About
R.A.D. Camps offers summer day camps that include guided adventures such as hiking, swimming, caving, playing games, building forts, fishing, floating in creeks and rivers, tracking wildlife, biking, climbing at Smith Rock, and exploring rivers and forests. Campers also spend time building in a studio, practicing leadership development, becoming familiar with local flora and fauna, exploring the area, swimming, eating lunch, and practicing “Leave No Trace” principles.
• Ages: 3–15 years old
• Schedule: Classic R.A.D. Experience runs daily from 8:00 AM–4:00 PM, with session dates from June 15–August 29, 2026
• Price: The Classic R.A.D. Experience costs $99 per day (Fridays $75), with a daily drop-in rate of $99 per trip
Since 2008, R.A.D. Camps has been operating and offering adventures. The program describes itself as Central Oregon’s hub for youth exploration and offers youth adventure, art, and outdoor programs with distinct Nest, Studio, and Adventure programs. Everything starts and ends at a basecamp, with daily transport in R.A.D. vans that use a Van Color System (Blue, Red, Green, Orange vans and a Teen Van) to organize groups, and there are optional pick-ups in Tumalo and Sisters on days when a van route passes through. Groups are organized with a ratio of 2 guides per van, with a maximum of 12 kids per van, and programs operate across more than 50 backcountry locations throughout Central Oregon’s forests, lakes, rivers, and trails, including Deschutes and Willamette National Forests and zones such as Cascade Lakes, Deschutes, and McKenzie.
Every trip is led by guides certified as Wilderness First Responders (WFR) or Wilderness EMTs (WEMT), and staff include WFR-certified wilderness guides, experienced makers, and early childhood specialists. R.A.D. Camps operates under a special use permit with the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests. The mission of R.A.D. Camps is to ignite curiosity and creativity in Central Oregon youth through unstructured free play and immersive experiences in the wild or the studio, and to deliver adventure experiences grounded in sustainability and education, guided by Leave No Trace principles and a “No Child Left Inside” philosophy with a focus on stewardship, resilience, and grit. The leadership team includes Chance Caruso, R.A.D. Camps Owner.
The recommended packing list includes a day pack or backpack big enough to carry all personal items, a sack lunch with a nutritious lunch and extra snacks, a full water bottle, sunscreen (applied before camp and packed for reapplication), bug spray, and a sunhat and sunglasses. R.A.D. Camps offers drop-in and short-term enrollment options for visiting families.
Parent testimonials describe children hiking, swimming, caving, making new friends (including frogs), learning to identify plants and animals, and gaining skills, knowledge, and personal growth through their experiences at R.A.D. Camps. Parents also note that their children look forward to returning each summer and mention low staff-to-child ratios, attentive and energetic guides, and experiences that have connected their children to the natural world.
Last updated June 11, 2026.
• Ages: 3–15 years old
• Schedule: Classic R.A.D. Experience runs daily from 8:00 AM–4:00 PM, with session dates from June 15–August 29, 2026
• Price: The Classic R.A.D. Experience costs $99 per day (Fridays $75), with a daily drop-in rate of $99 per trip
Since 2008, R.A.D. Camps has been operating and offering adventures. The program describes itself as Central Oregon’s hub for youth exploration and offers youth adventure, art, and outdoor programs with distinct Nest, Studio, and Adventure programs. Everything starts and ends at a basecamp, with daily transport in R.A.D. vans that use a Van Color System (Blue, Red, Green, Orange vans and a Teen Van) to organize groups, and there are optional pick-ups in Tumalo and Sisters on days when a van route passes through. Groups are organized with a ratio of 2 guides per van, with a maximum of 12 kids per van, and programs operate across more than 50 backcountry locations throughout Central Oregon’s forests, lakes, rivers, and trails, including Deschutes and Willamette National Forests and zones such as Cascade Lakes, Deschutes, and McKenzie.
Every trip is led by guides certified as Wilderness First Responders (WFR) or Wilderness EMTs (WEMT), and staff include WFR-certified wilderness guides, experienced makers, and early childhood specialists. R.A.D. Camps operates under a special use permit with the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests. The mission of R.A.D. Camps is to ignite curiosity and creativity in Central Oregon youth through unstructured free play and immersive experiences in the wild or the studio, and to deliver adventure experiences grounded in sustainability and education, guided by Leave No Trace principles and a “No Child Left Inside” philosophy with a focus on stewardship, resilience, and grit. The leadership team includes Chance Caruso, R.A.D. Camps Owner.
The recommended packing list includes a day pack or backpack big enough to carry all personal items, a sack lunch with a nutritious lunch and extra snacks, a full water bottle, sunscreen (applied before camp and packed for reapplication), bug spray, and a sunhat and sunglasses. R.A.D. Camps offers drop-in and short-term enrollment options for visiting families.
Parent testimonials describe children hiking, swimming, caving, making new friends (including frogs), learning to identify plants and animals, and gaining skills, knowledge, and personal growth through their experiences at R.A.D. Camps. Parents also note that their children look forward to returning each summer and mention low staff-to-child ratios, attentive and energetic guides, and experiences that have connected their children to the natural world.
Last updated June 11, 2026.
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