm always happy to find that a Muffler Man is well-loved, and the Camp Bullowa Bunyan could use a little scrubbing but he's in good shape especially considering all of the unexpected lake dives he's taken over the years.
Camp Bullowa
15 Franck Road,
Stony Point, NY 10980
Go past the entrance, into the parking lot and the Bunyan is on the left.