Time spent in nature can improve mental health as well as develop skills needed to lead an active lifestyle, but demanding school-year schedules and the liquid sunshine of Seattle winters make it hard for today’s kids to have the kind of outdoor adventures previous generations took for granted. These summer camps offer incredibly cool activities, such as animal tracking, white water rafting, rock climbing and so much more. Whether you choose a day camp or overnight experience, your child will have a blast.
Trackers Seattle (Bellevue, Kirkland)
After parents drop campers off at “base camp,” campers are bused to farms, meadows and forests to learn wilderness survival skills in these award-winning day camps. They will make new friends while exploring nature and learning survival skills, archery, fishing, boating and more.
Grades: K–12
Cost: TBA
Camp Nor’wester (Johns Island in the San Juan Islands)
In both sessions of these monthlong camps, kids will learn outdoor skills as well as sailing, hiking, rock climbing, archery and other activities. Each session includes overnight trips, during which campers hone their wilderness survival skills. Sliding-scale tuition and financial assistance are available.
Ages: 9–16
Cost: $6,300–$7,300
Avid4 Adventure (Bellevue)
These weeklong day camps offer kids a chance to learn mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and other outdoor sports. Campers will come home with skills to help them enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle in the years to come. Financial assistance is available.
Grades: K–7
Cost: $600
Wolf Camp (Lake Sammamish, Puyallup, Mount Rainier)
These camps feature a 6-to-1 counselor-to-camper ratio. Each week focuses on a different wilderness survival skill set, such as herbology, wild cooking, foraging, animal tracking, animal search and rescue, ancient artisan skills and even advanced earth conservation. Wolf Camp offers both day and overnight camp experiences, as well as adult and family camps. Sliding-scale tuition is available.
Ages: 7–15
Cost: $495–$1,075
Wilderness Awareness School (multiple locations)
From day camps for younger kids to tween overnights and teen expeditions, Wilderness Awareness School uses its own “coyote mentoring” techniques, which blend ancient and modern ways of connecting with nature. With a small staff-to-student ratio, campers will learn about nature while also mastering practical lessons, such as survival skills, animal tracking, plant identification and more. Financial assistance is available.
Ages: 6–18
Cost: $595–$1,795
Camp Gallagher (Lakebay)
These 6- to10-day overnight camps for middle school and high school students offer a variety of activities, including canoeing, sailing, swimming, games and crafts. Some camps feature an overnight excursion during which campers travel to another campsite and work as a team. Tiered pricing.
Grades: 6–12
Cost: $935–$1,973
Alpengirl (multiple locations in the Pacific Northwest, Maine and Iceland)
Alpengirl camps, which run 6–14 days, include a variety of adventure activities, such as backpacking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, sea kayaking, rock climbing and more. With 1-to-4 and 1-to-6 counselor-to-camper ratios, camps encourage girls to develop confidence and lasting friendships.
Ages: 11–17
Cost: $1,895–$4,995
Camp Fire Central Puget Sound (multiple locations)
For adventure-craving kids, Camp Sealth offers three overnight camps: Choose hiking and white water rafting at Cascades in Action; check out lava tubes and hike around Mount St. Helens at Volcano Venture camp; or add a couple of days of backpacking to a more traditional camp with Cascades Backpacking camp. Camps are gender inclusive. Tiered pricing.
Grades: 7–10
Cost: $1,289–$1,489
Arboretum Summer Camp (Seattle)
Campers will get dirty while playing and investigating the natural world at one of two camp locations: the Washington Park Arboretum or the Center for Urban Horticulture. They’ll walk trails and learn to identify flora and fauna. Choose from one- or two-week camps. Enrollment is by lottery in December and January, so mark your calendar for next year. Teens 15–18 attend for free and earn volunteer hours.
Ages: 6–18
Cost: $440–$880
YMCA Outdoor Leadership Camps (multiple locations)
Boys & Girls Outdoor Leadership (BOLD & GOLD) offers tweens and teens amazing weeklong outdoor experiences while teaching leadership skills. Rock climbing at Mount Erie, hiking through the rainforest and backpacking on the beach are just a few samples of the types of camps offered. There are also all-gender options. Tiered pricing.
Grades: 9–12
Cost: $1,115–$2,195
Adventure Treks (multiple West Coast and international locations)
Teens will face outdoor challenges such as rafting, climbing, hiking, biking, camping, kayaking and canoeing as a group in these camps that run from two weeks to one month. While having fun in beautiful places, teens gain confidence, leadership and outdoor skills that set them up for a successful future. The organization also offers family camps. Financial assistance is available.
Grades: 7–12
Cost: $4,595–$7,295
