North Cascades Institute

  


Gather your family
at the Learning Center

Connect with your family – and nature too – on the scenic shores of Diablo Lake at our award-winning Environmental Learning Center. Spend quality time together while enjoying the invigorating mountain air and starry night skies of North Cascades National Park, one of the most spectacular wilderness landscapes in all of North America.

Spend a weekend in the mountains but leave your tent and camp stove at home and let us take care of all the details. We provide comfortable accommodations in our cozy lodges and delicious, healthful meals, with the tastes of young diners in mind, served buffet-style in our lakeside dining hall.

The most difficult choice of your weekend may be which activities your family wants to join. Will you follow our skilled naturalists as they lead kids and adults alike on adventures on Diablo Lake and the surrounding network of trails? Do you want to take part in daily outdoor games, arts and crafts, storytelling and scientific explorations? Should you spend the day hiking to spectacular views of local glaciers or simply relaxing with a book in the Wild Ginger Library? With our inspiring slate of activities designed to introduce adults and children of all ages to the wonders of the natural world, you'll be able to design your own itinerary to create the perfect weekend retreat for your family.

We welcome groups that include parents, grandparents, children, guardians, aunts and uncles and nontraditional families. Children ages two and younger can be added to the family registration at no charge. Children under the age of six are the responsibility of a parent throughout the program.

Make this summer's close-to-home vacation one that your family won't soon forget. Call our registrar at (360) 854-2599 to reserve your spot in these unique programs and start a new family tradition. Family Getaways are popular and fill fast so call today!



2010 Family Getaways

North Cascades Environmental Learning Center
$225 per adult (18 and older) and $155 per child (ages 3-17)
Price includes 2 nights lodging and 7 meals per person

Memorial Day Family Getaway
May 29-31, 2010

June Family Getaway
June 18-20, 2010

Fourth of July Family Getaway
July 2-4, 2010

Mid-July Family Getaway
July 16-18, 2010

Early August Family Getaway
August 9-11, 2010

Halloween Family Getaway
October 29-31, 2010

Thanksgiving Family Getaway
November 25-27, 2010

Registration Information | Frequently Asked Questions



Family Getaways in Parent Map Magazine

In 2009, Parent Map magazine published a glowing review of our Family Getaways after reporter Kris Collingridge attended a session with her family:

"As we pulled up in front of the office for check-in on the morning of the first day, my then-5-year-old daughter was apprehensive: She didn't want to meet a lot of strangers. What if she couldn't find any kids to play with? I wondered whether we'd all end up keeping to ourselves in polite-but-cool Northwest style.

But as we found out on the first event of the day, a post-lunch "neighborhood hike" through the lush forest that surrounds the learning center, it's impossible to maintain reserve for long on a tramp through the woods with a pack of excited kids... By the third day of the Family Getaway, meals will have become much more relaxed. Kids save spots at their table for newfound pals. Parents joke with staff members. Three days of hikes, canoe trips and twilight gatherings by the fire pit have transformed a reserved group of strangers into friendly acquaintances.

...Families spend three days exploring some of the most breathtaking, rugged country in our state, but roughing it is not required. Think of it as camping -- with comfortable beds, on-site naturalists, and a chef to prepare organic meals."

Read the full story at www.parentmap.com/familycamps.