Base Camp Learning and Lodging

Where: North Cascades Environmental Learning Center
Instructor: Institute staff
Quadruple Accommodations: $80.00
Quadruple (Shoulder Season): $70.00
Triple Accommodations: $95.00
Triple (Shoulder Season): $80.00
Double Accommodations: $120.00
Double (Shoulder Season): $100.00
Single Accommodations: $170.00
Single (Shoulder Season): $140.00
Hostel Accommodations: $70.00
Tuition Includes: Guided outdoor activities in North Cascades National Park, lodging and three meals

Overnight learning adventures and accommodations in the heart of north cascades national park

Flexible, affordable, enriching and fun, Base Camp offers you the opportunity to explore and learn about “the American Alps” while enjoying the comforts of our award-winning campus in the heart of North Cascades National Park. It's a unique way to visit the Diablo Lake area for the first time, stop over as you travel across the Cascades on a road trip and launch or conclude your national park camping, hiking, biking, paddling or climbing adventure.

Each night of Base Camp includes:

An inspiring outdoor learning adventures offering hands-on exploration of the natural and cultural history of North Cascades National Park

Accommodations in our comfortable lodges

Three delicious meals made with locally-sourced, organic ingredients

Sample Activities:

Learn about the ecology of the Diablo Lake neighborhood on naturalist-led hikes (including snowshoe hikes in the winter season!)
Birding walk with learning activities like sound mapping, binocular training and hands-on exploration of our taxidermy specimens
Macroinvertebrate exploration with microscopes
Evening Dam walk and discussion of the Upper Skagit's cultural history
Explore Diablo Lake on the Salish Dancer, our big canoe (weather-dependent)
Mystery skulls using our collection of over 100 skull replicas and real skull
Scientific illustration and field sketching drawing classes
Early evening "crepuscular crawl" exploration

*Note: Activities change throughout the year depending on the weather, seasonal opportunities, group interest and abilities.

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

Base Camp Pricing

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)

Pricing: Regular season (May-Oct) / Shoulder Season (Nov-Apr)

Private (single accommodations) - $170/$140
Couple (double accommodations) - $120/$100 each
3 People (triple accommodations) - $95/$80 each
4 People (quadruple accommodations) - $80/$70 each
Hostel* - $70/$65 each

* hostel pricing is the cost of sharing a room with up to three randomly-assigned participants. 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 or are uncomfortable in a mixed-gender room. The number of occupants per room will be determined on the total number of hostel guests each night.

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. Children under 3 are free.

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.