Site Logo

Finding belonging and adventure at YMCA Camp Casey

Published 9:53 am Monday, April 20, 2026

On Whidbey Island, YMCA's Camp Casey offers a one-of-a-kind environment where history, nature, and creativity come together. Courtesy YMCA

When Stephanie M.’s* daughter returned home from Overnight Camp at YMCA Camp Casey, Stephanie asked a familiar question: “Did you make any friends?”

After a year marked by bullying, nightmares and stomachaches that caused too many missed school days, it was a question filled with hope, as well as a little uncertainty.

Her daughter’s answer was simple: “Yes. They were all my friends.”

For Stephanie, that moment felt like an answered prayer. After months of worry, her daughter had found something every child deserves, a place where she felt accepted, included and truly herself.

Surrounded by supportive counselors and a welcoming cabin group, she experienced true belonging. Today, she’s thriving in school, building friendships, and even has a new best friend. Her family believes that transformation began at overnight camp.

At YMCA Camp Casey, those moments of belonging are paired with unforgettable adventure.

Set along the stunning coastline of Whidbey Island, Camp Casey offers a one-of-a-kind environment where history, nature and creativity come together. Campers explore marine life in the Sealab, build confidence through archery, and experience the thrill of the climbing wall.

Each activity is intentionally designed to help kids step outside their comfort zones and discover what they’re capable of.

The thrill of the climbing wall is just one of the adventures awaiting campers at the YMCA’s Camp Casey. Courtesy YMCA. 

Entering its second summer of programming, Camp Casey is expanding opportunities for older campers in exciting new ways. New for this year, Expedition Casey invites teens to take their experience beyond camp with an off-site adventure on the Olympic Peninsula – tent camping, hiking and building resilience
in the outdoors.

Also launching this summer, Casey CREW offers incoming high school seniors a hands-on leadership experience, working behind the scenes at camp while preparing for future roles as counselors and camp staff.

What makes overnight camp so impactful and unique? It is the space it creates. Away from everyday pressures, kids discover independence, resilience and connection. They learn that they belong, not just at camp, but in the world around them.

At YMCA Camp Casey, it’s more than just a week away from home. Camp is where confidence is built, leaders are formed, and every child can say, “I belong.”

To learn more about YMCA summer camp programs, please visit ymca-snoco.org/camp. Financial assistance is available to ensure every child has the opportunity to experience camp.

*Name changed to protect anonymity.