Base Camp Learning and Lodging

Where: North Cascades Environmental Learning Center
Instructor: Institute staff
Quadruple Accommodations: $98.00
Quadruple (Shoulder Season): $85.00
Triple Accommodations: $113.00
Triple (Shoulder Season): $98.00
Double Accommodations: $148.00
Double (Shoulder Season): $128.00
Single Accommodations: $210.00
Single (Shoulder Season): $180.00
Tuition Includes: Lodging, three organic meals and outdoor activities in North Cascades National Park

What is Base Camp?

Base Campers enjoy their pick from dozens of nearby trails that offer adventures for every skill level.

Base Camp is your opportunity to stay and play in the heart of North Cascades National Park for overnight learning adventures with meals and accommodations at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. Come explore the American Alps while enjoying the comforts of our award-winning campus. Each night of your stay includes:

COMFORTABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
Guests enjoy private rooms in our comfortable lodges that feature cozy lounges, wardrobes and desks and shared gender-specific bathrooms

THREE DELICIOUS MEALS
Our talented kitchen team serves up delicious spreads for breakfast, lunch and dinner using locally-sourced, organic ingredients in our historic lakeside dining hall

OUTDOOR LEARNING ADVENTURES
Our educational staff will empower you for seasonal explorations of the natural and cultural history of the North Cascades ecosystem. Sample activities include:

Learn about the ecology of the Diablo Lake area on easy-to-moderate hikes
Birding and Wildflower Walks
Newhalem Scavenger Hunt
Stargazing with a star wheel and starry storytelling
The Fungus Among Us
Nature Bingo
Conifer Explorations to the Waterfall
Cultural Histories of the Upper Skagit Valley

Institute naturalists offer a daily slate of engaging self-guided activities.

Pricing & Accommodations

Base Camp pricing is determined by how your family or friends group fill a lodge room. All lodge rooms contain 2 bunk sets (4 twin beds).

SHOULDER SEASON: March - May / November

Private (single accommodations) - $180
Couple (double accommodations) - $128 per person
3 People (triple accommodations) - $98 per person
4 People (quadruple accommodations) - $85 per person

REGULAR SEASON: June - October

Private (single accommodations) - $210
Couple (double accommodations) - $148 per person
3 People (triple accommodations) - $113 per person
4 People (quadruple accommodations) - $98 per person

Children under 3 are free. Although the Hostel room remains an option on the registration page, it is not available in 2023 due to COVID-19. We encourage people to bring their own bedding and towels but have linens for an additional rental fee of $10 per person for the duration of your stay.

Our award-winning campus is nestled on the wooded shores of Diablo Lake.

Coronavirus Safety during your stay

As of January 2023, North Cascades Institute is no longer requiring vaccinations for Base Camp participants. Please review our Coronavirus Safety Precautions for the latest information, or call us with your questions at (360) 854-2599.

The evening dam walk is a participant-favorite Base Camp activity.

Learning Center Accommodations

Single, Double, Triple and Quad Accommodations are for families and groups who wish to guarantee lodging with specific individuals during their stay. Triple and Quad Accommodations will require use of an upper bunk, accessible by an easy-to-use ladder. Hostel pricing is the cost for sharing a room with up to three other participants. The number of occupants per room (1-4) will be determined based on the total number of hostel guests each night. We do not guarantee a room with your requested roommate under this option, and you may be lodged in a mixed gender room. Please do not select this if you have participants under 18 in your group.

The Learning Center campus features classrooms, a dining hall, a library, outdoor learning shelters, trails, a canoe dock and an amphitheater. Our three guest lodges have shared gender-specific bathrooms with showers and each room contains two sets of twin bunk beds, desks, wardrobes and wireless internet connectivity. Facilities and local trails are all ADA accessible and a personal mobility vehicle is available. Delicious, healthy meals incorporating local and organic foods are provided in our dining hall. If you have special dietary requirements or food allergies, we will gladly attempt to accommodate them with advance notice. Sorry, but we cannot accommodate pets.

Registration

To register online, click the Register Now button on this page:

By phone, call (360) 854-2599 with your VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card ready.

Or by mail, download and mail a registration form with your credit card information or personal check.