Yarmouth Port, MA
Located on 44 acres in the heart of Cape Cod, our Yarmouth Port site has a wide variety of ecosystems for students to explore, including forests, ponds, fields, and even an old cranberry bog!
About the Facility
Our Yarmouth Port site is located at Camp Wingate Kirkland. For over 30 years, Camp Wingate Kirkland has hosted outdoor education programs for students from around the country! This outstanding location provides students with the opportunity to discover a variety of land, coastal, and marine natural environments. There’s even a low ropes course, a collection of cable, platform, rope, and log elements designed to safely push individuals outside of their comfort zones and foster teamwork and cooperation. Lastly, there’s an activity space that accommodates even our biggest schools for evening activities and large group games—and it’s equipped with both indoor and outdoor stages!
Accommodations
At Yarmouth Port we have two types of housing: the lodges, and our a-frame cabins. We currently have 9 lodges on site. Our Lodges provide dormitory-style housing and each has its own bathroom. Lodge 1 has our biggest capacity, it has 22 beds in the front portion and 18 in the back portion. Lodge 3 has 21 beds and a separate area with its own bathroom for chaperones. Lodges 4, 6, 7 have 16 beds, and Lodge 5 has 14 beds. Our a-frame cabins (Hilltop, Joel, Motel, and Cottage) offer loft-style housing for our guests. Each a-frame cabin has 14 beds on the lower level, and 3 beds on the upper level which is accessed by stairs.
Recreation
Yarmouth’s claim to fame is that we are the perfect gateway to Cape Cod. Our convenient location makes it easy to add on excursions to the National Seashore and go on Whale Watching trips. We also have access to a nearby cranberry bog!
Mealtime
Our hour-long mealtimes are a wonderful time for students to enjoy some delicious food and get to know their peers, instructors, and teachers. We’re lucky enough to have awesome chefs at all of our sites who have a lot of experience cooking for children. All of our food is kid-friendly and each kitchen can accommodate a variety of allergies/diets including vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Additional accommodations for other allergies/diets can be made upon request. Please reach out to us ASAP if you or your student needs additional accommodations!
Health & Wellness
Each of our sites has a fully stocked medical center in case of any emergencies, staffed by a trained medical professional. Additionally, all Nature’s Classroom instructors are trained in First Aid and CPR. They participate in extensive training designed to prepare our staff to execute a program that meets students’ educational, social, emotional, and physical needs. All of our sites are easily accessible by ambulance. We work closely with local and regional officials to ensure we are fully prepared for any emergency situation and we train our staff to effectively execute risk management and emergency plans.
Evening Time
Evenings with Nature’s Classroom are times to reflect and unwind from the day. Teachers and chaperones will determine an appropriate bedtime for students, but we ask that all cabins are quiet by 10:00 p.m., giving folks about an hour and a half after programming ends to relax, take showers, and get ready for bed.
Excursions
At the heart of our program at Yarmouth Port are the unique off-property excursions. Our most popular trip is Chapin Memorial Beach, where students go at low tide to the bayside beach and explore the vast intertidal zone; home to horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, moon snails, and piping plovers just to name a few! Our two other excursions are all-day, optional additions. Students can go to the Cape Cod National Seashore (just a 30-minute bus ride from our location), where they’ll learn all about the geological and the cultural history of Cape Cod, hike for about two miles along a marsh, through pine and cedar forests, and onto Coast Guard Beach. There’s also a whale-watching trip where an experienced naturalist will teach students all about different species of whales and other animals (like seals, dolphins, or shorebirds) that we are likely to see in the open ocean. These whale watches usually last three or four hours and include a bagged lunch.
Travel Times
Located in the mid-Cape town of Yarmouth Port, MA, this site is easily accessible from Boston, Providence, RI, and even Hartford, CT.
- Boston, MA – 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Hartford, CT – 3 hours
- Providence, RI – 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Springfield, MA – 2 hours and 50 minutes
- Manchester, NH – 2 hours and 30 minutes
Still curious as to what students get up to for five fun-filled days? Here’s a sample schedule! Please note that some activities and times may differ slightly based on the site, but this sample schedule gives you a good idea of what our week looks like.