KEENs Pond to Pines
Outdoor Adventure Camps 2023!
Download our 2023 Program Guide Here
KEEN is excited to announce our 2023 Pond to Pines summer schedule!
Each camp and activity is carefully constructed to provide the ultimate nature-based learning environment while providing a FUN hands-on experience! KEEN’s Summer Camps are 100% outdoor immersion and take place at the Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center @ Helen McCabe Park or at various locations throughout the region (for older campers). Most camps are 9am-3pm M-F (overnight and tripping camps have longer hours).
Our primitive facilities provide for amazing nature-based experiences and true outdoor nature exploration. During our summer camp children learn through inquisitive and creative activities utilizing science, math, critical-thinking skills, and a great deal of imagination! Plus we have a ton of fun!
Pond to Pines camps are organized by grade levels and run from June 19 through August 6. Camps are available for K all the way through 12th grade.
FEES: Each camp is priced based on age of camper, additional travel, activity fees, or gear prices.
Fees increase after May 1, 2023. Register early!
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Cancellation Policy:
Because we are a non-profit entity, we cannot issue refunds after April 1, 2023. We have to hire staff and train them based on numbers of registered campers. Thank you for understanding.
Camp Descriptions and Dates!
LEADERSHIP CAMP 1
Outdoor Leader (OL)
Session 1A June 19-20 $150
For those entering Grades 6-12
Discover your leadership potential! Explore leadership skills and styles while you learn about group dynamics, community problem-solving, and what it means to be a camp leader. Help lead activities for groups of younger kids at camp. This camp session is a great stepping-stone between traditional camp sessions and becoming a Counselor-in-Training.
Outdoor Leader is a 2-day intensive camp program. Successful completion of the Outdoor Leader program permits OL’s to return for one week of summer camp as a volunteer junior counselor!
Trail Mix - June 20-21 (intro to camp)
$150 for Ages K-2
Ever wonder what camp is like? Join us for this 2-day camp sampler to get to know us! This is the perfect session to try it out and have some fun! Meet new friends and create lifelong memories while trying out camp’s best activities: games and songs, hiking and nature exploration, boating and swimming, and arts and crafts!
LEADERSHIP CAMP 2
Counselor-in-Training (CIT)
Session 1B June 21-23
For those entering Grades 9-12 $150
Want to be a camp counselor? Develop the skills and experience needed to make your dream a reality! Learn to plan and facilitate activities while developing leadership and outdoor skills. Practice working directly with campers and staff.
Counselor-in-Training is a 3-day intensive camp program. Successful completion of the Counselor-in-Training program permits CITs to return up to three weeks of summer camp as a volunteer junior counselor.
Trail Mix – June 20-21 (intro to camp)
$150 for Grades K-2
Ever wonder what camp is like? Join us for this 2-day camp sampler to get to know us! This is the perfect session to try it out and have some fun! Meet new friends and create lifelong memories while trying out camp’s best activities: games and songs, hiking and nature exploration, boating and swimming, and arts and crafts!
Camp Explorer – June 22-23 (intro to camp)
$150 for Grades 3-5
Not sure what you want to do at camp? Join us for this 2-day camp sampler to get to know us! Enjoy classic camp activities like games and songs, hiking and nature exploration, boating and swimming, and arts and crafts! Explore camp with friends and discover all of the exciting opportunities that await you this summer!
Nature Creators - June 26-30
$300 for those entering Grades K-1
Explore nature and your creative side during this week filled with outdoor themed art. Look to nature for inspiration as you paint, craft, and make music!
From the Earth to the Stars - June 26-30
$300 for those entering Grades 2-3
How do people today figure out what life was like a long time ago? Let’s look carefully at the clues those people left behind. Meet a real archaeologist and go on a mock dig. Learn how Indigenous peoples care for the natural world and what their methods can teach us about preserving our future.
