The North Cascades Institute is a gem in our community! We attended Base Camp for 2 nights in October. The campus is easy to find and the staff provide clear communications about the program. The campus is made up of multiple buildings, including an office/gift shop, dining hall, library, art building, multiple lodges and some other buildings we didn’t use. There is an outdoor amphitheater and a covered shelter where you can enjoy your lunch even if it’s raining.We arrived at about 4pm for check in (started at 3pm) and dropped our items off in the lodge, then brought our car back to the main parking lot (no parking at the lodge itself).The lodge is clean and looks new. We were in the Cedar Lodge which has a common room with couches, a refrigerator and sink. Each room had 4 bunks and 2 closet/storage spaces. There is a thermostat to control the heat and the lights are set to timers. The beds were comfortable. We brought our own sleeping bags, pillows and towels but you can rent linens for $10/day. The lodge is shoe-free, so remember to bring slippers.We participated in several activities including a guided hike and poetry writing. They also had trivia and a session on making tea with ingredients from the forest.Dining was buffet style and was adequate for the experience. Some of the hot items were still cold, but not a deal breaker. Really loved the warm cookies after dinner. Lunches could be ordered the night before and consisted of a sandwich, mozzarella stick, apple, cookie and pretzels. We picked up the lunches at breakfast to take with us on our day’s adventures.There are several trails that can be accessed from the campus. You can also take the Ross Lake ferry then hike back (or vise versa). Overall, it is a very beautiful and tranquil location. No cell service but they did have WiFi. Well worth the escape from civilization to disconnect for a weekend.