Since opening in 1941, Camp Long, a 55-acre urban forest located in West Seattle, has served as a unique environmental learning center under the auspices of the Seattle Parks Department. This unique cultural landscape is the only city park in the United States that serves as a campground designed and built expressly to teach outdoor recreation skills and wilderness appreciation.

To that end, Camp Long features a lodge and ten cabins, forest trails, campfire rings, a climbing rock and a rock "glacier." Clark Schurman, a Scout leader and former Chief Guide at Mount Rainier, designed the camp and its climbing structures and served as camp director until his death in 1955. Schurman Rock, named for its creator, is believed to be the world's first designed climbing rock.

Restoration of Schurman Rock and Preservation of a Tradition

Sadly, in 1999 this unique historic feature was fenced off from the public due to cracks in the rock that made it unsafe to climb. For several years the fate of the rock was tenuous, due to a $90,000 price tag for repairs. The Seattle Parks Department, Seattle Parks Foundation and interested groups such as the Mountaineers struggled to come up with the best solution to save the rock.

At one point dismantling the rock and reconstructing it further away from the slope, where it has historically stood, was considered. It was believed that sloughing of the slope may have caused the cracks. Dismantling it altogether was a serious possibility. Another consideration was to retain the rock "as is" as a type of historic monument behind a fence, despite its inability to serve its historic function as a training ground for mountain climbers.

Fortunately, on June 3, 2003 Schurman Rock was re-opened after a restoration made possible by a successful fund drive organized by the Seattle Parks Foundation. The renovation of Schurman Rock ensures the continuation of a tradition of training for veterans preparing for climbs and for teaching future generations of mountain climbers in climbing techniques and safety. Jim Whittaker, the first American to have climbed Mount Everest, trained on Schurman Rock.

The Story of Camp Long and Mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest

An early Camp Long brochure states that: "Because our regional assets are the Sound, our lakes and our mountains and because mountain safety, rescue work, and appreciation are a regional necessity, this camp was designed to teach camping, and better equip campers for outdoor living."

The development of Camp Long illustrates the significance of how the region's environmental ethos and enthusiasm for outdoor recreation has helped shape the character and identity of the Pacific Northwest. Today, the park stands as testimony to the era when this identity was in its nascent stages.

In 1906, the Mountaineers' Club came together in Seattle. The group is one of the oldest and largest organizations in the United States devoted to exploration, enjoyment and conservation of wilderness areas. In the 1920's the club's National Parks Committee lobbied successfully for the creation of national parks and trails in the region, and facilitated access to Mt. Rainier and trails in the Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass areas in the North Cascades. The club was also instrumental in the formation of the Olympic National Park in 1938.

As interest in exploring the mountains and backcountry areas near the newly created trails grew, the club recognized the need to train novice climbers in safety skills, techniques and equipment and organized their first climbing course in 1935. In 1938, club members formed a cooperative to import mountaineering equipment from Europe. This group later evolved into the outdoor gear merchandiser Recreational Equipment Incorporated -- REI.

In the recent fundraising drive to restore Schurman Rock, REI donated $45,000 -- nearly half of the total cost of repairs. Members of the Mountaineers' Club, whose organization has conducted training classes at Schurman Rock and the rock glacier on an ongoing basis since it first opened, also made significant contributions.

Clark Schurman was a member of the Mountaineers and had initiated the club's involvement in the teaching of climbing skills at the climbing rock before the camp opened. In an article appearing in the club's newsletter in 1938, Schurman stated that "…[members] can serve younger generations, if enough Mountaineers offer their services as instructors to the organizations whose leaders want technical assistance…The Rock will be no better than the tradition of safety and quality of understanding… [which] will be determined mainly by our club."

The New Deal, National Parks and Rustic Style Architecture

The camp was built between 1937 and 1941 as part of a larger federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) project known as the West Seattle Recreation Area that included the West Seattle Stadium and Golf Course. Co-sponsored by the City of Seattle and initiated by influential members of the Parks Board, it was the largest WPA project in King County.

