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Wolf Camp was voted 1 of 2 Best Camps in the Northwest Family News Reader's Poll of 2001, the only year they ran a poll, and we were also chosen as one of the five "best camps ever" by YM Magazine in its March 2003 issue.


Win an autographed copy of the new amazingly-metaphoric-to-wolf-camp children's book Wolf Camp by Katie McKy through our scholarship fundraising raffle.
August 12-17 (2012)


Group tanning a hide of a roadkill racoon they found.


Group showing off the fish spears they made.

Stone Age Artisans

Projects include Survival Bows, Arrowheads, Fish Spears,
Percussion Flintknapping, Rawhide Parfleching, Rabbit Sticks and At-latls.

Located at Dash Point State Park and ending at the Wolf Campus in Puyallup, WA.
Click here to see pictures from last year's Artisans Camp on our facebook page.

This is a celebratory week of making the most artistic and useful tools necessary for traditional living. For example, we'll make obsidian flaked arrowheads by flintknapping, the world's oldest exotic craft, and make a bow from all natural materials. It's a real trick to get proficient at these two crafts, since tillering and flaking allow for no mistakes. Fortunately, you can try over and over.

Other projects include harvesting a tree to make fish spears, and gathering feathers to fletch a dart for your at-latl, which was the world's most widely-spread technological invention for efficient hunting, allowing for humans to thrive over six continents. Obviously, knife work is paramount this week, and it will be a priority that you attain a high level of safety and proficiency with us, practicing your skills by making an aerodynamic rabbit stick.

This camp week has grown to rival even the most popular camps in our 12 year history, probably due to the expertise of our instructors. Stone Age Artisans prepares participants for sacred hunts in the future, since those who choose to hunt carry with them a great sense of honoring all life: that it is sacred, from the mightiest stag to smallest mouse. Of course hunting can only be done legally, and few animals are in-season during the summer. Yet when it happens, you must honor any animal you harvest by utilizing all of its body, learning to skin, gut, butcher, and tan hides. Honoring the whole animal is exactly what this camp is all about.

 

Dinner time for the Artisans 2008.


Artisans 2009.

Camp Availability:

Ages 9-12: Space is available; no prerequisite. See registration options below to reserve your spot.
Ages 13-16: Space is available; no prerequisite. See registration options below to reserve your spot.
Ages 16 & Up: You may also participate in the Earth Skills Artisan running simultaneously.

• Camp Goals & Skills Covered;
• Camp Activities;
• Camp Storyline, Songs, Books, AV & Other Resources;
• Camp Instructors & History;
• General Info, Health/Safety/Food, FAQs;
• Daily Camp Schedule & Pickup/Dropoff;
• Optional Friday Night Stayovers;
• Air/Bus/Train Transportation Choices;
• Tuition & Registration: Download & Send Form; by Phone; or Use PayPal
• How to Prepare & What to Pack;
• Agreements for Participation;

Veteran artisan Brian with bow and at-latl spear he made.

Camp Goals & Skills Covered:

The goal of this camp session is to help you make the items you will need during a stone age living situation, and this camp is a good way to see how to take it from the "emergency survival" level you can experience in Survivors Side of the Mountain to the "traditional outdoor living" and eventual "stone age living" levels. Skills covered during this camp session may include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on instructor preference and camper readiness:

• Use of Survival Knives, training in skills and safety for everyone.
• Natural selection forestry, using Hatchets & Axes for chopping and wood splitting, for those who demonstrate the most ability and consistent awareness of hazards.
• Wild Edible Foraging & Preparation.
• Fire Strategies & Safety
• Natural Water Purification (seeps, filters, and locating natural springs)
• Wilderness Camping, and Swimming in Natural Waters, depending on camper desire and swim testing.
• Hunting & Fishing, depending on group readiness and area laws.


Smoking Salmon


Morgan & Emily collecting grass for a thatched hut.

Camp Schedule & Activities:

See below for Sunday, August 12, 2012 Arrival Times and Friday-Saturday-Sunday Departure and Weekend Stayover options between camps. Our schedule during the week includes morning wake-up, stretches, washing, and breakfast vary slightly depending on previous evening activities, but if all was quiet by 10:00 p.m. we would awake at 7:00, do warm-ups from 7:30-8:00, and have breakfast from 8:00-9:00 ... 9:00-12:00 is the morning session. 12:00-1:00 is lunch, and 1:00-2:00 is usually swimming or other recreational time. 2:00-5:00 is the afternoon session. 5:00-6:00 is dinner, and 6:00-7:00 is usually personal time. Evening sessions begin at 7:00, and bedtime varies according to the activity and the time of sunset.

