Youth Program
Pathfinders
Year-round adventure for youth age 6-9 and their families!
- Wed, Oct 1, 2025 - Mon, Aug 31, 2026
- Committee: Tacoma Youth Programs
- Members: $450.00 Guests: $600.00
- Availability: 3 (12 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
Please read this description in its entirety before registering.
Note: Pathfinders membership is $450 in total for the year. Members may register here and pay in full, or you may contact sarahh@mountaineers.org to set up a quarterly payment plan.
We offer financial assistance! To apply for financial assistance click here.
Our Pathfinders program provides youth ages 6-9 and their parents/guardians with the opportunity to get outside once a month. Pathfinders is designed to expose youth to a variety of outdoor activities and have fun! Participants will have the chance to climb, hike, snowshoe, paddle, explore, and learn how to be safe in the outdoors. The group will be supported by Mountaineers staff, but parents will be expected to play an active role in planning, supervising, and possibly even leading some trips. Staff will provide opportunities for parents to advance their own outdoor skills as well as learn key skills for leading kids safely in the outdoors. This program will focus on skill-building for both youth and adults, and on building an outdoor community.
*Note that while parents/guardians are expected to be active participants in the club, there is plenty of flexibility so that youth can participate in a trip even if a parent/guardian can't make it.
Pathfinders is a club and requires a time commitment and program fee of $450 (which can be paid in quarterly installments). In return, members gain a community of outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy spending time learning skills together. As families grow through our programs, lifelong friendships are built. When graduates of our teen program come home from college, they meet up with other Mountaineers friends to go hiking, backpacking and climbing. This program is just the beginning.
Note: Youth ages 6-9 register as participants, and therefore pay the registration and program fee. Parents should become a Qualified Youth Leader and then register for the Pathfinders program as a Chaperone (there is no fee for this).
| Program Activity | Date | Availability | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAC PAT - Activity (optional) | |||
| Paradise Area (winter) |
Sat, Dec 13, 2025
Registration closes Dec 10
|
4
participants
|
|
| High Lakes Loop (winter) |
Sat, Jan 10, 2026
Registration closes Jan 8
|
7
participants
|
|
| Cabin Creek |
Sat, Feb 14, 2026
Registration closes Feb 12
|
14
participants
|
|
| Grace Lakes |
Sat, Mar 14, 2026
Registration closes Mar 12
|
6
participants
|
|
| Rattlesnake Ledge |
Sat, Apr 11, 2026
Registration closes Apr 8
|
7
participants
|
|
| Middle Fork Snoqualmie River |
Sat, May 9, 2026
Registration closes May 7
|
7
participants
|
|
| Ingalls Creek |
Sat, Jun 13, 2026 -
Sun, Jun 14, 2026 Registration closes Jun 11
|
6
participants
|
|
| Hyas Lake |
Sat, Jul 11, 2026
Registration closes Jul 9
|
7
participants
|
|
| Dewey Lake |
Sat, Aug 8, 2026 -
Sun, Aug 9, 2026 Registration closes Aug 6
|
6
participants
|
|
| Tacoma Pathfinders & Explorers Joint Activity (optional) | |||
| Tacoma Program Center |
Sat, Dec 20, 2025
Registration closes Dec 18
|
7
participants
|
|
| Hyak Lake, Nordic Pass, Windy Pass & Mount Catherine |
Sat, Jan 17, 2026
Registration closes Jan 15
|
6
participants
|
|
| Meany Lodge |
Sat, Feb 21, 2026 -
Sun, Feb 22, 2026 Registration closes Feb 19
|
6
participants
|
|
| Paradise Area (winter) |
Sat, Mar 21, 2026
Registration closes Mar 19
|
7
participants
|
|
| Youth Trip |
Sat, Apr 18, 2026
Registration closes Apr 16
|
6
participants
|
|
| Vantage (Frenchman Coulee) |
Fri, May 15, 2026 -
Sun, May 17, 2026 Registration closes May 13
|
6
participants
|
|
| Youth Trip |
Fri, Jun 19, 2026 -
Sun, Jun 21, 2026 Registration closes Jun 17
|
6
participants
|
|
| Fort Worden State Park |
Fri, Jul 17, 2026 -
Sun, Jul 19, 2026 Registration closes Jul 15
|
7
participants
|
|
| Youth Trip |
Fri, Aug 14, 2026 -
Sun, Aug 16, 2026 Registration closes Aug 12
|
6
participants
|
|
All required equipment, with a few exceptions, is available to be borrowed from the Mountaineers. Before each trip, an itinerary/packing list will be distributed to the group that details all necessary gear and information for the trip.
If families want to bring their own gear, here are some items you may find useful for most trips:
Backpack
Hiking boots
Wool socks
Non-cotton active clothing and insulating layers
First Aid Kit
There are no materials for this program.