At the same time, other federal works projects under Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era New Deal programs included work by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This group, comprised of architects and engineers (among others), designed and built trails and facilities such as lodges, "comfort stations" (restrooms), picnic shelters, campfire rings, cabins and bridges in the National Parks System. Their design followed the guidelines set forth in a 1935 Department of the Interior publication, Park Structures and Facilities.

During the 1920s and 1930s, park architecture frequently employed natural materials and handcrafted techniques so that the structures appear as though built by "pioneers" in the wilderness. These "rustic style" buildings were sited to blend into their natural environment.

Drawing on his experiences as Chief Guide at Mount Rainier, Schurman followed these guidelines in the planning for facilities at Camp Long. All of the historic small-scale features, such as bridges and campfire rings, as well as the lodge and cabins, closely resemble designs illustrated in the guidelines and still retain their historic rustic character. The ten rustic cabins, named to honor Washington mountain peaks: Constitution, Pinnacle, Olympus, Glacier, Saint Helens, Constance, Pilchuck, Rainier, Adams and Baker, are all sited sensitively to appear nestled into the landscape.

Rehabilitation of Trails and Forest

The trail system at Camp Long includes more than five miles of trails that conform to the natural topography. Four major trails form the backbone of the system, including the Rolling Hills Trail, which has been altered and paved for wheelchair accessibility to Schurman Rock and other facilities. Despite this alteration and the loss of some smaller trails, the design of most of the current trail system exhibits its original character -- very similar to the design and engineering of the Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.

Between 1984 and 1986, when the barrier-free trail was developed, all Camp Long's significant but deteriorated trails were rehabilitated. This project sensitively retained the historic character through the use of native materials and compatible design engineering.

The existing forest was planted during the development of the camp, as the area had previously been logged. The forest was intended to emulate a natural forest and to provide habitat for native animals so children could experience the natural environment of the Northwest within an urban area.

However, in its urban setting invasive plant species from neighboring properties have easily migrated into the camp. The mutual relationship between flora and fauna means that the presence of non-native plants results in a shift in the population of native and non-native animals as well. In 2001 the Camp Long Vegetation Management Plan was produced to serve as a guiding tool in determining the best management practices to deal with these issues.

Education, Preservation and Environment

Upholding the original concept behind Camp Long's creation was the primary objective of the vegetation plan developed as a part of the park's rehabilitation. Maintenance and enhancement of the site's the native character, enhancement of the soil and water quality, integration of Camp Long's history with sustainable long-term management, and integration of vegetation management activities with ongoing environmental education programs, therefore took great priority.

Camp Long continues to provide opportunities for environmental learning, mountain climbing and wilderness appreciation. The camp offers cabin rentals for individuals or groups (though historically it was for groups only), as well as opportunities to climb and train on Schurman Rock and the glacial rock. Programming includes directed activities and classes on various topics on the natural environment for both all ages. These range from learning about tidal creatures in the nearby tideflats, stalking night owls within the camp forest, and taking horseback outings to the mountains.

Whether one experiences nature and the mountains through the camp's programmed activities or by simply hiking the trails and climbing to the top of Schurman Rock to see the distant view of Mount Rainier, Camp Long continues to connect visitors to the region's spectacular natural environment. In so doing, it bridges past and future perspectives on the value of the environment to our regional community.

Author's Note: Some information in this article draws from a group research project co-written by the author with Anna Tamura, Jade Takashima and Christy Edstrom O'Hara for the Implementation in Preservation Planning class at the University of Washington, Spring 2001.

For more information/resources:

Interpretive Essays of the Histories of Seattle's Parks and Playgrounds by Don Sherwood

"West Seattle climbing structure now a solid favorite" Seattle Post-Intelligencer May 30, 2003.

Camp Long website

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