Activities covered during this camp session include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on weather, instructor descretion, camper desire, and serendipity:

Sunday: Orientation, Agreements, Intro Games, Cordage, Campfire Music & Stories.
Monday: Knife Safety, Spears, At-latls, Plant Harvesting, Campfire Music & Stories.
Tuesday: Spearing, At-latl Dart Fletching, Bow Intro, Hunting Games.
Wednesday: Bowmaking, Intro to Flintknapping, Intro to Hide Tanning, Hunting Games.
Thursday: Archery with Bows, Parfletching Hides, Fish Hook Making, Hunting Games.
Friday: Finish Projects, Fishing, Closing Circle and Family Presentations.

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Eli making a burn-bowl.


Around the nighttime campfire.

Testing bow strength.


Nearly completed fletching for an arrow.

Camp Storyline, Songs, Books, AV & Other Resources:

This session's storyline is "The Flintstones" but may be modified by the instructor, and some of the songs you may learn this week include: • Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog • This Old Man • Meet the Flintstones • Rhinestone Cowboy • Rock Around the Clock • Rockin in the USA • If I Had A Hammer • Let It Be • Turn, Turn, Turn

Books, AV & Other Resources this week include various hand-outs that campers will take home, and if you would like to prepare in advance, please consider studying the following resources we will be referencing:

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Lone Pine) or Plants of the British Columbia Interior (Lone Pine)
The Stars by H.E. Rey, or (Peterson’s) Skies, or A New Way To See Stars
The Great Floods (documentary in cooperation with Coulee Dam National Rec Area Nat'l Park Service) produced by Washington State University.
Three Days at the River documentary by Thomas J. Elpel available from www.hollowtop.com
Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen
Scout Handbook by Baden Powell, and Outdoor Skills Instruction - Survival (Boy Scouts of America)
Hatchet and Winter Dance by Gary Paulson (Doubleday)
The Indian Hunters by R. Stephen Irwin (Hancock House)
Indian Fishing: Early Methods on the Northwest Coast by Hilary Stewart
Cedar by Hilary Stewart
Bush Craft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival by Mors Kochanski
Scout Handbook by Baden Powell
Primitive Technology – A Book of Earth Skills (Gibbs Smith, Publisher) ed. David Wescott


Jason laughing with camper about the rawhide he's holding.

Camp Instructors & History:

This session's likely lead instructor will be Jason with assistance from Aldin, though this may change depending on need and availability. The history of this camp session includes:

• Pilot Year: 2000.
• Past Instructors: Chris, Nikki, Griz, Peter, Huck, Jason, Andrew.

Recent comment: "Thanks again for the wonderful experience, Evan had a blast. The first thing he did when we got home was to set a "trap" in the back yard for rodents. No luck yet:)" - Justin Atwell, parent of 2010 Stone Age Artisans Camper

• Go Back to the Overnight Youth Camp Index for Summer
• Or Continue to the Overnight Youth Camps during the Academic Year

GENERAL INFO, HEALTH/SAFETY, FOOD & FAQs

• Daily Camp Schedule & Pickup/Dropoff
• Optional Friday Night Stayovers;
• Air/Bus/Train Transportation Choices
• Tuition & Registration: Download & Send Form; by Phone; or Use PayPal
• How to Prepare & What to Pack;
• Agreements for Participation;

Join us as we share these exciting, critical skills of the Naturalist, Tracker, Herbalist, Scout, Hunter, Artisan & Pioneer. We don’t rely on novice camp counselors to lead programs, because of course, the skills we teach require great experience. Now it's time to relearn these earth skills which almost went extinct in the past century, in order to apply their lessons to our modern society, helping the world live in balance. Testimonials from past participants will help you understand how we strive to nurture the growth and success of everyone, while providing the rarest of positive experiences. Register for as many weeks as you like this year!

Health, Safey & Food: Our highly seasoned, dynamic instructors place the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health of our students as top priority, and we enjoy a stellar stafety record since founder and lead instructor Chris Chisholm (BA, EMT, Youth Specialist CDC II) started overnight camps in 1998. We have always maintained an intimate 6-1 or smaller ratio of campers-instructors, with lead instructors driving vans who average age 35, accompanied by assistant instructors averaging age 21. All staff receives training in risk management, wilderness first aid, and the pedagogy of earth skills education. Our food is purchased organic, cultivated in our gardens, or harvested in the wild, making for wonderful meals that we all prepare together. In addition, we make all necessary accommodation for vegans and vegetarians, pork-free religious traditions, and of course food allergies.

