Summer CampS 2026
Our popular day camps return this coming summer with new THEMES and new ways to learn, play and explore in nature.
We have NEW CAMPS and NEW West Seattle camp locations!
*NEW* Teen Shadow Camp (Including one overnight)
Ages 13-15
Vashon Island at Camp Sealth
July 27-31
9:00am-3:00 M-T, overnight Thursday, pick up Friday 3:00pm
$650
What does it mean to move with the shadows? This immersive wilderness camp invites teens to challenge themselves in a supportive, well-guided outdoor setting. Participants will learn and practice camouflage, quiet and mindful movement through the woods, navigation skills, teamwork, intuition, awareness, and natural movement. Each day offers hands-on challenges that build toward an exciting culminating overnight adventure on Thursday. Campers leave with greater confidence and resilience, deeper self-awareness, a stronger connection to nature, empathy for the more-than-human world, and lasting bonds with their group—plus plenty of fun along the way.
*NEW* Fly Fishing with Emerald Water Anglers
Ages 12-15
Aug 3-7 & Aug 10-14
9:00am-5:00pm
Lincoln Park, West Seattle, Vashon and other waterways in the region. A different location each day. Location to be determined by size of group and EWA guide preferences. You will be notified of the final locations 2 weeks before camp begins. NOTE THERE ARE VARIOUS LOCATIONS NEAR SEATTLE AND NOT ALL ARE ON VASHON. We will be working on Carpools or possible transportation methods.
Comfort around water is required
$755
Dive deep into the art of fly fishing in this week-long immersive summer camp for teens ages 12–15. Led by educators from Vashon Wilderness Program and expert guides from Emerald Water Anglers, campers will get into the nitty gritty of fly fishing while building meaningful connections to our local water ecosystems.
Throughout the week, participants will explore local waterways, learn the fundamentals of fly fishing, and gain hands-on experience. Days are rooted in curiosity, outdoor adventure, and stewardship, with plenty of time for casting, exploring, and simply being outside.
This camp focuses on the skills needed to successfully fly fish. We’ll practice casting, learn sustainable fishing, and learn about fish anatomy and water ecology. It’s for perfect for teens who love the outdoors, are curious about fish and rivers, or want to deepen their relationship with the natural world—no prior fly fishing experience required.
Come spend a week learning all about Fly Fishing, exploring, and connecting.
Herbal Kids Camp
Ages 10-13
Vashon: Island Center Forest + Sister Sage Farm
July 13-17
9:00am-3:00pm
$530
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!
Nature Mysteries CampS
NATURE MYSTERIES: Hidden Worlds
Ages 4-6
July 6-10th
*new location* Me-Kwa-Mooks Park, West Seattle
9:00am-1:00pm
$475
Hidden Worlds Camp invites children to explore the tiny, magical ecosystems all around them—both real and imagined. Campers use tools like magnifying glasses, microscopes, and binoculars to discover mosses, lichens, insects, mycelium, feathers, and other often-overlooked wonders of the natural world.
Alongside real-world exploration, children journey into imaginative hidden realms inspired by fairies, dragons, and trolls through storytelling, art, games, and songs. By blending science, creativity, and play, this camp nurtures curiosity, imagination, and a deep sense of connection to the living world—seen and unseen.
We'll take a field trip across to the beach at low tide to uncover marine mysteries and enjoy the magic of the Salish Sea! As always, story, song, gratitude, and more help us build community during this fun-filled week!
NATURE MYSTERIES: Nature’s Canvas
Ages 4-6
July 13-17
Vashon: Island Center Forest + Point Robinson Beach Field Trip
9:00am-1:00pm
$475
Nature’s Canvas is a joyful outdoor art camp for children ages 4–6, where little artists explore the world around them through natural pigment paints, color, and imagination. Using the forest as inspiration, campers experiment with natural pigments, painting, drawing, and mark-making—turning outdoor discoveries into creative expression. This camp will focus on tactile, sensory experiences, including leaf printing, mud painting, rock decorating, animal track casting, nature collages, natural pigment painting, and crafting with sticks. Simple activities like making nature crowns, leaf prints, facepainting to become forest creatures, or arranging collected leaves and flowers into mandalas encourage creativity.
