Mckenzie Campbell Davies
Did you know that winter is the peak season for new members joining The Mountaineers? If you joined The Mountaineers in November and December, Hello! Welcome! We're glad you’re here!
You’ve joined a community of outdoor enthusiasts built around the core values of Adventure, Community, Education, Volunteerism, and Advocacy. Here are a few introductory overviews to help you find your footing during your first months as a Mountaineer as well as some pro user tips to help you make the most of our website and your membership.
Adventure: Get Outside
Activities (Trips)
Activities are volunteer-led trips, seminars, and clinics that allow you to get outside with your new community. Use filters to narrow in on activity type and check out the map view for activities near you. To join a trip, review the details and leader’s notes and then click “register.”
- Pro tip: Set your Alerts & Notifications preferences in your profile to have new trips and courses delivered to your inbox.
Lodges
Winter is the best time to visit our hostel-style ski and snowshoe lodges. Your stay includes a bunk, hot meals and beverages, and plenty of opportunity to socialize around the fireplace after a day of snow play. Enjoy member rates at Baker Lodge near Artist Point, Stevens Lodge near Stevens Pass (likely reopening January 2026 after weather impacts to Highway 2), and Meany Lodge with its own private ski area near Stampede Pass.
Youth Summer Camps
For Mountaineers youth ages 6-17, we have a variety of camp experiences including day camps and overnight adventure camps. Registration for most camps in Kitsap, Olympia, Seattle, and Tacoma will open in February. Seattle Day Camps registration is by lottery, which will open on January 5, 2026.
- Pro tip: Sign up for our Youth Outside newsletter for occasional updates and reminders about year-round and seasonal programs for youth ages 2-18.
Mountaineers on a flatwater packraft trip at Winchester Wasteway. Photo by Max McDermott.
Community: Meet New Friends
Events
When we’re not outside exploring, you can find Mountaineers appreciating the natural world and the outdoor community through adventure speakers, film screenings, and other unique community-driven events.
Branches
As a Mountaineer member, you can participate in events, courses, and activities sponsored by any branch. However, plugging into the branch community nearest you can help you meet Mountaineers close to home. Check out what’s going on in Bellingham, Everett, Foothills (I-90/I-405 corridor), Kitsap, Olympia, Seattle, and Tacoma.
Mountaineers at a wildflower painting event with Mountaineers Books author Molly Hashimoto. Photo By Danielle Graham.
Education: Learn Skills
Courses
Whether you’re looking for an introductory seminar or an intensive course, our volunteer-led instructional programs can help you get outside. The majority of courses are posted in the fall and winter, and most are offered once per year.
- Pro tip: Don’t see the course you’re looking for? Adjust the date filters to look at past courses to get a rough idea of course requirements and registration dates.
Badges
Many of our activities have prerequisites, meaning that you must have certain skills in order to contribute to a safe and successful trip. These prerequisites are represented with digital badges on your profile and are typically earned by taking Mountaineers courses. Equivalency is a way for The Mountaineers to recognize skills or experience you already have and earn badges as if you had taken a Mountaineers course. The equivalency process is different for different badges; reach out to info@mountaineers.org to learn where to start for the skill or course badge you are interested in.
- Pro tip: Clicking on listed prerequisites of an activity will take you to the badge page where you can read about what skills are necessary to achieve that badge.
Mountaineers Books
Our nonprofit publishing division is the nation’s leading independent publisher of outdoor recreation, lifestyle, and conservation books. Mountaineers members receive 20% off books and maps online or at our bookstore in Northeast Seattle.
- Pro tip: Our Green Trails maps interactive map finder tool helps you find exactly which map you need for your next adventure.
A Mountaineers volunteer instructs a scrambling course. Photo By Mckenzie Campbell Davies.
Volunteerism: Give Back
If you are looking for a place to invest your time and skills to help others experience the natural world, you’ve come to the right place! Nearly everything we do is led 100% by volunteers.
The first step is to get involved – attend an event, go on a trip, or take a course. The leaders you meet along the way will be the best resource for learning how to get involved in the activities you enjoy.
- Pro tip: Fill out your volunteer profile to better connect with volunteer opportunities that match your skills and interests.
Mountaineers on a basic snowshoe trip at Gold Creek Basin. Photo by Barbara Folmer.
Advocacy: Speak Up On Behalf of the Natural World
The Mountaineers has a unique and powerful role in protecting the natural world through conservation and advocacy. This includes boots-on-the-ground stewardship activities, conservation education through books and courses, and advocacy with land managers, lawmakers, and other stakeholders to protect public lands and the outdoor experience. Check out our advocacy agenda.
- Pro tip: Fuel your inner conservationist and earn a badge by taking one of our self-paced online conservation and advocacy courses, Public Lands 101 and Advocacy 101.
And More...
Read more FAQs about how to get involved or sign up for a Meet The Mountaineers information seminar.
Our Member Services Team is eager to help you navigate the website and our community and they help members like you every day. You can reach Member Services at info@mountaineers.org or during business hours at (206) 521-6001 (Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm).
