EDUCATIONAL TRIP TO SEATTLE AND THE PACIFIC NW

MOUNT RAINIER GLACIER JOURNEY

[TRIP LENGTH: 6 DAYS]

Itinerary can be customized to fit within your time frame or budgetary needs.

On this school trip to Seattle and the Pacific NW, students will learn about local endemic habitats while serving with a conservation program.  The Northwest part of the United States is a vast and amazing Rocky Mountain paradise. Students on class trips are moved by the sheer enormity of the towering mountains, dense forests, and uncountable kilometers of crenelated coastline. It’s often the smaller details that make a trip here magical.  Students will snowshoe on the top of Mount Rainier, explore waterfalls, take in mysterious stories about Bigfoot and learn about the ecology of this region.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive in Seattle, WA and Visit Pikes Market

Your school group will arrive in Seattle. The history of Seattle as a city is itself only about 130 years long, but in that time it has become the cultural and economic center of the Pacific Northwest.  Your group will take a guided tour of Pikes Market including a stop at the original Starbucks.

Day 2 – Whitewater Rafting and Volunteer at the Cascade Salmon Fishery Center

Your school group will go rafting on a Class III River. The steep walled canyons create an adrenaline-filled ride with some of the most amazing scenery in all of the US. Following lunch the group will volunteer to help restore Coho and Chinook salmon populations to local rivers, creeks, and tributaries. This involves helping local rangers with netting, feeding, and stocking salmon fingerlings. In the late afternoon you will explore what is known as America’s Bavaria in the town of Leavenworth.

 Day 3 – Olympic Mountains and Rainforest

Drenched in over 12 feet of rain a year, Olympic’s west side valleys flourish with North America’s best remaining examples of temperate rain forest. Your school group will take a day to hike these mountains and view amazing waterfalls. The group will learn about the plants and animals that live in this ecosystem.

Day 4 – Explore Mount Rainier and Snowshoe on a Glacier

Today your school group will journey to the top of Mount Rainier.  Along the way you will take guided hikes with your naturalist who will teach about glaciation and the formation of glacier lakes.  You will also visit several waterfalls on your journey to the top.  Upon arriving at the Rainier lodge at the top of the mountain, you will put on your snow shoes and hike one of the glaciers near the summit.

 Day 5 – Kayak with Orcas and Sea Otters in the San Juan Islands

Today your students will go sea kayaking in the San Juan Islands. This is one of the most sought-after outdoor activities in world.  Along with our local kayak guide you will tour many of the small islands looking for whales, seals, sea otters and a variety of marine life.  Later that night you might take in a Mariners baseball game if available.

 Day 6 – The Journey Home

After breakfast you school group will visit some of Seattle’s more famous sites before heading to the airport for the trip home.

Add a Day and Visit White Rock, British Columbia in Canada

Itinerary subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control including availability with vendors, weather conditions and flight schedules.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Visit downtown Seattle
  • Volunteer with a conservation project at a Fish Hatchery
  • Explore the rainforest at Olympic National Park
  • Raft down class II rapids in the Cascades
  • Snowshoe on top of Mount Rainier
  • Study intertidal pools in Puget Sound

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Qualified trip leader – Accompanying each expedition is a diverse team of experts from naturalists to regional specialists who will share their knowledge and insights on the wildlife, landscapes and local culture. Your guide is with the group 24/7 and also staying with you at the same hotel
Daily reflections lead by your tour leader
Overnight stays are in hotels with private bathrooms rated 4 star or more on Trip Advisor
All Meals are included but please note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
Tour Journal, T-shirt and Luggage tag
Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa.