Trackers is amazing. The times we've been able to enroll our child, she comes home energized, excited and accessing her wildness. Excellent! We love it. Plus, it fuels both skills and dreams. Cool stuff.
Staff is great, and kids build confidence and self reliance
My son is 12 and has tried out a lot of different summer camps over the years - the Zoo, OMSI, YMCA, etc. Trackers is his absolute favorite and is now the only one he wants to do. They have a nice variety of camps, so if he does multiple camps in one summer, he can do different things each time. In all of the trackers camps he has done, they are outside all day, every day, learning really cool skills, going to great locations and have had amazing counselors. For me, their schedule and multiple locations are really appreciated as it makes drop off/pick up and coordinating with my job hassle free. I can't recommend them enough.
My son is 9 and in the 4th grade Rangers program & goes on Wends. the homeschool day & LOVES it. The entire staff is Polite, Patient, & know their stuff. They offer kids & adults the chance to explore, imagine, and learn long forgotten skills. He is so excited and it's all he talks about. His favorite things are archery, learning how to make fire, & using his knife to carve things. We are forever GRATEFUL that the staff there has Blessed our family with this opportunity. It is a kindness that will not soon be forgotten. Anyone looking for a great kids camp for summer,day or winter/spring breaks couldn't find a better place it is worth every penny ( it's a very reasonable price for all that you get.) Best thing is adults can go also.... I hope someday to be able to go myself!!
Trackers Earth provides a great environment for students and employees both. My grandson loves going to their classes and I've known several of their loyal employees over the years who speak highly of their boss. Trackers ROCKS and contributes to our community in many ways. #JobCreators #15NOW #LoveTheEarth
Hours open need to be updated. Site says open from 730-4 but they were closed at 10
Epic longstanding well-deserved reputation. Long live Trackers Earth.
I love the hands on experiences with foraging, adventuring, and with skills like carving and making fire that my kids get up to here. They come home the dirtiest, happiest, and the most tired from Trackers than anywhere and that means good times were had.
I was initially a huge fan when my child first enrolled in Trackers PDX summer camp at the age of 4. Although I questioned the idea of busing kids daily to distant locations, my son absolutely loved the themes, the locations (state parks), the counselors, and didn't seem to mind the 20-30min bus rides. Fast forward a couple years, we enrolled in 3 weeks of Trackers at their new West Sylvan location and our love affair quickly came to an end. The 6-7yo age group was being shipped to destinations an hour away in heavy traffic and 95+F weather, which meant over 2 hours on a scorching yellow bus with no air conditioning each day for three weeks straight! My son told me the only thing he could do to manage the heat and exhaust was getting misted with water and covering his face with a shirt, forget trying to engage in songs and stories. That's not building character, that's risking heat stroke and respiratory problems. To add to the misery, there were bus breakdowns, location changes on an almost daily basis, and counselor departures and substitutions, topped off with an apparent lack of enthusiasm on the part of the counselors or inability/inexperience engaging kids of that age. A few days into his first week, he began complaining of being bored and begging "not to get on that bus," which turned into a painful daily routine. The three weeks felt like an alternate reality, finding it unimaginable that this was the same camp of years past?! The frequent location changes prompted me to do some web searching and I was alarmed to find that rather than beautiful state parks, his group was being taken to county or city parks that were noted for being littered, polluted by dog feces or drug needles. When I called Trackers inquiring about the safety of these locations and expressed desire to visit the site the kids were taken too, I was told that visiting was not advised and that I could invoke their best fit guarantee. Rather than trying to be transparent and "do better" as they claim, they just prefer to say goodbye to the very people who are loyal to them. As a parent I felt cheated by their advertising, and my child was cheated out of a good chunk of his summer.
The Intro 1 day (10-4pm) blacksmithing class was an incredible experience for me. I never had such a great time doing something I was so terrible at. Caleb Booth is a super supportive instructor, stresses safety, and has a ton of patience. I got through two of the three projects and had a few things to take home. Thank you Trackers for offering this class.
My daughter loves this place. She did summer camps here and came home dirty, tired, and filled with passion for the outdoors. Highly recommend if your child has any sense of adventure.
So it's a little alarming that these people have my kid and can't be bothered to answer their phone.
Awesome place for learning new skills awesome place to work.....all around awesome place
Amazing Happy Valley, OR camp! Our kids had not participated in summer camp before Trackers but couldn't have been happier. They are begging to return next summer and we will happily oblige. I was particularly impressed with their check-in/out process during COVID and their flexibility in activities during hot days. Counselors were super friendly and kept us updated each day. We loved how they communicated about small conflicts that came up and kept us updated on how they managed the situation. Very impressive! Can't wait for next year!!
Held my daughter's 9th birthday party here. The archery instructor was great and the adults had as much fun as the kids. It was definitely worth the money and the drive from Salem.
