The 2025 trip details will be out soon!
Registration opens on January 15, 2025!
Logistics
- Ages: 12 – 18
- Dates: July – August (varies by session)
- Locations: Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park
- Pick up and Drop off: Kingston Ferry Landing
Campers will carry everything they need on their backs into the magnificent Olympic Mountains! We want our campers to leave with the necessary understanding and skills to be able to enter the wilderness with safety, respect, and a sense of wonder and belonging. This program is uniquely designed to create an opportunity to feel at home with backcountry living, natural observation, and inquiry.
Trip cost includes all meals, transportation, and equipment loans. No prior experience necessary. Wild Society welcomes youth of all backgrounds, regardless of experience, access to equipment, or ability to pay tuition. Financial aid is available.
Guides are trained educators and naturalists with current first aid and CPR certifications. There is one or more certified Wilderness First Responders on all backcountry trips. Staff to camper ratio is at least 1:5, maximum group size is 10 campers and 2 guides. Groups are all gender. Proof of Covid-19 vaccination required to attend. View our Health and Safety Policy.
2025 Backpacking Summer Camp Sessions
The 2025 trip details will be out soon!
Registration opens January 15, 2025!
We build our camps on a foundation of respect and gratitude toward the living world. Our curriculum covers a wide range of skills and knowledge including trip planning, fundamentals of backpacking, survival techniques, ecology, ethnobotany, and natural science. Our guides have extensive backcountry experience, are certified in wilderness first aid and CPR, and are dedicated mentors.
View our daily camp schedule to get a sense of the camp structure.
Check out the camper packing list, remember that gear loans are available!
When we asked campers what the best part of the trip was they said:
I loved meeting new people and becoming friends by the end of the program. Everyone was very supportive of each other and when I was having trouble they were really helpful. The hot cocoa was really good too.
I loved every second that I was not sleeping. I really enjoyed hanging with the other campers, learning about them, and sitting by a fire. Hiking was fun too.
The views on the trip and the people – the guides and the other campers.
This trip meant a lot to me. I was very nervous going before the trip but now I am really proud of what I was able to accomplish. The hiking was hard but I pushed myself and we worked as a team and always accomplished our goal. And we had a lot of fun and a lot of bonding time.
Feedback from parents and guardians:
“Wild Society is amazing! My 2 teens have completed a total of 3 summer backpacking trips with Wild society during the past 2 summers. The trips were everything they (and I) hoped for – hiking with terrific views, great group experiences, lots of new skills learned, fabulous leadership and plenty of fun. They came home full of stories and with new friends from all over. Wild Society provides well-organized, safe, educational and fun experiences for kids and I’m so glad my kids have gotten to experience Wild Society backcountry trips!”
My three children attended the camp and it was a life changing experience. They learned so much about nature and made long term friendships. The counselor was so kind and patient to all my kids.
I was especially happy when my son told me that one of his favorite parts of the trip was the time for reflection and sharing each evening. That is a sign that your leaders did an amazing job of creating a strong community out on the trail. Max speaks so highly of both of you and I love that he got to hang out with awesome adults as well as a great group of teens. We are so thankful to you for giving him such a positive experience out there. He says he learned a ton about himself and he is fired up to live adventurously the rest of the summer.
Questions? Visit our FAQ page for additional help or email us at admin@wildsociety.org!