Camp Woodend

Camps fill quickly, however, a few camps in each grade still have space!
Check availability for these and other camps and sign up today.

In this exciting new camp designed for teens in grades 10, 11 and 12, we’ll spend Monday at Woodend learning outdoor survival skills, embark on an off-property adventure Tuesday, then spend Wednesday-Friday at a Maryland state park where we’ll camp overnight (two nights), hike, and kayak.

Throughout the week in this popular cooking camp for grades 7 through 9, our chefs will take on different cooking challenges featuring local produce. We’ll learn new culinary techniques, visit our local farm stand, and spend some time tending to our learning garden. It’s our former ‘Top Chef’ camp, rebranded.

Overnight camp for seventh, eighth and ninth graders. Explore Western Maryland in this fabulous overnight camp! We will spend Monday and Tuesday at Woodend practicing team building and basic camping skills. On Wednesday, we will travel to a Maryland state park for a three-day, two-night campout to explore mountain ecology and build our wilderness skills. Join us for the fun, learning, and friendships that only wilderness camping can provide!

Nature exploration camp for kindergarten students. Come learn all about our animal friends who live in the forest! From foxes to worms, we’ll learn why animals live in forests, what they find to eat, and how they build their homes.  

What better way to learn about nature than through hands-on exploration! Join us as we satisfy our curiosity and get our hands dirty looking for slugs, bugs, and more!

This class for graders 5 and 6 combined garden knowledge and cooking. Dust off those hats and hiking boots for an adventure into the farms of Maryland. Experience a real working farm, pick your own fruits and veggies, meet farm animals, and find out where the food on your table comes from. We will visit local farms and gardens and make some delicious food from our Learning Garden.

Popular nature photography camp for fifth and sixth graders. Can you capture the essence of a Tiger Swallowtail or the beauty of a wildflower? Come give it a try in this camp all about photographing the wonders of nature. We will travel to different local nature preserves and explore their natural flora and fauna. Please bring your own camera.

If your child loves dinosaurs, check out this camp for fifth and sixth graders. Journey to the Jurassic as we uncover a world where birds were just taking flight, ancient ferns and fauna flourished, and dinosaurs roamed the earth. We’ll learn all about this ancient world and the species that inhabited it millions of years in the past.  

 Come explore the many national wonders we are lucky to have in the DMV. We’ll visit multiple sites run by the National Park Service and experience the wildlife and views that each park offers.

For centuries, nature and imagination have intertwined, spawning myths and legends such as dragons, fairies, wood nymphs, and even the Loch Ness Monster! Roll some dice and use your imagination to create a fantasy world of your own through nature exploration at Woodend and a trip to the archery range.  This camp is for students in grades 5 and 6.

Very popular camp for children in grades 3 and 4. Komodo Dragons, Timber Rattlesnakes, and sea turtles are just a few examples of wildly cool reptiles and their cousins, the amphibians. We will focus on how these animals are alike and different, learn about their special needs, and compare them to their prehistoric ancestors. 

Get ready to delve deep into caves and fly high in the sky as we discover fun facts about bats. Did you know there are 1,000 varieties of these fantastic flyers? Join us on our journey as we travel to bat habitats worldwide including our own backyards. This camp will include an optional evening component for campers and their families to explore the nighttime wildlife at Woodend Sanctuary.

Dive into a drop of pond water or a speck of soil and explore the multitudes of life inside. We’ll use microscopes and magnifiers to explore the thousands of organisms that can be found in our soil, water, and air. Great nature science camp for grades 3 and 4.

Camp for first and second graders. Discover the wonderful world around you from the perspective of a plant and explore how different plants support our Woodend ecosystem. Learn how carnivorous plants, grasses, leaves, mosses and algae are the base of the food web that sustains life. 

 Using all five of our senses, we’ll explore our nature sanctuary to determine who lives here. We'll search for clues, make hypotheses, and get our hands dirty as we hunt down the truth about our local wildlife.

Come learn about the wonderful wildlife that call Woodend home. We’ll talk about insects, frogs, birds, foxes, coyotes, and more! Fun nature camp for kindergarten students.

Check availability and REGISTER HERE!

Learn about out Teen Naturalist Training program for students in grades 9 – 11!
Applications available now.

Welcome!

Camp Woodend provides day, travel, and overnight camps for families in the DC metro area. Located on a 40-acre nature sanctuary in Montgomery County MD, our camps provide high-quality environmental science education and good old-fashioned camp fun!

For questions about the summer camp program, including camp-specific inquiries, medical issues, and scholarships, please email Director of Youth Programs Brenna Houck (Hazelnut).

For registration details, please email Pam Oves.

Woodend Sanctuary is a 40-acre oasis located just outside Washington, DC in the middle of Chevy Chase in Montgomery County, MD.

Bordering Rock Creek Park, the sanctuary contains mature woods and meadows, a pond, and an intermittent stream that provides habitat for many birds, insects, deer, rabbits, and foxes.

Open lawns provide activity space, and well-maintained nature trails allow for safe nature exploration.

What makes Camp Woodend
so Unique?

Camp Woodend is committed to providing the best possible camp experience for your child. All camps are taught by experienced environmental educators, maintaining a child-teacher ratio of 8-1.

Camps run from 8:45 am-3:45 pm. Extended camp available until 5:00 pm for grades 1-6.

From Kindergarten through high school we have an outdoor adventure that is right for your child, whether it is looking for salamanders under a log, hiking the AT, cooking food harvested from our Children’s Garden, or visiting the National Zoo.

FAQ

Need more information? Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Learn More

Teen Naturalist Training Program

We offer a Teen Naturalist Training (TNT) program, similar to a CIT program, for teens entering 9th, 10th or 11th grade.

FInd Out More!

What youth and parents are saying about Camp Woodend

“My son so badly needed this time to unplug, get down in the mud, be creative, and most of all get to be around other kids in a safe way.”
Camp Woodend Parent

“Thank you for this incredible and creative solution that has brought so much joy and interest into (my child’s) life this summer.”
Camp Woodend Parent

“We are so grateful to you for running camps and programs!!! We can’t thank you enough!!!! We’d love to go all summer, if possible.”
Camp Woodend Parent

Medical Forms for Camp
(if necessary)

Confirmation materials will be emailed three weeks before camp begins. Health and medication forms are due at least one month before your child’s camp begins.

Medication Administration
(must be signed by a doctor)

Asthma Action Plan
(must be signed by a doctor)

Allergy Action Plan
(must be signed by a doctor)

Maryland Immunization Certification Form
(for non-US residents only)