The following guided hikes are facilitated by the Conservation College and lead by Wolf Camp directors Kim & Chris Chisholm, outdoor accessibility advocate Matt Budzak and volunteers from the Conservation Luminaries program. All ages and abilities welcome! Contributions of $15 are requested to support the Conservation Luminary program. RSVP via the Northwest Nature Hikes meetup page as events are listed. Tentative hikes include:
- Clark’s Creek Park Birding in Puyallup WA from 12:00-3:00 pm.
- Swan Creek Park Community Gardens & Canyon Rim Trail, Tacoma WA
- Native Plants of Bradley Lake & Pierce College in Puyallup WA from 12:00-3:00 pm.
Past Hikes: (available again by request)
April 22, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Earth Day at Wildwood Park, Puyallup WA (Friday 6 PM)
May 14, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Foothills Trail Plants & Birds, South Prairie WA (Saturday 3 PM)
June 4, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Point Defiance Flower Gardens, Duck Pond & Owens Beach (Saturday 3 PM)
July 2, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Tacoma Waterfront & Les Davis Pier Fishing, Tacoma WA (Saturday 3 PM with pre-registration required at a cost of $15 per person due to overhead expenses at the fishing pier)
Oct 1, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Clark’s Creek Salmon, Heron Rookery & Riparian Plants, Puyallup WA (Saturday 12 Noon)
Nov 12, 2022 Accessible Northwest Natural History Hike – Veterans Park & Puyallup Riverwalk Trail (Saturday 12 Noon)
Custom Guided Hikes by Type & Location
Wolf Camp & School of Natural Science also offers Custom Guided Hikes and backpacking trips with goals of physical conditioning, naturalist study, and experiencing the emotional and spiritual nourishment of our mountains, forests, canyons and seashores. They are guided by Wolf Camp co-directors Kim & Chris Chisholm and other Wolf School of Natural Science Faculty. To discuss guided hiking and backpacking ideas such as those listed below email or call us 425-248-0253 ex 1.
Saturday Moderate-Difficult Hikes
Saturday Moderate-Difficult Guided Hikes are open to adults and youth old enough to keep pace, normally meeting at carpooling rendezvous locations at 9:00 a.m., beginning at a trailhead at 10:00 a.m., and ending at approximately 5:00 p.m. Cost for all-day Saturday hikes is normally $65 per adult, and $45 per accompanied youth, but click on descriptions for exact details and to register.
Sunday Afternoon Easy-Moderate Hikes
Sunday Afternoon Easy-Moderate Guided Hikes are open to adults as well as accompanied youth, normally meeting at carpooling rendezvous locations at 12:00 noon, beginning at a trailhead at 1:00 p.m., and ending at approximately 5:00 p.m. Cost for Sunday afternoon hikes is normally $45 per adult, and $30 per accompanied youth, but click on descriptions for exact details and to register.
Weekday Nature Guided Hikes
Weekday Nature Guided Hikes are open to seniors, homeschool families, swing shift and weekend workers, normally meeting at carpooling rendezvous locations at 10:00 a.m., beginning at a trailhead at 11:00 a.m., and ending at 2:00 p.m. Cost for weekday nature hikes is normally $35 per adult, and $25 per accompanied youth, but click on descriptions for exact details and to register.
All Weekend Backpacking Trips
Weekend Guided Backpacking Trips are open to adults as well as accompanied teens able to backpack at a moderate pace, normally meeting at a campground location on Friday between 6-7 p.m. where backcountry navigation and camping/backpacking preparation takes place; we’ll share camp breakfast in the morning and hike Saturday to a backcountry location where we’ll experience backcountry cooking and a night in the wilderness; then we’ll do a wilderness day hike on Sunday morning before backpacking out to our vehicles in the afternoon, but click on descriptions for exact details. Cost is $245 per adult, and $225 per accompanied teen, but click on descriptions for exact details, or just call us at 425-248-0253.
BACKPACK BY REQUEST: Potholes Sand Dunes Backpacking Trip in the driest spot in Washington State, with amazing plants, birds and animal tracks!
SAGEBRUSH CANYONLANDS HIKE BY REQUEST: Umtanum Canyon Geology, Plants, Tracks & Birds located about 15 minutes south of Ellensburg.
NORTH SOUND HIKE BY REQUEST: Wallace Falls 264 Foot Drop Navigation & Plants Hike located about 45 minutes NE of Seattle. * Washington State Discover Pass is required on all vehicles ($30/annual) and must be purchased in advance.
NORTH SOUND HIKE BY REQUEST: Deception Pass Sand Dunes, Seashore Life & Plants Hike from 1:00-5:00 about an hour and a half north of Seattle, with a focus on geology, shore plants and intertidal life. Washington State Discover Pass required on all vehicles and would have to be purchased in advance ($30/annual).
SEATTLE AREA HIKE BY REQUEST: Tiger Mountain Natural Resource Conservation Area Hike located about 20 minutes east of Seattle.
TACOMA AREA HIKE BY REQUEST: Clark’s Creek Park in Puyallup.
OLYMPIA AREA HIKE BY REQUEST: Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge between Tacoma & Olympia WA. * Accessible Hike.
OLYMPIA AREA HIKE BY REQUEST: Mima Mounds Mystery, Prairie Wildflowers & Waterfalls Hike through the Capital Forest about half-way between Seattle and Portland, with a focus on natural history and navigation starting at the mysterious Mima Mounds Natural Area. * Washington State Discover Pass is required on all vehicles ($30/annual) and must be purchased in advance.
SOUTH SOUND HIKE BY REQUEST: Pack Forest Old Growth located about 30 minutes south of Tacoma.
MT RAINIER AREA HIKE BY REQUEST: Elk Country Hike located about 45 minutes south of Tacoma and east of Olympia.
MT ST HELENS HIKE BY REQUEST: Mt. St. Helens Observatory Hike about an hour and a half north of Portland, or 2 hours south of Seattle, with a focus on geology. * Accessible Hike.
PORTLAND AREA HIKE BY REQUEST: Battle Ground Lake near Battle Ground WA about a half hour NE of Portland. * Accessible Hike. * Washington State Discover Pass is required on all vehicles ($30/annual) and must be purchased in advance.
PORTLAND AREA HIKE BY REQUEST: Kings Mountain – Wilson River Edible & Medicinal Plants Hike focusing on plants and navigational skills about 45 minutes west of Portland in the coastal mountains.
PORTLAND AREA HIKE BY REQUEST: North Oregon Coast Naturalist Hike near Seaside, about an hour west of Kelso/Longview WA and/or Portland OR, or 2 hours south of Olympia WA.