Summer Camp 2024

registration is NOW open!

“VWP Summer Camp is a place for kids to connect with their own true nature while in the wilderness! It’s an amazing way to spend a week and the instructors and mentors are truly passionate about their roles!”

Herbal Camp

• Ages 7-10

• July 22-26 - waitlist only

• July 29-Aug 2 - waitlist only

• Island Center Forest + Sister Sage Farm

• 9:00am-3:00pm

• $460/week, Equitable Access Funds available

The plants have special messages for you, and the trees speak of a mysterious mission. Come enter the hidden world of the greenwood! In this farm and forest adventure we’ll learn the secret language of plants and discover their healing power. We’ll make fairy feasts, forest folk remedies, flower essences, and more. Come discover the magic of the herbal world around us and our unique relationship with these green beings!

Salish Sea Fund (Indigenous Families only) more info here

Nature Crafting Camp

• Ages 7-10

• July 8-12 - waitlist only

• July 15-19

• Island Center Forest + Point Robinson Beach Field Trip

• 9:00am-3:00pm

• $460/week, Equitable Access Funds available

Wandering with wild keen senses we will seek what nature offers. Harvesting with care,  preparing what we find, and creatively crafting them into cordage, baskets, paper and whimsical weavings. This camp is for those that love to create with their hands and enjoy the challenge and focus that crafting requires.

Salish Sea Fund (Indigenous Families only) more info here

Hunting the wild

• Ages 11-13

• July 8-12 | July 22-26

• Island Center Forest + Point Robinson Beach Field Trip

• 9:00am-3:o0pm

• $460/week, Equitable Access Funds available

Wildness of the more-than human world helps cultivate adaptability, vitality, resilience and a capacity to meet the present moment. In this camp we'll hunt the wild in the land and within ourselves. Learn sur-thival skills such as fire-making, bow and arrow making, shelter building, traps and snares, and knifework; as well as stealthcraft skills such as natural camouflage, tracking, bird language, and sensory awareness. Join us for an adventure into the realms of the wild!

Salish Sea Fund (Indigenous Families only) more info here

Enchanting Isle

• Ages 11-13

• July 15-19 | July 29-Aug 2

• Island Center Forest + Point Robinson Beach Field Trip

• 9:00am-3:o0pm

• $460/week, Equitable Access Funds available

Traditional magicians of old could tune into the language of the land and evoke the powers that dwell within the stones, trees, plants and waters of the more-than-human world. In this camp we will apprentice ourselves to the likes of Merlin & Circe by crafting wands and staffs, catching the spells of the forest, learning the languages of the more-than-human world, and evoking the magic in the living landscape. Join us for an adventure into the realms of magic!

Salish Sea Fund (Indigenous Families only) more info here

VIEW OTHER PROGRAMS

SUMMER CAMPS

We’re looking forward to another outstanding summer with your kids!

About our Day Camps

The Vashon Wilderness Program’s summer day camps are a place for children to make real and deep connections with nature, while having a great time learning about the mystery and magic of the local ecology.  VWP’s incredible nature connection mentors spark kids’ curiosity and unveil the secrets they need to: discover the tracks and trails of local mammals; forage safely for food and medicine from the forest; stay found while traveling in totally unknown territory; build shelters; decode the language of the birds; and so much more. Beyond these lessons learned, kids awaken to their own aliveness that comes from being truly immersed and engaged in the natural world. Come have a blast, learn and grow with VWP this summer!

Our mentors

Our camps are led by our awesome mentors and highly skilled teen Young Mentors. All adult mentors maintain CPR/First Aid certification, and many also maintain addition certification in Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder. Our summer camp staff are typically the same seasoned staff that work in the field all school-year.

GROUP SIZES

We maintain small groups called pods: 1 adult + 1 teen per 7 campers ages 4-6 years; and 1 adult + 1 teen per 10 campers ages 7-13.

Location

All camps take place on beautiful Vashon Island, just s short ferry ride from Seattle or Tacoma. Our summer day camps are held at Island Center Forest, a 370-acre working forest and nature preserve featuring various forest stands, meadows, the Mukai Pond and Meadowlake Pond wetlands, and home to the headwaters of Judd Creek. Field trips (ages 4-13) are held at Point Robinson Park, a 10.0 acre shoreline park and historical and marine conservancy.

Thank you to King County Parks & Recreation for helping us get more kids outside and connected with nature, community, and themselves!

OUR SUMMER GUARANTEE

CANCELLATION POLICY

If you need to cancel your registration for any reason, normal cancellation fees apply:

• 30 days or more prior to the camp start date: 75% refund

• 16-29 days prior to the camp start date: 50% refund

• 15 days or less prior to the camp start date and once the course has begun: no refund

looking CAMP on vashon during camp?

Blue Moon Farm is a private campground with amenities offering space to gather with up to 10 of your favorite humans.

Maury Island Marine Park offers campsites without amenities in this spectacular park; a forest walk descends to the beach where Mount Tahoma welcomes you.