All camp weeks are co-ed. To read an essay written by Wolf Journey author and resident director Chris Chisholm on choosing an appropriate camp and the emotional challenges facing young campers, click on Camper Preparedness & Emotions. Parents are encouraged to call our main cell phone directly whenever you like during camp, while campers can use our cell phones to freely call home as much as they need during the time they are with us.

Youth Program FAQs Page is being developed.

PICK-UP, DROP-OFF and AIRPORT/BUS/TRAIN TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS

Arrival Options on Sunday, August 12, 2012:

Complimentary Park Arrival Option: Meet us at Dash Point State Park located at 5700 SW Dash Point Road, Federal Way, WA 98023 on Sunday between 4:00-4:30 p.m. and after initial introductions, we'll have dinner together between 5:00-5:30 and then give an overview of the week between 5:30-6:00, including detailed information on our itinerary, after which any accompanying friends/family are free to go.
$50 SeaTac Arrival Option: Book your Airport/Bus/Train Arrival into Seattle-Tacoma on Sunday morning in time to meet our pick-up vehicle at 3:00 p.m., but be sure to call or email us with arrival times before confirming your plans. Pick-up at baggage claim unless unaccompanied minor, then at gate or unaccompanied minor waiting area.

Departure Options on Friday-Sunday:

Complimentary Friday Campus Departure Option: Family & Friends are invited to meet us at the Wolf Campus in Puyallup on Friday between 4:30-5:00 p.m. and we ask that everyone bring a pot-luck dish to share between 5:00-5:30 before enjoying presentations from 5:30-7:00. It is extremely helpful for local family members and friends to arrive at 5:00 and stay all the way until 7:00 in order for all those who participated to experience a healthy integration of these incredibly unique experiences back into their home lives.
$50 Saturday Puyallup Departure Option: Participants can stay overnight with us at the Wolf Campus in Puyallup, where the latest departure time is at 12:00 noon on Saturday. Please let us know at what time you plan to pick-up / depart on Saturday morning.
$75 Saturday SeaTac Departure Option: Participants can travel back to the Wolf Campus and stay overnight with us in Puyallup, and then get dropped off at the Airport/Bus/Train Station in Seattle-Tacoma on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in time for afternoon flights. Drop-off at security unless unaccopanied minor, then at gate, but again, be sure to call or email us with flight times before confirming your plans.
$150 Sunday Puyallup Departure Option: Participants can stay overnight with us Friday & Saturday nights at the Wolf Campus in Puyallup, where the latest departure time is at 12:00 noon on Sunday. Please let us know at what time you plan to pick-up / depart on Sunday morning.
$175 Sunday SeaTac Departure Option: Participants can travel back to the Wolf Campus and stay overnight with us in Puyallup on Friday & Saturday nights, and then get dropped off at the Airport/Bus/Train Station in Seattle-Tacoma on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in time for afternoon flights. Drop-off at security unless unaccopanied minor, then at gate, but again, be sure to call or email us with flight times before confirming your plans.
$175 Weekend Stayover to attend next Camp Week: We'd love to have you stay the weekend and join us for our Epic Fishing Camp or the Blue Skye Family Farm Camp.

TUITION & REGISTRATION

The camp week starts with Sunday dinner and go through Friday dinner and will have a maximum of 36 campers with tuition at $680 if you register by June 5, and $695 thereafter if space remains available. Cumulative discounts of $20 are given per additional family member, $20 cumulative discounts for additional camp weeks, and $20 off for referring any new family who registers someone for camp. $175 per week per participant deposit is required to hold your spot, and campers may apply for as many weeks of the summer as they like.

Additional Fees: The only additional expenses you may incur for this course beyond tuition and transportation are that you may need specific gear, although we have plenty of extra just in case, and you may and wish to contribute to our scholarship fund for camp t-shirts, books and other recommended items. Weekend stayovers between consecutive overnight camp weeks cost $175. There is also a $25-$75 Sunday airport/bus/train pickup fee and a $25-$175 for dropping off depending on driving distance and how long you stay during the weekend. If you can't meet us at the designated camp rendezvous point, please see above for alternate pickup/dropoff times. Please call us with questions.

