Brandon Gooch: Creating More Than Just A Camp

By Martha Whitaker

Nestled at the base of Mount Si surrounded by mountain streams and enormous evergreens lies the secluded and cozy retreat center called Rainbow Lodge. Everyone who enters the lodge is greeted by a huge, white, fluffy Great Pyrenees dog, Sarah, and her owner Brandon Gooch. Brandon, who goes by “Gooch,” is the director of Rainbow Lodge, which provides year-round camping and retreat opportunities for children and adults in Washington. Gooch and his camp provide much needed respite for those seeking an escape from the stress of everyday life.

Gooch grew up in the small rural town of Thaxton, Mississippi. Although growing up in the country sounds peaceful, Gooch had a turbulent and stressful childhood. His parents divorced when he was only 11-years-old, and he moved in with his father. Gooch described his father as, “an addict, and the stress of the divorce, along with the demand of the long hours operating the only convenience store in town, worsened my father’s addiction.” His whole childhood revolved around his father’s alcohol, cocaine and crystal meth addiction. 

At the age of 16, his home exploded when the crystal meth lab his father had in the basement caught on fire. This led to Gooch being removed from his home and sent to live with his Aunt Lisa, who was the person who first sent him to camp. Gooch described going to camp as “his everything” because nobody knew anything about his traumatic home life. He made friends, laughed, sang fun songs and was able to set the weight of his “hard” life down for a week. Gooch said, “To this day, when I think of defining what it feels like to be safe: I think back to how I felt at camp.”

Gooch’s camp experience, along with his relationship with camp leaders and staff, had a tremendous influence on his career path. One of his camp mentors who has influenced his life was Darrell Edward, the Camp Director at Camp Lake Stephens in Mississippi. Mr. Edward said, “I watched Gooch grow from a troubled kid to a strong and compassionate man, who has been able to be a positive influence on his community, including his father.” As an adult, Gooch continued working at camps so kids could experience the same life-altering experience that he did as a child. 

Gooch’s mission is to share his camping experiences with the children of Snoqualmie Valley. He hopes Rainbow Lodge can offer peace to those who need it. His vision for the future is a camp where people can immerse themselves into an intentional community, where the only objective is to grow as a person, feel safe and loved and have fun.