Youth Blog

What benefits do you experience from outdoor recreation? When you find joy outside, does that trickle into your relationships? Your family? Your role in our greater community? Everyone has something to gain from spending time outdoors. The benefits of pursuing individual goals, connecting with others, giving back through leadership, and paying forward as advocates go beyond our personal health and joy.  Read more…

When members like you give to support scholarships, you are saying that finances should not be a barrier to connecting with the natural world. The outdoors is for everyone, and scholarships can help lower one barrier to finding joy and belonging outside. Read more…

Each year, our Mountain Workshop program gets over 1,000 young people outside. Mountain Workshops are single or multi-day experiences designed in partnership with other youth-serving organizations. They are collaboratively designed to create memorable and accessible outdoor recreation experiences for youth while meeting the needs and goals of their respective communities. Read more…

From belaying at the Seattle Program Center to supporting students on backpacking trips in remote corners of the Pacific Northwest and beyond, there are ample opportunities to get involved as a volunteer with Mountaineers Youth Programs. 

Join us on Thursday, November 2 for an evening of good food, good company, and introductory information on supporting the next generation of climbers and outdoor explorers through our youth programs.  Read more…

This article was written by Tailor Dolgin, Summer Camps Manager, and Maggie O'Shea, counselor in training.

Summer is a special season at The Mountaineers. Our program centers and lodges buzz with activity as campers fill the buildings, bringing with them their contagious excitement for making new friends and new connections to the outdoors. When campers, counselors, and counselors-in-training (CITs) come together, they create lasting memories — both blissful and challenging — that shape how they engage with the world around them. Tailor Dolgin, Camps Program Manager, and Maggie O'Shea, CIT, reflect on the growth they've seen and experienced as a part of our Summer Camp Programs. Read more…

The Mountaineers partners with Seattle-area youth serving organizations to deliver single or multi-day experiences designed to get youth outside, expose youth to transferable outdoor skills, and impart a desire to explore and conserve the outdoors. We call these programs Mountain Workshops. Through our Seattle Mountain Workshop partner programs, The Mountaineers provides over 1,100 youth experiences a year. We couldn’t provide these programs without the support of our amazing volunteer community! Read more…

I learned how to rock climb through The Mountaineers. Learning to climb this way is empowering because you learn for yourself how to climb safely. As a teacher at the Tacoma Science and Math Institute (SAMI), a public school housed in Point Defiance Park and Zoo, I like to take this empowering educational approach with my students, and one great thing about my school is the requirement that teachers collaborate to co-teach an interdisciplinary class in January. We are encouraged to dream big. Read more…

Since the beginning of Mountaineers Youth Programs in 2011, camp has been a staple of our summers, filling the Seattle and Tacoma Program Centers with camp joy every year. As we strive to connect more youth with nature year after year, we’re excited to expand our summer offerings to include week-long camp programs from mid-June through mid-August. Join us for a week, or multiple, full of community building and outdoor exploration at a Mountaineers lodge this summer!  Read more…

Growing up, my family had an off-grid cabin in the woods off Mountain Loop Highway. When my folks bought it, a faded wooden sign hung above the door that read “Scotty’s Castle.” The name stuck. Scotty’s Castle was an unassuming wood-frame cabin with no electricity or running water, but despite its lack of amenities, winter was my favorite time of year to visit the cabin. When the door creaked open to let us in, it would be so cold inside we could see our breath. We’d start a fire, light the gas lamps, and sweep out a few dead mice before unpacking. Read more…

It starts with a twinkle of curiosity in their eye. The twinkle turns into an adventurous grin, and in an instant, a child can become lost in their imagination. We want to nurture the spark of joyful adventure when working with youth in the outdoors, and that’s why the goal for each Mountaineers youth program is to introduce kids to the benefits of outdoor experiences. Read more…

The Kitsap Forest Theater invites all Mountaineers youth and their friends and families to witness the natural wonder of the chum salmon returning to Chico Creek this Saturday and Sunday!  Read more…

Join us on Thursday, September 29 for an evening of good food, good company, and ample opportunities to support the next generation of climbers and outdoor explorers through our youth programs.  Read more…

In a wonderful development for youth volunteers at The Mountaineers, two new leadership types were approved at this past winter’s Hiking and Backpacking Activity Summit; Youth and Family Hike Leader, and Youth and Family Backpack Leader. Read more…

Helping youth explore the outdoors is one of the key ways we foster a love of nature, a conservation mindset, and outdoor independence in future generations. Over the last decade, The Mountaineers has developed partnerships with school groups and youth-serving organizations across the greater Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia areas to provide quality outdoor programs known as Mountain Workshops. With the goal of decreasing barriers to the outdoors, Mountain Workshops provide the expertise and gear needed to get kids outside. Read more…

Are you a Seattle or Foothills parent interested in getting outside more with your kids? Join us for a family backpacking course! Backpacking with your kids in the backcountry can be a rewarding adventure for children and parents alike. Unplug, expose your kids to the joys of being outdoors, be together as a family, and watch your children mature into outdoor enthusiasts. Read more…

