Special Family Camp is designed for kids and adults with special needs or neurodivergence, and their entire families, to enjoy a camp experience in an inclusive, supportive environment. Spend Memorial Day Weekend in a beautiful outdoor setting, and enjoy camp activities like archery, boating, arts & crafts, hiking, marine touch tanks, adaptive bikes, and more.
Join us for Memorial Day Weekend, May 23 – 25, 2026! This Year’s Theme: In the Stars!
Event Details
Highlights of Special Family Camp
- A welcoming, supportive environment for the entire family
- A team of dedicated volunteers and staff to support you throughout the weekend
- Networking and resource-sharing with other local families with kids with disabilities
- Adaptive activities for all ages and abilities
- A completely flexible schedule allowing you to set your own pace
- A beautiful setting on Vashon Island
Schedule & Activities
Arrive Saturday afternoon and stay through Monday afternoon. There is also an option to attend only during the day – either Saturday or Sunday.
This event is designed to be as action-packed or as relaxing as you want it to be. The schedule is completely flexible, allowing you to do only the activities you want to do. Activity options will include archery, boating, arts & crafts, hikes, adaptive bikes and more. Try riding an adaptive bicycle provided by OutdoorsForAll (there’s a bike for everyone – seriously!). In the evenings, gather around the campfire for songs, skits, s’mores, and a talent show.
Facilities
Meals
Meals provided this weekend include dinner on Saturday; breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Sunday; and breakfast on Monday. Meals will be served family-style in our dining hall. Most dietary needs can be accommodated, so please provide any dietary restrictions during the registration process. We will send a menu two weeks before camp so your family can plan accordingly. Our coffee and tea bar will also be open during this event.
Lodging
Camp Sealth’s facilities are rustic but comfortable. Our all-season cabins have heat and electricity, as well as twin beds with foam mattresses. You will need to bring your own bedding, including sleeping bags, pillows, and/or sheets/blankets. Bathrooms and showers are located in separate buildings in each cabin area. Limited Wi-Fi is available in some camp areas but not in most cabins. A limited number of accessible cabins are available. See photos of our cabins here.
For Family Camps, each family is assigned their own room, although they may share a building with another family. If you are attending with friends or family on separate registrations, you may request to stay in the same cabin or nearby.
Location
Camp Sealth is located on Vashon Island, Washington, with 360 acres of pristine forest and over a mile of private beach along Colvos Passage. To reach Vashon Island, you will need to take a ferry from Tacoma, West Seattle, or Port Orchard. Please check the WSDOT website for ferry schedules and ticket prices.
Registration
Registration open: February 23, 2026 – April 23, 2026
Camp Dates: May 23 – 25, 2026
Eligibility: Special Family Camp is geared toward kids and adults with a disability or who are neurodivergent, but all family members are welcome and encouraged to attend, including siblings and extended family.
Cost:
- Youth Weekend: $135
- Adult Weekend: $185
- Saturday-Only or Sunday-Only: $65
Financial Assistance
If the cost associated with camp is a barrier for your family, we encourage you to pursue a financial assistance application. Completed assistance request packets are due no later than April 23, 2026 to be reviewed and considered. More information about the application process and eligibility criteria can be found here:
DDA: As of 2024, we cannot accept DDA payment for Special Family Camp. The reason for this is that DDA allocates their payments for respite care only, and Special Family Camp does not qualify as a respite care program. The exception would be if a child eligible for DDA funding were to attend the program without their primary caregivers. This has been true for a while, but there has been some inconsistency in how DDA caseworkers have applied the policies across the board. To help DDA uphold their policies and maintain our working relationship with them, we can no longer bill DDA for Special Family Camp. Please note that this change does not impact our day and overnight summer camp programs, which do still qualify as respite care. Camp Fire recognizes that these changes may affect a family’s ability to pay for camp programs, and may consider this in the financial assistance review process.
Contact
For Registration, Financial Assistance and DDA questions: contact Kim Roeser (Office Manager, Camp Sealth) at kimr@campfireseattle.org
For Program and Event related questions: contact Natalie Copeland (Director of Events & Community Outreach, Camp Sealth) at nataliec@campfireseattle.org
We welcome volunteers! To learn more about volunteering for Special Family Camp, please visit our Volunteer Opportunities page.