Seattle-Area Summer Camps in the Great Outdoors

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 (Seattle, Kirkland)

After parents drop campers off at “base camp,” campers are bused to forests, fields, rivers and fantastic natural areas to learn wilderness survival skills in these award-winning day camps. They will make new friends while exploring nature and can choose from archery, wilderness survival, fishing, secret agents, ninjas, wizards, role-playing games, leadership and much more.

Grades: K–12
Cost: $603 early bird pricing (ends March 20); regular pricing is $653

Camp Nor’wester (Johns Island in the San Juan Islands)

These monthlong camps run in two sessions, and 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: $6,550–$7,500

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: $700

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: 7–17 
Cost: $495–$1,975

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 building real outdoor skills, from animal tracking and plant identification to shelter building, knot-tying, fire safety and survival basics. Financial assistance is available.
Ages: 6–18 
Cost: $585–$1,795 (prices increase after Jan. 31)

Camp Gallagher (Lakebay)

These 6- to 10-day overnight camps for middle school and high school students offer a variety of activities, including canoeing, sailing, swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding, plus a low-ropes challenge course, classic games like gaga ball and 9-square, and arts and crafts. Some camps feature an overnight excursion during which campers travel to another campsite and work as a team. Tiered pricing.

Grades: 7–12 
Cost: $977–$2,082

Alpengirl (multiple locations)

Alpengirl camps, which typically run one to two weeks, include a variety of adventure activities such as backpacking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, sea kayaking, horseback riding, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding. 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: $2,100–$5,825

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 Lakes camp. They also offer Explorers! camps, where younger campers can try a little bit of everything the specialty camps offer, such as sleeping out in the woods, afternoon canoe excursions and nighttime archery. Camps are gender inclusive. Tiered pricing.
Grades: 4–10 
Cost: $900–$1,640

iKhana Arts (Seattle)

Kids will explore Seattle’s natural world during a weeklong Hiking Adventures camp. Each session runs from 11 a.m.–2 p.m., and takes place at parks and beaches around Puget Sound. Campers will engage in activities such as watercolor painting, beach exploration, zip-lining and climbing as they rotate through different Seattle-area locations.

Ages: 5–13 
Cost: $275

UW Botanic Gardens 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. Kids spend their days on trails and in gardens, spotting birds and bugs, and getting to know local plants through hands-on, nature- and STEM-themed activities. Teens ages 15–18 attend for free and earn volunteer hours.

Ages: 6–18 
Cost: $485–$970

YMCA Outdoor Leadership Camps (multiple locations)

Boys & Girls Outdoor Leadership (BOLD & GOLD) offers tweens and teens amazing weeklong outdoor experiences while teaching leadership skills. Trip themes vary, but may include experiences like North Cascades backpacking, coastal adventures and Olympic/Cascade challenge-style expeditions. There are also all-gender options. Tiered pricing (voluntary sliding fee schedule).
Grades: 6–12 
Cost: $1,115–$1,995

Adventure Treks (multiple locations)

Teens take on outdoor challenges like backpacking and hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking and sea kayaking, canoeing, and whitewater rafting as a group. Camps run from 10 to 30 days, with options in the Pacific Northwest as well as other states and countries. Along the way, they build confidence, leadership and wilderness skills that set them up for a successful future. The organization also offers family camps. Financial assistance is available.

Grades: 6–12 
Cost: $3,195–$7,295

Editor’s note: This list was created last year and was updated on Jan. 22, 2026, by ParentMap’s editorial team to include a thorough fact-check and new camp listings.