Summer Camp Locations

You'll find Wilderness Awareness School's Camps at the best nature-oriented locations both in WA State, as well as on Expedition. We have selected 5 main State, County and City Parks convenient to the greater Seattle-area population as a base for our camps. These are: Seattle (Seward Park); Bellevue/Issaquah (Cougar Mountain Park); Kirkland/Kenmore (St. Edward State Park); and 15 minutes from Redmond - Carnation (Tolt-MacDonald Park).

In addition, we hold all our Overnight Camps on our private 20 acre land in the Cascade Foothills, called "Linne Doran" or "place where the otter plays" in gaelic. This allows us private access to 1300 additional acres for our explorations and learning. If your teen joins our Idaho Wolf Tracking Expedition, they will be travelling to the wilderness backcountry about 3 hours east of Boise, ID. The exact location is dependent on where the wolves are spending time that year!

For course details, availability, camp tuition, hours of operation, ages, dates, and more, please select a summer camp location below.

Seward Park (Seattle)

Within the Seattle city limits, Seward park boasts 300 acres of beautiful forest land - home to eagles' nests, old growth forest, miles of hiking trails, and a wide array of plants and animals. Located only five miles from downtown Seattle, it occupies a peninsula sculpted by glaciers and composed of a range of habitats that include forests, savannas, grasslands, and lakeshore.

View Official Seward Park Website

Cougar Mountain (Bellevue/Issaquah)

Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is the gem of King County's 25,000 acre park system, just minutes from Eastside cities such as Bellevue and Issaquah. At 3,100 acres Cougar Mountain Park preserves important wildlife habitat while offering ample opportunities for recreation. The park features many diverse habitats, such as mature second growth forests, streams and wetlands. There are amazing views of the area, including vistas of Lake Sammamish, the Cascades, and Bellevue, Seattle and beyond. Hosts of birds and wildlife are regularly seen at Cougar.

View Official Cougar Mountain Website

St. Edward State Park (Kirkland/Kenmore)

Saint Edward State Park is a 316-acre day-use park with 3,000 feet of freshwater shoreline on Lake Washington. Once a Catholic seminary, the park's rich history reflects in its grounds and architecture. Walks along the undeveloped lakeshore are peaceful and give visitors many opportunities for nature study.

View Official St. Edward State Park Website

Tolt-McDonald Park (Redmond-area/Carnation)

Enjoy a quick get-out-of-town experience without straying too far! King County Parks' Tolt-MacDonald Park and Campground , which is located in Carnation, just 40 minutes from downtown Seattle and a short drive from Redmond, offers a true recreation destination with a little something for everyone. The 574-acre park sits at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Tolt Rivers in the beautiful Snoqualmie Valley. A 500-foot suspension foot bridge crosses the Snoqualmie River and offers terrific views of the river and Cascade foothills. During the fall, you can observe spawning salmon in the river below and eagles and osprey soaring above.

Like the park? Stay the weekend! Tolt-MacDonald offers RV, tent, and yurt camping for the year-round 'staycation' experience. In addition to picnicking and hiking, Tolt-MacDonald is also a favorite destination for exploring trails on foot or mountain bike. Many have enjoyed camping here for the week while their kids attend summer camps during the weekdays!

View Official Tolt-McDonald Park Website

Wilderness Awareness School's land (Duvall)

Our land is called Linne Doran (Gaelic for "Pond of the Otter"), and consists of over 40 acres of mature and second growth forest as well as the area's namesake pond and wetlands. The campus is adjacent to the large forest lands of the Cascade foothills, just west of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area

More Info about Linne Doran

Get Directions

Click one of our locations on the map below to get driving directions!

Also see:

Our Great Locations

Read more about Summer Camp Locations near you and use the map below to find driving directions.

Our Philosophy

What do you remember about nature from your childhood?

What do you remember about nature from your childhood?

Likely it's about a special place that you would go and share with friends - making forts, climbing trees and more - all while getting muddy and wet, in all kinds of weather.

We bring these kinds of adventures to kids today, along with instructors who know a lot about nature and use great skill in reconnecting kids with the wonder of the world around them. We do this through stories, hands-on skills like fire-making, responsible introduction of wild edible plants and their poisonous look-alikes, as well as things most adults don't even know like the arts of wildlife tracking and bird language interpretation.

All of these skills are doorways into exploration of nature, and ultimately ourselves. The same confidence that kids acquire in learning about the hazards of nature and how to work with them translates into the rest of their lives and how they approach healthy risk-taking and learning in general. We look forward to the day when these kind of nature adventures are happening again spontaneously for kids in neighborhoods everywhere!


Wilderness Awareness School, PO Box 219, PMB 137, Duvall, WA 98019 | 425.788.1301
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