VASHON, Wash. — Camp Sealth is the winner of Best Summer Camp in 2024's Best Northwest Escapes viewer's poll.
It's a place that's been making memories for over a century.
"We are at Camp Sealth. We are on Vashon Island," said Omar Malik, Director of Camping at Camp Sealth. "We were formed in 1920. The first summer took place on Blake Island. In 1921 Campfire bought this particular property for $7,000. At the time, it was about 150 acres that they bought. And they've been running camp here ever since."
The camp has changed over the decades, but there are still original structures on site that are used to this day.
"Rounds Hall is the oldest building here on campus," said Malik. "It's the only one that was built in the '20s. And it was actually being built when the first group of kids showed up here, so it wasn't even built in time. We've had many renovations over the years, but a lot of it is still original, including the floor, which is still the same floor from 1920."
Today Camp Sealth is busier than ever with different programs set up throughout the year.
"In the summertime, kids mostly participate in our classic camp program, which is your kind of traditional one-week overnight summer program. But then in the year, we also host different schools who come out to Camp Sealth to do their outdoor education program, usually from the greater Puget Sound area," said Malik. "We have kids that come back year after year, we have generations of families that have been coming back to Camp Sealth year after year."
And when the camp's location is in such a scenic setting as Vashon Island, it's easy to see why they return.
"I think the most beautiful thing about it is that they get to connect with nature," Malik said. "Being able to be in a space like this and enjoy the healing powers that nature has to offer, I think it is something that all kids should be able to experience."
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