Kids vs. Wild - June 26-30
$400 for those entering Grades 4-5
Are you ready to explore the wilderness? Head to camp to learn what it takes to survive in the woods. Learn how to pitch your own tent, build a fire, identify edible plants, and more! Put your new skills to practice on Thursday night as you spend the night under the stars.
Campers come back to camp in the evening on Thursday and leave at lunch on Friday.
Challenge Accepted - June 26-30
$1,000 for those entering Grades 6-8
Everyday is a chance for you to test your nerve while exploring our amazing Cascade Mountains. Try your vertical skills on a wall of rock, explore a lake on a paddle board, discover the forest on horseback, visit a Bavarian village, cruise through whitewater on a raft, and soar through a treetop zipline.
*Prerequisite: Campers must be in good physical condition and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots, but no prior experience is required. Bring your own gear or borrow some of ours.
Wild Kids - July 3-7
$300 for those entering Grades K-1
Adventuring in the wilderness can be fun, but it’s important to know how to be safe too. Spend the week learning exciting new skills like fire and knife safety, cooking in a solar cooker and making safe drinking water, Leave No Trace and your Ten Essentials. Practice your knowledge on an obstacle course at the end of the week!
Animal Investigators - July 3-7
$300 for those entering Grades 2-3
Calling all sleuths! The animals have run amok at camp and we need you to solve the mystery. Learn to identify tracks, where animals build their nests, and what they love to eat. When the hawks and reptiles visit camp, keep your eyes out for suspects. It’s a nature whodunit!
ECO Artists - July 3-7
$350 for those entering Grades 4-5
Discover your love of art and the outdoors! Discover the sights and sounds of nature and use them as inspiration for eco-friendly art projects. You’ll make music, sculpt, paint, and sing. Fill the days with traditional camp activities.
Rock and Rapid - July 3-7
$1,000 for those entering Grades 9-12
Spend the week nestled in the mountains as we raft the rivers, hike the trails, zip through the trees, and climb the cliffs. We’ll basecamp at a campground and venture to a new activity every day.
*Location and activities to be determined.
*Prerequisite: Campers must be in good physical condition and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots, but no prior experience is required. Bring your own gear or borrow some of ours.
Paws & Claws- July 10-14
$300 for those entering Grades K-1
Are you crazy about animals? Visit a local farm where you’ll pet a cow, gather eggs, and eat lunch in a barn! Spend the rest of the week learning about Washington’s wildlife, both here at camp and beyond. Don’t forget to enjoy plenty of arts & crafts, swimming, and exploring camp!
Water Warriors- July 10-14
$300 for those entering Grades 2-3
Water is LIFE! Spend the week soaking in every aquatic opportunity at camp. Learn about the Yakima river and its watershed, how certain animals rely on local rivers to survive, and discover how to help our waterways heal. Spend extra time on the pond: boating, swimming, and fishing!
Planet Protectors- July 10-14
$350 for those entering Grades 4-5
The planet Earth needs our help! Explore the shrub steppe ecosystem of Helen McCabe Park and find what calls it home. Learn about Leave No Trace, how to recycle and compost waste, and even create artistic masterpieces from upcycled materials. Spend lots of time playing games, boating, and swimming too!
Cave On! - July 10-14
$700 for those entering Grades 6-8
Take your time this week exploring the world beneath the surface of the Earth. Visit two very unique caves in the Cascades with a geologist, hike around an active volcano, and enjoy the modern splendor of an indoor waterpark. All while base-camping near Mt St Helens!
*Prerequisite: Campers must be in good physical condition and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots, but no prior experience is required. Bring your own gear or borrow some of ours.
H2-wOah! - July 17-21
$300 for those entering Grades K-1
Beat the summer heat with this wacky week of water fun! Splish splash you way through camp as you enjoy extra time on the pond, challenge your counselors to a water duel, and eat a waterfront lunch. Discover all the cool creatures that love the water as much as you!