My eight year old daughter has been attending Trackers for nearly two years - daily during the school year (via the Transported After School program) and for a couple of weeks per summer. I can't overstate what an amazing experience it has been for her, particularly the after school program. Where else are you going to find a bunch of seven and eight year olds learning to blacksmith? The staff have always been extremely friendly and are tremendously knowledgeable. I completely agree with a previous review that Trackers is a unique, every changing experience. The current camp is very different from that of even two years ago, but I feel like they've manage to grow and scale in interesting directions. Be warned though, that this camp is not for the faint of heart. Your children are given a lot of freedom with a lot of responsibility and they are going to come home dirty and exhausted.
Took a two-week (4-day) bowmaking class. The class size was small and that was critical. All supplies are made available and very passionate and well-versed instructors. Great folks sharing what they love with everyone else. Will be back for more!
My 10 year old son spends most of his summer attending a variety of camps and I can honestly say that Trackers is one of his favorite camps. Last year he spent one week in Zombie Survival Camp learning how to fend for himself in the wilderness, carve sticks for hunting, start a fire without matches, and best of all look like a Zombie. He loved it and appreciated how he was treated like a responsible young man. This year he has opted for Stealth, Archery, and Survival Camp to expand on the skills learned last year. He is excited about the adventure coming up.
My kids have been attending weekly for almost four years- in all that time I have only good things to say about the organization and the staff. Their knowledge, commitment and dedication to the kids and the skills being taught are commendable.
I have been emailing, calling, and leaving voicemails (when the mailbox isn t full, which was only 3 times out of 27 calls), trying to get a refund for summer camp that we paid for in early February. The first day was supposed to be TODAY. No one has responded. I will not risk my child s health or other s in 100 degree weather. There s no way a 6 year-old can wear a mask for 6 hours outside around strangers in this heat, let alone milder weather. I m livid.
Great for both our kids! One is a 14-year-old boy with ADHD and high functioning autism who goes to their summer camps. The other is a 5-year-old girl who attends Forest School for
Kindergarten. Both love it! And the instructors are so amazing!
A place to let your kid learn and grow. They don't wrap them in cotton... but they both challenge and keep them safe.
Amazing, earth connected activities; funny & caring staff lets everyone have a voice.
The instructors and staff are great. They offer great class options for all ages. My son loves attending blacksmithing class at this school.
Great facilities, great staff. Only reason I don't give it 5 stars is trying to get into the parking lot at rush hour.
My daughter has attended several Trackers camps, and loved every one of them.
These guys are great. Wonderful experience for our child.
I think Trackers ROCKS! My daughter thinks Trackers ROCKS! In just a few words... my daughter has had sooooo much fun this week in the Realms of Cascadia youth day camp, using her imagination while hiking through the woods and learning, practical hunter/gatherer skills while having a BLAST and just having some good educational fun. LOVE IT!!
My 1st grader loves Trackers! Your kids will love them too!
My son is currently a Ranger. We will try Wilders next year too. He is having a blast and always comes home totally jazzed to see Bea again for their next adventure. My son can be a little challenging, as he sometimes has trouble following directions or staying focused. However, Bea radiates patience and I can tell she truly cares about him. In turn, my son is becoming much more confident and self-assured under Bea s care. We hear all kinds of cool stories at home, especially about owl calls and deer forensics, lol.
It s so important to be grateful for the village of people who care for our children, and I wanted to make sure Bea and the Trackers staff know how much I appreciate them. We are excited to come back next year! I hope my son will be an apprentice for many years to come. I highly recommend this program, to teach children about their world and their place in it. Plus, they have so much fun too!
And Bea, Thank you again, truly, for all you do.
My children love this place. I always sign them up for at least one week of summer camp. Very outdoor orientated and active. Recommend
My daughter goes to Earth Trackers Happy Vally. So grateful she is out hiking, fishing, learning which plants are edible and which to avoid!!!...I work long hours and when I pick her up before six I feel she is still getting a super fun and special summer break. So reieved for this option.
Our family considers summer to be our "Golden Time" thanks to trackers. We don't go on summer vacations because my kids would rather be at trackers and I agree with them.
I can't say enough good things about the people they hire. I am not sure what the processes is for finding these gems but it works. The counselors are full of energy, fun, and create a sense of awe and wonder. My kids are fully immersed in each camp and live it deeply. The counselors work well with all kinds of personalities in children. You won't see any whistles and embroidered polos here. The counselors dress up and take part in the theme of the week. They are laid back enough to allow kids to be kids and firm enough in boundaries to keep things safe for everyone. They are respectful to kids and in turn the children have immense respect for them.
Another thing you won't see is a bunch of camp counselors on cell phones. Ever. They use walkie talkies to communicate with other counselors and staff. Finally, a place where your kids can be free of distractions and just be. It sets a great example for proper communication between people and keeps the rustic mood. To have people completely focused on your children is rare these days.
