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Overnight Field Trips
Building lifelong memories through immersive hands-on science education.
Our Volcano Outdoor School Overnight Field Trips provide a unique, interdisciplinary, immersive single night or multi-night experience that supports Next Generation Science Standards and Washington State Social Emotional Learning Standards for students grades 3 through 12.
Overnight Outdoor School
Students will explore the world around them, make field observations, work as a team, share and discuss ideas, and reflect on the nature and themselves.
In our geology track for students to investigate themes of scale, human connections to geologic processes, and interactions between earth systems.
In our ecology track for students to investigate themes of disturbance, succession and renewal
Overnight Field Trip Logistics
Our education team chooses activities based on the learning goals of the group, age of students, group size, season, weather and staff availability. Specific activities may be available upon request.
Location: Mount St. Helens Science & Learning Center. See Map Link. See a video of the site.
Maximum group size: 30 youth, 6 adults
Student:Educator ratio: 15 students per 1 MSHI educator
Required chaperone ratio: 1:5 chaperones to students
Duration: 1-night or 2-night
Times: 2:00 PM arrival day - 12:00 PM departure day
Cost:
- $150/person/night (Minimum: $2500/night)
- 1 teacher/group leader FREE
- NEW in 2025: 10% discount for school programs in September - October
- INCLUDES: 3 meals + snacks throughout the program + Lodging at the Science & Learning Center or Coldwater Campground + 8 hours of educational activities led by Mount St. Helens Institute per night
- Financial assistance may be available for low-income groups. Contact us today!
Learn about Volcano Outdoor School
Ready to Register?
Step 1: Consider your date availability
Our form asks you to submit 3 possible date options. Please note that available dates are subject to group size, staff availability, and facility availability.
Our busiest weeks are May 1 through June 15 and fill up quickly. Fall outdoor school is a great way to create bonds that last throughout the school year, is a beautiful time of year to visit the mountain, and has more flexibility.
Step 2: Read our Program Policies
Program Policies. Note that groups are required to provide chaperone support at a ratio of 1:5 chaperones per students for overnight trips and 1:8 chaperones per students for day trips.
Step 4: Register by completing the non-binding inquiry form
The required inquiry form begins your registration. For qualifying groups, the financial assistance form starts the process to provide assistance.
On the inquiry form, please include your top three dates and any information about the limits of your flexibility (ex: any Thursday in June), and dates you cannot come. We do our best to accommodate your dates based on our availability and our priorities based on grant funding.
After you Inquire
- We will notify you of the proposed date(s) and any financial support ~ 2 weeks after we receive your inquiry.
- Once we have agreed on a date, we will send you a Program Agreement for you to sign and return to us.
- Once we received a completed Program Agreement, we send you access to pre-field trip planning materials.
Thank you for learning with us!
Join our learning list to receive the latest updates about our education programs, including registration openings, information about virtual and online education, and teacher trainings.
MSHI is a certified Outdoor School site by Outdoor Schools Washington
This recognizes our continued efforts to support programs that put the safety and well being of our students and staff before all else. Check out the OSWA website to learn more!
MSHI updated under a special use permit from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and a commercial use permit from Washington State Parks. We are an equal opportunity provider.