Up in the Cascades, January through March
Winter Camp at Camp Sheppard
Snow tubing until your cheeks ache, Scout skills out in the trees, and a heated cabin with a hot dinner waiting at the end of the day.
Enumclaw, Washington · Full weekend or Saturday only · Camperships available
The program
What a winter weekend looks like
Winter Camp is run by the Chief Seattle Council at Camp Sheppard, in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest outside Enumclaw. The council runs several winter weekends plus Saturday-only days; Pack 496 books one and goes as a group.
Out in the snow
Snow tubing is the headline, and there is usually plenty of it. Around that, Scouts hike the winter forest, work on outdoor skills and conservation, and learn how to dress for a cold, wet mountain day and stay comfortable in it.
Ranges, crafts and Scout skills
Camp Sheppard runs its BB gun and archery ranges right through the winter, alongside the craft lodge and Scout skills sessions. It is a full camp program, not just a day out in the snow.
A warm bed and a hot meal
Everyone sleeps in heated bunkhouse-style cabins, and camp cooks the meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner across a weekend, lunch and dinner on a Saturday-only day. Tell us about any dietary need when you sign up and we will take it to camp.
Dates and cost
When it runs, and what it costs
Weekends run January through March, with Saturday-only days alongside them. Cost is a flat rate per person and meals are included. The good weekends fill, so tell us early.
The published 2027 rates
Registration opens 1 October 2026. The council publishes:
$168 per person, overnight weekend
$100 per person, Saturday only
Adults and Scouts are the same rate, so budget for everyone coming. Pack 496 will confirm the total for our chosen session before anyone books.
If the cost is the problem, say so
No Scout should miss camp because of what it costs. The council runs a campership program — financial help toward camp fees — applied for during registration.
Ask a Pack 496 leader, or say so in the message box on the camp signup form.
Before you go
What to pack, and getting there
Winter gear matters here more than at any other camp we go to. Pack 496 sends the council’s complete packing list before camp, and a leader will answer anything you are unsure about.
What should we pack?
- Sleeping bag rated colder than you expect, plus a pillow
- Waterproof boots and snow pants
- Warm waterproof coat, hat and gloves — then a second hat and gloves, because the first pair gets wet
- Layers: thermals, fleece, wool socks. Nothing cotton next to the skin
- Spare clothes for every day, then more spares
- Dry shoes for inside the cabin
- Water bottle, flashlight or headlamp, sunscreen, lip balm
- Toiletries and a towel
- Uniform, if the pack asks for it
How do we get to Camp Sheppard?
Camp Sheppard is at 65301 SR 410 E, Enumclaw, WA 98022, up Highway 410 in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
The last stretch is a mountain road in winter: check the road report, make sure your car is ready for snow, and travel with other Pack 496 families. Do not count on cell coverage in the forest.
What health form do we need?
Camp asks for a current, signed Annual Health and Medical Record — Scouting America’s standard form 680-001. It expires every year, so find yours early, bring the paper copy, and ask a leader if you are not sure yours is still valid.
What adult leadership is required?
The council’s published rule is that youth must have adult leadership. It does not say every Cub has to bring their own adult.
Pack 496 coordinates the adult coverage for the session we attend — tell us who wants to come and we will confirm exactly what your family needs.
Can siblings or other family members come?
The council does not publish who may attend beyond Scouts and their adult leadership, so we will not guess. Tell us on the camp signup form who in your family would like to come and a leader will check it with camp for the session we book.
Register through Pack 496
Chief Seattle Council sells camps session by session, and its registration page will book you into any of them. Pack 496 books one session as a group.
Goes to a Pack 496 leader, who replies with the session we are attending, this year’s cost, and the booking deadline.
Good for this year’s session dates, rates and the refund policy — just not the place to book.