Family Getaways

Gather your family in the north Cascades

Connect with your family – and nature too – on the  shores of Diablo Lake. 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.

Enjoy a weekend in the mountains and 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 naturalists as they lead paddling adventures in our 14-person Salish Dancer canoe on Diablo Lake? 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 shape your own itinerary to create the perfect weekend retreat for your family.

Family Getaways Sample Activities

  • Big canoe voyages on Diablo Lake
  • Hike to Sourdough Waterfall
  • Saturday evening campfire — songs, skits, stories and s’mores
  • Treasure hunt in the surrounding forest and lakeshore
  • North Cascades natural history trivia
  • Project Runway (create animal costumes for the Saturday parade)
  • Cooking class and discussion about why eating local matters
  • Nighttime dam walk and search for bats
  • Recreating beaver dams in Sourdough Creek
  • Building "fairy houses" in the forest
  • Story time with animal puppets
  • Lichen lesson with microscopes
  • Skulls and bones talk to learn about predators & prey, animal adaptations and more
  • Camouflage game in the forest

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

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 are the responsibility of a parent throughout the program.

Scholarships are available for Family Getaways! Please visit our Scholarship page for more information or call (360) 854-2599.