My kids learn more science in the summer than they do all year. I was born and raised in Alaska so I feel qualified through my experiences to speak to this. At 4 my child knew more about plant identification than most adults. He was able to identify rare berries I had not previously shown him. My now 7 year old warns me on hikes which plants not to touch. My 5 year old will come running into the house with plants I can get water out of if I am thirsty. It's awesome to see this. They know a lot about animals, tracks, and survival. This teaches them to think outside the box. They look around and see, touch, and sense for their answers.
Socially trackers has a wide range of kids which is great. Kids learn to get along with all kinds of children. They share, think about how to do things, and have fun experiencing things with kids in their age group. The shyest and most out going thrive here.
Food allergies. Most of us know someone who has an intolerance or we have a sensitivity to at least one thing ourselves. Trackers is extremely careful about this. Each and every time you check in they ask if you have any peanuts or peanut products. My kids have other allergies but if they were allergic to peanuts I would feel comfortable sending them to trackers. They are always mindful of the allergies my kids do have and if food is involved we have always come up with a solution my kids are happy with.
Sunscreen. If you use it let me rest your worries of burns. My kids even on the hottest weeks have never had a hint of a burn. They are careful of reapplying and moving to different spots if need be.
Hydration. This is probably the most important thing to be concerned with in long hot days. They make hydration fun. Yep, fun. They play hydration games, kids earn stripes for drinking, and they set an example of talking about it and doing it a lot.
Parking. They had 6 people hired to help with parking at one location alone. That's how much they care about your child's safety.
Trackers has been the single most outstanding experience my kids have had the opportunity to be a part of outside of their home. I am grateful beyond words for trackers. What more could I ask for than each of my kids to be happy every day for the adventures they will have at trackers camp. We love Trackers! Thank you so much!!!
I literally can not say enough great things about Trackers. My son is 6 and he is loving his first summer camp there - stealth and archery camp! Important skills, exciting for kids with very creative, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Really important these days for kids to have these skills!! My son came home so energized to practice skills he learned at camp. Its worth every penny!! He will definitely go back for another week of camp next summer and maybe some more this summer also :)
Learned so much about wild edible plants. The instructors were very knowledgeable and helpful. I highly recommend this place.
Trackers has become my 14 yr old son's home away from home!
He has participated in numerous camps, including the year round Ranger's Apprenticeship, and always comes home ready for the next adventure. He can start a fire without matches, build a shelter from debris, make a working hatchet from old car parts... and shoot an arrow better than Katnis!
The Trackers program has given my son far more than primitive skills. The teachers are excited to see my him, and encourage his personal growth. My shy son is growing into a leader among his peers. I couldn't ask for more from a camp!
This place is so awesome. Our kid loves it, the instructors are awesome and he actually learns stuff!
I rated This camp 1 star because of there poor amount of respect and business ethic to costumers down at ceramics.
Great place for awesome programs and classes for the kids. Love it!
Spectacular Denver Summer Camp! This is the first summer for Trackers Earth in Denver and we could not be more happy that they're here! The kids are outside in beautiful locations, exploring nature, learning skills like archery and fishing, getting dirty, and having a chance to be kids. Plus, there are story camps that engage their imaginations with mysteries to solve, perhaps a kindly dragon, wizard or two, and relics to find. Both of my kids love this. Most importantly though are the counselors. They are all outstanding. Mary, the director, has seemingly unlimited energy, patience and kindness. Every morning is a new adventure under her tutelage. Shawn, Keats, Logan and Katie are fantastic too and masters at navigating kids, while teaching and having fun. In my view, this camp is the perfect anecdote to too much screen time and TV. AND the kids sleep really well too!
They have a great program with nice and caring stuff.
Last year in 2012 I participated in the Zombie Survival camp and I loved it. The whole week I had tons of fun and I never wanted to leave. The staff there are very kind and patient, and are great at teaching you what you need to know. Last year I learned how to hide in the wild, shoot a bow, throw knives, and much more! I learned how to find shelter and make my own shelter. Over all Trackers Earth deserves 4.5 stars out of 5. Trackers Earth has many great camps for all ages and every penny is worth it.
Great programs for kids to explore the outdoors, with great people working there. I wish I could go instead of my kids!
Seem like a group of awesome people with awesome skills to teach. Looking forward to getting involved in some of their programs.
Friendly people, and a great place to pick up some new skills.
My kids LOVED camp and were excited each day to go. ALL 3 (14yo, 9 yo and 8 yo) said this was their favorite camp of any that they had gone to before. They asked if they could return the next week which is not my children. They can be little homebodies! Their confidence improved and their knowledge about finite resources were sharpened. What a great way to talk about disaster and wilderness skills with the "zombie apocalypse". We will be back very soon! Looking forward to non-school day based camps and the apprenticeship program!
trackerspdx.com