GET AWAY

With Your Family

Feeling cooped up? Stir-crazy?

Come get away with your family. Enjoy our beach. Walk our trails. Spend time together away from the house you’ve been stuck in for months. 

Family Retreats

Come stay at Camp Indianola with your family. We have lots of room to explore, relax, and enjoy yourselves while remaining safely distanced from other groups. Our staff will provide you a room away from everyone else, you provide the rest. 

Read below for some more details about this program!

Additional questions? Ready to schedule a date? Email us at [email protected]

How much does it cost?

By donation.

We want our facilities to be open to anyone, regardless of ability to pay. If you are finding yourself in a rough patch economically, we still want you to come use our site!

However, we do ask each family that is able to donate to help us during this time. Without income, we are unable to pay our staff’s salaries. We ask you to consider helping us out in exchange for your time here. (As a point of reference, one individual coming here for a large-group weekend retreat would often pay around $100 for food and lodging.)

Is there food? What activities are there? Can we use ______?

The only thing that we are providing is your lodging, which includes bedrooms, a shower and bathroom (not shared with any other group), a kitchen (not shared with any other group), and use of the grounds.

Food is done on your own.

We are not providing any programming, group activities, or supplies (including the giant swing, kayaks, and PFDs).

How long can we stay?

Please limit your stays to no more than 5 days per month.

What safety precautions are you taking?

We are doing all that we can to make this a safe environment in accordance with the rigorous standards from the CDC and American Camping Association.

Each family staying with us is in an individual room, isolated from other family groups. In between guest groups, all surfaces are cleaned and disinfected. We have a period of three days (the lifespan of the virus) before any other groups use the space. Contact with staff minimized, if not eliminated, during check-in and check-out.

We are allowing families in this capacity in accordance with our best interpretation of the governor’s Safe Start Washington plan (Phase 2), and the United Methodist Church’s Reimagining Life Together reopening plan (Phase 2).

If you would like more detail about our safety precautions, please email us at [email protected] for more information

How do I sign up?

The best way to do so is by emailing our camp office at [email protected]. From there, we can answer additional questions and work to schedule your stay with us.

Please grant us an extra measure of patience as we reply to your request. We are minimally staffed during the shutdown, and so may take a few days to respond to your inquiry.

What should I bring?

  • Sleeping bag and pillow

  • Food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (if we are not providing it for you)

  • A cloth mask (for in case you have to interact with someone)
  • Camp chairs or lawn blanket

  • Towel, washcloth, toiletries
  • Activities to do (board games, books, beach toys, lawn games, hammock)

  • Swimsuits, water shoes, and beach towel (if here for one of our water days)

Camp rules

  • No pets, firearms, ammunition, alcoholic beverages, or drugs of any kind are allowed.
  • No burning of candles or incense in any buildings or on decks.
  • No smoking in any buildings or on decks. Smoking is allowed only in the parking lot above Evergreen Commons (designated smoking area), away from children and nonsmokers.
  • No aquatic activities, including wading, are permitted without a certified lifeguard present.
  • BBQ’s and outdoor grills may not be used in any buildings or on decks. If bringing a personal BBQ or outdoor grill, check with your camp host before setting it up.
  • Respect the fragile ecology around camp and do not remove any items from the beach. The cliffs southwest of camp are dangerous and are off limits to climbing.
  • Shoes are required everywhere on camp property, including the lawns and beach, due to the hazards of wood, shells, glass, barnacles, etc.
  • Personal recreation equipment brought to camp should be stored and handled safely. No skateboards are allowed at camp.
  • Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 7 am.
  • Groups will be responsible for the replacement cost due to damages beyond normal wear and tear.

A logistical note

If we are going to open again for our normal business, all remaining family retreat reservations will be cancelled. We will give you as much heads up as possible if this happens.

If Washington regresses back to Phase 1 of the Governor’s reopening plan, we will need to cancel all visitors until we resume Phase 2.The same will be true if we return to Phase 1 of the United Methodist Church’s reopening plan. We will give you as much heads up as possible if this happens. 

The legal stuff

The short version:

We are opening up our camp to you to help out our community during this time. But we can’t be liable for your actions while you are here, so please don’t try to sue us!

Booking a family retreat indicates that you have agreed to the terms of the agreement below.

 

The long version:

Group leadership assumes responsibility for supervision of the group participants, their behavior, and any activities provided by the group’s leadership. Camp Indianola reserves the right to suspend access to or usage of recreation equipment (including, but not limited to the field games and the waterfront) if posted guidelines are not adhered to.

All Camp facilitated activities (swimming, kayaking, canoeing, giant swing, archery, challenge course, etc.) can be physically and emotionally demanding and includes exposure to a certain level of inherent risk. While Camp Indianola staff will make every effort to ensure a safe experience, all participants assume this risk when taking part in any camp activities.

The camp and its staff will not be responsible for loss or theft of personal possessions or damage to vehicles parked at camp.

The camp staff retain the right of entry to all facilities occupied by the user group with or without prior notice. Guest privacy will be respected as much as possible.

The camp reserves the right to refuse access and services to anyone at the discretion of the Camp Director or his representative(s).

You further expressly agree that the foregoing release, waiver, and indemnity agreement is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by the law of the state in which this agreement is entered into, and that if any portion of this agreement is held invalid, it is agreed that the balance shall, notwithstanding, continue in full legal force and effect. This release is not intended as an attempted release of claims of gross negligence or intentional acts.