Camp Cascades

Set amid the dramatic landscapes of Washington State, Camp Cascades introduces young birders and nature enthusiasts to two of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic regions: the marine world of Puget Sound and the forests and high-country wilderness of Mount Rainier National Park. This youth program, supported by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, blends hands-on learning with day hikes, exploration, and time outdoors with peers who share a passion for nature.

The first half of camp unfolds along Whidbey Island, where the Camp Casey Conference Center becomes home base for exploring lush coastal forests, hedgerows, marshes, and the rocky shoreline overlooking the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Daily outings reveal typical Pacific Northwest birds such as Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, and Black Oystercatcher. A full-day excursion to the Olympic Peninsula brings campers into diverse coastal habitats for shorebirds, seabirds, and striking marine scenery.

The second half of camp takes place in the Cascade Mountains, where towering conifers, rugged canyons, glacier-carved valleys, and spectacular alpine meadows offer a thrilling contrast to the coast. From the waterfalls and deep forests of the Longmire–Paradise region to the sweeping vistas along the Skyline Trail and Sunrise area, Mt. Rainier National Park serves as an outstanding classroom for learning natural history. Here, campers encounter Sooty Grouse, American Pika, Hoary Marmot, Mountain Goat, and, with luck, White-tailed Ptarmigan or Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch.

Throughout the camp, participants hike, observe, learn, journal, and explore under the guidance of experienced leaders. Long summer days, cool mornings, and mild afternoons create ideal conditions for discovery. With a balance of structured activities and restorative downtime, Camp Cascades offers a memorable and confidence-building experience in one of North America’s most beautiful regions.

Camp Cascades spans two of Washington’s most vibrant natural systems. Along Puget Sound, temperate rainforests of fir, hemlock, cedar, and moss-draped maple stretch toward quiet coves, rocky beaches, tidal marshes, and open marine waters alive with auklets, murrelets, loons, and seals. Inland, the Cascade Mountains rise dramatically, cloaked in deep conifer forests threaded by waterfalls and cold, rushing rivers. Higher elevations open into colorful subalpine meadows, lichen-covered ridges, and alpine tundra where thrushes, marmots, and mountain goats thrive beneath sweeping views of glaciers and volcanic slopes. Together, these ecosystems offer a rich, varied classroom for young naturalists.