Our Pacific Rim Campus is located on the Salish Sea on beautiful Whidbey Island overlooking the Olympic Mountains to the west with access to the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, the abundant marine life of the Puget Sound, and the snowcapped mountains of the Cascades. Au Sable Pacific Rim is hosted at YMCA Camp Casey.

Student housing

At Camp Casey, students stay in the Bachelor Officers Quarters, or BOQ, and share a room with one to two other students. Students should expect a twin bed and a shared dresser in their housing assignment, and a shared gender-specific bath, similar to a dormitory at your individual colleges. At Camp Casey, the BOQ, while rustic and basic, is the perfect place to build community and call home for five weeks! Students have access to shared spaces which include a lounge, classroom, study space, and a dining area. Camp Casey is close to the beach and bluffs and has a lot of space inside and outside for students to spread out and enjoy their time on Whidbey Island.

Classrooms

Students have access to the classroom spaces during the day and in the evenings; however, professors spend most of their time in the field! So, in that sense, the classroom space at our Pacific Rim campus includes local beaches, tide pools, Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains, the Cascade Mountains, the Pacific Northwest Rainforest, the San Juan Islands, ferries, and more! All students at our Pacific Rim campus will participate in at least one overnight camping trip for their courses, so come prepared for adventure.

Dining

At our Pacific Rim campus students will eat their meals both at the BOQ, supplied by the Au Sable staff, and at the YMCA Mess Hall. Students will be provided a weekly schedule of what to expect in regard to meals, dictated by course schedules. We are able to accommodate most dietary restrictions and work hard to serve hearty, healthy meals.

Trails and Outdoor space

Camp Casey is located on bluffs looking over the Salish Sea. There are trails throughout Camp Casey, with access to Fort Casey State Park, the Pacific Northwest Scenic Trail, Camp Casey beach, and walking access to Crockett Lake. Students can explore the area, use the playing fields at Camp Casey, and jump on the nearby ferry to Port Townsend. A highlight every summer is the amazing sunsets easily seen from the BOQ. Students often gather every night to watch the sunset, reflect, share, and enjoy their home away from home on Whidbey Island.

Getting to Pacific Rim Campus

You will receive information about specific travel information, in the beginning of February as that is typically when the summer ferry schedules are posted for the Whidbey Island ferries. In the meantime, you can view general travel here: Au Sable Pacific Rim General Travel Info. Please note, the suggested times in this information is subject to change and will be updated according to updated ferry schedules.