Wilderness Youth Project Summer Camp
Wilderness Youth Project, 2040 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite 224, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
About
Wilderness Youth Project Summer Camp includes activities such as playing games designed to build awareness, gaining naturalist skills, discovering the plants and animals in the area, making crafts, and practicing fire by friction. Campers may build debris huts, wander, play nature awareness games, take part in stewardship and tracking, carve, build their own fire kits, and make cordage from plants. Some sessions include tracking animals, playing games that increase awareness and agility, riding a bike, reviewing basic bicycle safety, riding in a group together, exploring local open space and wilderness areas around town, camping, animal tracking, working with rabbit hunting sticks, learning animal movements, and taking part in skinning, tanning, butchering, tanning their own rabbit skin, and cooking the meat over the fire.
• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Schedule: Summer season runs June 15–August 14, 2026, with participants meeting for 1–2 week summer sessions, and a summer lottery application period from February 11–18, placement announcement on March 5, and a waitlist that remains open from March through the end of Summer Camp.
• Price: You can find the session price on the current master schedule or on the registration website.
Daily schedules vary by group, including Bumblebees as a weekly camp from 9AM–1PM or 3PM with optional aftercare from 1–3PM, Treefrogs from 9AM–3PM, Salamanders from 9AM–3PM, Dragonflies from 9AM–4PM, Dolphins from 9AM–4PM, and C.I.T. from 9AM–3PM. Some programs include overnights, such as Steelheads Campout (9AM–4PM with an overnight component), Dragonflies Campout – Bike (9AM–4PM with a Thursday overnight campout), Ringtails Backpacking Trip (Week 1 9AM–4PM and Week 2 overnight), Scarab Bike Expedition (9AM–4PM with an overnight component), and Condors Backpacking Trip as a 5-day overnight backpacking trip. Steelheads Campout is a one-week camp with 2 days of day camp plus a 3-day local camping trip, Ringtails Backpacking Trip includes a first week of van-based day camp followed by a second week backpacking expedition, and Scarab Bike Expedition is one week with 2 days of local rides plus a 3-day bike packing trip.
Summer placements are determined by a weighted lottery, and most programs have 12 youth and use 15-passenger vans to travel to different locations. Every program has a 4:1 ratio of children to adults. Salamanders camp is created specifically for neurodiverse kids. Bumblebees is specially designed for younger children with a strong curiosity about the natural world and is place-based without van travel. Steelheads Campout is designed to introduce young people to camping and is noted as a gender affinity program with an invitation to contact staff if a participant does not identify as male or female and/or is gender expansive. Skills Camp: Rabbits is a skills-focused camp theme involving rabbit-related wilderness skills, and C.I.T. is a Counselor in Training program for summer camps with younger children.
The mission of Wilderness Youth Project states that nature connection makes life better for kids and that all children need nature. The organization states that time in nature makes kids happier, healthier, and smarter, and that it connects kids to nature in small groups guided by inspired, skilled, and committed mentors and volunteers. Wilderness Youth Project states that it connects kids from all backgrounds to Santa Barbara’s natural beauty and equips students with self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and skills to work with others.
Wilderness Youth Project describes its staff as inspired, skilled, and committed mentors and volunteers. The staff are described as unmatched in their professionalism, expertise, outdoor safety skills, and understanding of how to open up the world of nature to children of all ages. The organization states that its talented and well-trained staff have utilized their skills to help children build social bridges and confidence in challenging social situations.
Wilderness Youth Project states that it runs on community and that the community supports kids in growing smarter, healthier, and happier. One testimonial from a UCSB instructor describes appreciation for what WYP has done for their children and the community and repeats that staff are unmatched in professionalism, expertise, outdoor safety skills, and understanding of how to open up the world of nature to children of all ages. A parent of a preschool-age participant reports seeing a significant transformation in their daughter, including boosted confidence, improved listening skills, and a blossoming love and connection for the earth, teachers, and friends. A middle school student on her first outing to Red Rock describes surprise that such a place exists nearby and contrasts time spent indoors on phones with being outside. A parent of a 6-year-old participant describes WYP as a place of respite and solace for their child and notes that staff have used their skills to help the child build social bridges and confidence in challenging social situations.
Last updated March 27, 2026.
• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Schedule: Summer season runs June 15–August 14, 2026, with participants meeting for 1–2 week summer sessions, and a summer lottery application period from February 11–18, placement announcement on March 5, and a waitlist that remains open from March through the end of Summer Camp.
• Price: You can find the session price on the current master schedule or on the registration website.
Daily schedules vary by group, including Bumblebees as a weekly camp from 9AM–1PM or 3PM with optional aftercare from 1–3PM, Treefrogs from 9AM–3PM, Salamanders from 9AM–3PM, Dragonflies from 9AM–4PM, Dolphins from 9AM–4PM, and C.I.T. from 9AM–3PM. Some programs include overnights, such as Steelheads Campout (9AM–4PM with an overnight component), Dragonflies Campout – Bike (9AM–4PM with a Thursday overnight campout), Ringtails Backpacking Trip (Week 1 9AM–4PM and Week 2 overnight), Scarab Bike Expedition (9AM–4PM with an overnight component), and Condors Backpacking Trip as a 5-day overnight backpacking trip. Steelheads Campout is a one-week camp with 2 days of day camp plus a 3-day local camping trip, Ringtails Backpacking Trip includes a first week of van-based day camp followed by a second week backpacking expedition, and Scarab Bike Expedition is one week with 2 days of local rides plus a 3-day bike packing trip.
Summer placements are determined by a weighted lottery, and most programs have 12 youth and use 15-passenger vans to travel to different locations. Every program has a 4:1 ratio of children to adults. Salamanders camp is created specifically for neurodiverse kids. Bumblebees is specially designed for younger children with a strong curiosity about the natural world and is place-based without van travel. Steelheads Campout is designed to introduce young people to camping and is noted as a gender affinity program with an invitation to contact staff if a participant does not identify as male or female and/or is gender expansive. Skills Camp: Rabbits is a skills-focused camp theme involving rabbit-related wilderness skills, and C.I.T. is a Counselor in Training program for summer camps with younger children.
The mission of Wilderness Youth Project states that nature connection makes life better for kids and that all children need nature. The organization states that time in nature makes kids happier, healthier, and smarter, and that it connects kids to nature in small groups guided by inspired, skilled, and committed mentors and volunteers. Wilderness Youth Project states that it connects kids from all backgrounds to Santa Barbara’s natural beauty and equips students with self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and skills to work with others.
Wilderness Youth Project describes its staff as inspired, skilled, and committed mentors and volunteers. The staff are described as unmatched in their professionalism, expertise, outdoor safety skills, and understanding of how to open up the world of nature to children of all ages. The organization states that its talented and well-trained staff have utilized their skills to help children build social bridges and confidence in challenging social situations.
Wilderness Youth Project states that it runs on community and that the community supports kids in growing smarter, healthier, and happier. One testimonial from a UCSB instructor describes appreciation for what WYP has done for their children and the community and repeats that staff are unmatched in professionalism, expertise, outdoor safety skills, and understanding of how to open up the world of nature to children of all ages. A parent of a preschool-age participant reports seeing a significant transformation in their daughter, including boosted confidence, improved listening skills, and a blossoming love and connection for the earth, teachers, and friends. A middle school student on her first outing to Red Rock describes surprise that such a place exists nearby and contrasts time spent indoors on phones with being outside. A parent of a 6-year-old participant describes WYP as a place of respite and solace for their child and notes that staff have used their skills to help the child build social bridges and confidence in challenging social situations.
Last updated March 27, 2026.
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