Our youth program for the youngest adventurers, ages 2-5, kicked off for the year last month, and there’s still time to join! Read on to learn about what we do in Mini Mountaineers and how to get your little one involved. Read more…

Since the inception of day camp at The Mountaineers in 2010, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing our programs and community grow in breadth and depth over the last twelve years. Every season is full of camp magic, laughter, bracelet-making, and an inevitably stressful registration day. In response to feedback provided by camp families, and in an attempt to make the registration process smooth for campers and staff alike, we’ve made the decision to reconfigure registration for our Seattle Day Camp offerings. Read more…

Since the inception of our day camps, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing our programs and community grow in breadth and depth. Every season is full of camp magic, laughter, bracelet-making, and outdoor adventure. Historically, camp has had an inevitably stressful registration day as well. In response to feedback provided by camp families, and in an attempt to make the registration process smooth for campers and staff alike, we’ve made the decision to reconfigure registration for our Seattle Day Camp offerings.  Read more…

Thanks to the advocacy and engagement of our outdoor community, conservation and outdoor recreation received strong support from our State Legislature this budget cycle. Earlier this year we shared the great news that outdoor programs in Washington State received record levels of funding, including $4.5 million dedicated to the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) grant program. Read more…

This past January, Satish Shanmugasundaram was thinking about what resolutions to set for 2021 and getting outside more was at the top of the list. One of the first adventures inspired by his resolution was a snowshoe trip to the banks of Lake Kachess. There, he first learned about The Mountaineers. “I was struggling with the directions and I saw a group. One of them told me that they were from The Mountaineers, and I immediately signed up. Read more…

Did you know that The Mountaineers has year-round outdoor adventure clubs for youth? At the Seattle branch, there are five different clubs broken up by age for youth ages 6 through 18: Pathfinders for 6-7 year olds; Nomads for 8-9 year olds; Explorers for 10-11 year olds; Junior MAC for 12-13 year olds; and MAC (Mountaineers Adventure Club) for 14-18 year olds. Read more…

A little over a year ago, a colleague and I ventured about an hour north of Seattle to the little seaside town of Anacortes. Although tempted by views of nearby Mount Erie State Park, we were on our way to pick up the newest addition to The Mountaineers: a 15-passenger van. The vehicle was fated to take Mountaineers youth to the lakes, trails, and mountains surrounding Puget Sound. Read more…

Sometimes a story asks to be told. As part of my role as Assistant Director of Development, I have the privilege of connecting with members to learn how Mountaineers philanthropy has positively impacted their lives. In last fall’s #GivingTuesday scholarship fundraising effort we introduced 18 year-old scholarship recipient Lily Walker, a five-year member of our year-round teen program, the Tacoma Mountaineers Adventure Club (MAC). Read more…

Regardless of how old you are, you can’t deny that summer camp is a fun place to be. We get to play games, make friends, and explore beautiful parts of the Northwest. We work hard to make camp an inclusive, welcoming place, and we’re excited to expand that welcome to teens this summer!  Read more…

Despite summer 2020 being the tenth year of summer camp, it was a year of firsts in more ways than one. With the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in March, by June safety was a primary concern for both campers and staff. It led us to wonder – can we still provide summer camp? And if so, what can be done to preserve that classic camp feeling? Sitting shoulder-to shoulder eating s’mores was off the table, but there had to be a way to reclaim the spark that only camp can bring. Read more…

Winter has come and our youth programs are gearing up for some fun in the snow! We have a few spots left in our Nomads program (ages 8-9) - sign your kids up for a year of learning and exploration. Read more…

Forests far away from the rumble of traffic are much different than the asphalt, apartment buildings, and lawns that most of us see daily. Add a layer of freshly fallen snow, and it becomes even more magical! Our goal at The Mountaineers Gear Library is to help youth access incredible places and learn new skills by providing you with the tools and resources needed to get your groups outside. And in winter, what better way to explore than on skis?  Read more…

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to take a group of incoming college freshmen on a rafting trip in Arizona. I scrambled to get all my gear together before we launched, and that first night I realized that I had forgotten to pack my tent. Thankfully we were in the desert, and I was sleeping on my boat, so I didn’t have to worry about insects and other critters on the beach. The first night I lucked out with a light breeze coming off the water and a crystal clear sky. I slept like a rock. Read more…

School is now in full swing, and many are looking for ways to get their kids outside safely while we navigate our new normal. We have good news - there are a few spots left in our Pathfinders (ages 6-7) and Nomads (ages 8-9) youth clubs! Don't miss out on the chance to sign your family up for a year of adventure. Read more…

As summer comes to an end, many of us are focused on how to enjoy the last of the sunshine while staying socially distant. At The Mountaineers, we're gearing up for a new season of youth programming to keep our young members outside and engaged! Registration opens this month. Don't miss your chance to sign your kids up for a year of learning and exploration.   Read more…