Children will squish, swirl, and splash paint, explore textures and patterns, and create natural camouflage using colors and materials from nature, all while playing games and moving their bodies throughout the forest in creative animal forms. This gentle, process-focused camp celebrates curiosity, creativity, and the simple joy of making art to open the doors of imagination.
We'll take a field trip on Thursday to the beach to make beach art and plaster castings by the Salish Sea! As always, story, song, gratitude, and more help us build community during this fun-filled week!
Nature Crafting Camp
Ages 10-13
Vashon: Island Center Forest + Point Robinson Beach Field Trip
July 6-10
9:00am-3:00pm
$530
Nature Crafting camp is designed for those who want to focus on more in-depth nature crafting. Wandering with wild, keen senses, we will seek what nature offers—harvesting with care, preparing what we find, and creatively crafting materials into cordage, baskets, paper, and whimsical weavings.
This camp is especially well suited for participants who enjoy slowing down, working thoughtfully with their hands, and settling into longer periods of focus. It’s a wonderful balance of crafting, connection, games and summer relaxation, and is a good fit for those who find joy in creating something meaningful from natural materials.
NATURE ADVENTURERS Camps
NATURE ADVENTURES: Arts & Crafts
Ages 7-10
July 6-10th
Vashon: Island Center Forest + Point Robinson Beach Field Trip
9:00am-3:o0pm
$530
Learn how to make arts and crafts out of plants and other natural materials. In this camp we will use what we find in nature to be creative and express ourselves. We'll learn about ethical harvesting and how to be respectful of the plants that we harvest from. We will deepen our awareness of and appreciation of the natural world, and celebrate our interdependence with nature. We will also explore and go on adventures, play games, make nature tea, find ways to give back to the park, and make new friends! We'll also take a field trip to the beach to uncover marine mysteries and the magical Salish Sea!
NATURE ADVENTURES: Survivor
Ages 7-10
July 20-24 & July 27-31
Vashon: Island Center Forest + Point Robinson Beach Field Trip
9:00am-3:o0pm
$530
Step into the forest and become part of the living world! Nature Adventures: Survival camp invites young explorers to spend their days learning, playing, and growing alongside the forests, fields, and beings of Vashon.
This camp will introduce campers to foundational wilderness skills like building shelters, fire-by-friction basics, fire safety, navigation and maps, tying knots, and using tools with care. Camp days are filled with games, storytelling, and creative group adventures that build confidence, cooperation, and a sense of belonging. Campers will get to know local plants, animals and places, learning how to listen to the land.
By the end of the week, campers head home with new skills, deeper friendships and awareness, and a growing sense of connection to themselves, each other, and the natural world.
NATURE ADVENTURES: Mammals
Ages 7-10
July 20-24
Vashon: Island Center Forest + Point Robinson Beach Field Trip
9:00am-3:o0pm
$530
The Pacific Northwest is home to a rich community of mammals—many rarely seen, but often leaving signs behind. In this camp, participants explore local mammals by learning how they move, live, and interact with the land.
Campers will study the form and movement of animals such as deer, coyotes, river otters, raccoons, and small forest mammals, discovering how bodies are adapted for climbing, running, swimming, and stealth. Through games and embodied movement, we’ll practice moving like mammals to better understand how animals travel through different habitats.
A key focus of the camp is animal tracking and sign awareness. Campers will learn to identify tracks, trails, scat, and other clues, building observation skills and learning to read the stories animals leave behind. Games, stories, songs, and moments of gratitude help us build community and have fun along the way. We’ll also take a field trip to the beach to uncover marine mammal mysteries and explore the magical Salish Sea.
More About Our 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.
Young Mentors Leadership Program
Teens interested in being a Young Mentor please apply here.
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.
LocationS
Most all of our camps take place on beautiful Vashon Island, just s short ferry ride from Seattle or Tacoma. This year we are adding a new location for a couple camps at Me-Kwa-Mooks Park in West Seattle, and Fly Fishing Camp starts at Lincoln Park and explores other waterways in the region.
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 & Vashon Parks 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
Scholarship Funds
Learn more about our SALISH SEA FUND, and EQUITABLE ACCESS FUND on our enrollment info page. The option to apply for supportive funding is available during summer camp enrollment process.
looking to 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.
view our other programs