KID Naturalist - July 17-21
$300 for those entering Grades 2-3
Become one with nature! Discover the beautiful surroundings of the Yakima Canyon by hiking the trails, identifying native plants, meet the local wildlife, and learning ways to give back to the planet. All while enjoying your favorite camp activities!
Nature Detectives - July 17-21
$400 for those entering Grades 4-5
Dive into the mysteries of nature and discover how everything is connected. Follow the tracks, find the patterns, and solve nature’s thrilling secrets. Spend Thursday evening searching for camp’s nocturnal residents and sleep in a tent.
Campers come back to camp in the evening on Thursday and leave at lunch on Friday.
Wilderness Wanderers - July 17-21
$800 for those entering Grades 9-12
If you love to hike and want a challenge, then grab your backpack! We’ll host a Pre-trip ZOOM to ensure everyone’s gear is in order so we’ll ready to leave Monday morning. We’ll spend the rest of the day at a front country campground learning about safe backcountry travel before hitting the trails for a four-day backpacking epic!
*Prerequisite: Campers must be in good physical condition and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots, but no prior backpacking experience is required. Bring your own gear or borrow some of ours.
Junior Ranger - July 24-28
$300 for those entering Grades K-1
Enjoy the magic of camp as you disconnect from technology and discover the beauty of nature. Draw a sound map by the pond, create art using natural materials, Identify shapes and patterns in natural objects, like stones, flowers, and leaves all while enjoying classic camp activities.
Get WILD! - July 24-28
$300 for those entering Grades 2-3
What do you do if you find yourself alone in the wilderness? This week you’ll find out what to do in an emergency and how to be a responsible adventurer. Learn fire and knife safety, how to read a compass and paddle a raft, make safe drinking water and more! Test your knowledge on a skills obstacle course!
Puzzles of the Past - July 24-28
$350 for those entering Grades 4-5
How do we know what we know about the natural world or people living in the past? Explore the meeting place of Indigenous knowledge and modern science. Put the puzzle pieces together through Native stories and mock archaeological digs. Fill the week with traditional camp activities!
Wayfinders - July 24-28
$500 for those entering Grades 6-8
Spend the first two days learning wilderness first aid, how to use a map and compass, make safe drinking water, and build an emergency shelter. Learn ancient Indigenous knowledge of tracking wildlife, identifying edible plants, and how to navigate by the stars. Then take your skills to the trails for a 2-night backpacking adventure.
*Prerequisite: Campers must be in good physical condition and have broken-in hiking shoes/boots, but no prior experience is required. Bring your own gear or borrow some of ours.
Woodland Wisdom - July 31-August 4
$300 for those entering Grades K-1
How do people today figure out what life was like a long time ago? Let’s look carefully at the clues those people left behind. Meet a real archaeologist and go on a mock dig. Learn how Indigenous peoples using storytelling to pass on their histories, Tell your own life stories through drawing, singing songs and even dance!
Artist Adventures - July 31-August 4
$300 for those entering Grades 2-3
Discover the world of art all around you at camp! Dive into nature on the trails and floating on the pond. Take your inspiration to your easel to create your own masterpieces! When you aren’t crafting, enjoy all your favorite camp activities.
Water Works - July 31-August 4
$350 for those entering Grades 4-5
Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring clean water to your sink every morning? Do you want to know how lampreys help a river’s health? Spend your week plunging deep into a watery world, learning from experts and exploring camp’s depths. Spend tons of time by the pond as well as other exciting camp activities.
Cascade Quest - July 31-August 6
$1,300 for those entering Grades 9-12
Ready to have the most epic adventure of your life? We’re spending five days padding kayaks around the San Juan Islands! We’ll host a Pre-trip ZOOM to ensure everyone’s gear is in order so we’ll be ready to leave Monday morning. We’ll be spending Monday evening (and Saturday evening) at a campground in Anacortes before hopping on a ferry to the islands. WOW!
*This camp is seven days and includes the following weekend, DATES: July 31-August 6
