High Adventure Wilderness Camp for Teens
Explore Yosemite’s backcountry, raft California’s best whitewater, climb towering granite cliffs, and build your scientific field skills with Sierra STEM!
Update on April 9th: Limited spaces remain available! Reach out today to secure your spot!
High Adventure Wilderness Camp for Teens
June 22-30, 2025 ◦ $3,899 ◦ financial assistance available!
Embark on an unforgettable, transformative journey with Sierra STEM to explore remote wildernesses! Backpack in Yosemite National Park, swim in crystal-clear alpine lakes, test your grit on an overnight whitewater rafting expedition on the American River, and challenge yourself while rock climbing on glacier-carved granite cliffs.
Along the way, you’ll engage in scientific field studies of the ecosystems through which we travel, collecting data and running hands-on, hypothesis-driven experiments every step of the way. Develop outdoor skills from backcountry cooking to orienteering to dark sky astronomy. Build new lifelong friendships with teens from all over California, facing planned and unplanned mental and physical challenges together while practicing new leadership and teamwork skills.
As you travel along some of the most breathtaking trails and rivers of the American West, you'll delve into the rich history and diverse perspectives that have shaped our modern understanding of wilderness.
Eligibility: Must be entering Grades 7-12 in fall 2025; must be sufficiently healthy and fit to participate in all camp activities.
Tuition: This all-inclusive program costs $3,899 ($1,000 deposit due May 6). Financial assistance is available. Bring a sibling or friend for a 10% discount for each of you! Mono/Inyo County residents may be eligible for local discounts. Call or email us to inquire!
More Information: Click here for more details on the program’s activities and educational goals. Reach out to find out more!
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival, orientation. “What is Wilderness?”
Days 2-5: Backpacking in Yosemite National Park. Learning though geology and hydrology labs; human history of Yosemite area; and conservation versus preservation.
Day 6: Rock climbing in Yosemite Valley. Compare past perspectives with modern environmentalism.
Days 7-8: Whitewater rafting and camping on the American River. Learning through stream ecology and chemistry labs; indigenous and non-Western perspectives on wilderness.
Day 9: Farewell and final reflections on wilderness.