SPACE IS AVAILABLE for the week of AUGUST 12-17, 2012. REGISTRATION OPTIONS INCLUDE:
Either: 1) Download & Send Our Registration Form via email or usps with a check or credit card deposit.
Or: 2) Call Us and we'll take your application over the phone with a credit card deposit.
Or: 3) Email Us with your address and we'll send you an application form with directions.
Or: 4) Use the PayPal link below to make a deposit and we'll get you all set up!

Name(s) & Age(s) of Participant(s) Enrolling:

Phone Number(s) and Pick-up/Drop-off Point(s):

See our Merit Scholarships, Financial Aid & Giving page to learn how campers can raise money for paying their own way to camp, and how to get financial aid if needed. Our refund policy is written just above where you sign your registration form. It reads that if we cannot accept your registration due to closed enrollment or other reason during the application process, you will receive a full refund on deposits. Otherwise, deposits are not refundable. If you need to cancel after making further payment, you may receive a credit for a future program, minus a 25% administration fee of your total payments, in case of emergency. Of course, you will receive a full refund if the program you sign up for is canceled and not rescheduled at a time you can attend. Participants may be asked to leave at any time for inappropriate behavior or unresolvable match to camp, and no refund (nor credit necessarily) will be given for the portion of the program which is missed.

PACKING & PREPARING FOR CAMP

After registering, we will send you a detailed program description, with directions on how to prepare, including a packing list. For week-long camps, we will also send a questionnaire for new campers to complete. It will include health history questions and other information that are designed to ensure that the program for which you apply is the best choice for you.

Click Here to go to our Essay on How to Pack for Overnight Camps

Lost & Found Policy: If you leave it at camp, it will be picked up by charity unless you pick it up within one month. We do not send forgotten items home except in case of absolute emergency need. Again, to help avoid loosing things, please put your name on every item you bring, bring only what you need, and leave all electronic devices and other distractions at home.

AGREEMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION AT WOLF CAMP

A Haven Of Physical & Emotional Safety: Carefully read these agreements for participation in camp. They are particularly important to ensure a safe, educational, and fun experience under challenging circumstances that are unique to the Wolf Camp experience. Parents: please explain to your child that deciding to participate in Wolf Camp means agreeing to honor the experience as a safe haven for every person - physically and emotionally. Also, please help us best explain the following agreements by discussing them with your child in an age-appropriate manner consistent with your family values.

____I will remain within the designated boundaries during camp. The boundaries will be pointed out when we arrive at camp.
____I will go off by myself only with clear permission from my group leader. Otherwise, I will always be with a partner and make it known to my group leader our whereabouts.
____I will only enter water under clear direction from a lead camp instructor.
____I will respect the personal boundaries of others in camp, including bodies, belongings, and behavior that others may or may not witness. We will discuss appropriate sleeping, dressing, and bathroom situations at the start of camp.
____I will refrain from sharing any stories, jokes, or comments which are derogatory toward others in camp, toward groups of people in the outer world, or toward sacred themes such as bodily function, including human reproduction. Also, all participants agree to discuss only age-appropriate themes and behaviors around younger campers without instructor supervision.
____I will refrain from taking romantic or similar actions while participating in Wolf Camp.
____I will refrain from using drugs, including alcohol, from 24 hours before the day camp starts, until my last contact with any camp participant after camp is over. I will bring a written description of any prescribed medicines, including instructions for intake.
____I will respect the sensitive plants and animals in special areas during camp, and I will put nothing in my mouth that I don't know 100% that it won't cause illness or poisoning.
____I will always encourage others to rise to the challenge in every group activity.
____I will always watch out for the safety of every person in camp.
____I will follow additional rules specific to our group location. Examples include using appropriate footwear based on substrate hazards and type of activity, kitchen and sanitation rules,  tool safety, etc. 

These agreements will be discussed the first day of camp to clarify them for participants, and campers will also add agreements they wish the group to honor during the week. Instructors will also have a few more details to add that will help make camp fun and safe.

Please note that you may be asked to sign an additional liabilty release form with all the rules of the Wolf Camp or other property being utilized during camp. And a final note to those dropping-off and picking-up: Pets must be kept on leash or in your vehicle at all times.

Come Meet Us

Click for a link to the School Year Class Series for your next opportunity to experience our welcoming educational style.

To register, print out an application, call us or email with questions, and we'll send you all the details.

email or call us • wolfcamp.com / wolfcollege.com / wolfjourney.com • mailing address and driving directions
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