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Non-Profit Programs: Causes We Support

Lasting Adventures is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the specific purposes of providing positive youth development and outdoor educational opportunities to the general public and to provide charitable assistance for participation in such opportunities to otherwise disadvantaged youth, all through safe outdoor experiences. Below we highlight some of our programs and how we continue to provide support.

Since the summer of 1997, Lasting Adventures has shared the magic and wisdom of nature with over 5,000 kids and provided an excess of 1,500 scholarships to disadvantaged youth to explore the wonder of Yosemite National Park. We believe that all youth should have the opportunity to experience and learn from wild places regardless of their financial circumstances.

 Through your generosity and support we’ve created a variety of programs catering to those who have historically had less access to these natural places making wilderness available to all. If you would like to join in our goal of providing lasting adventures and lifetime memories to underprivileged youth, please consider a tax deductible contribution to our scholarship fund. To learn more, please see our Scholarships page.

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Junior Guide Leadership Expedition

Our Junior Guide Leadership Expedition is a 27-day intensive backpacking trip focused on building effective leadership skills for youth to apply in both a backcountry and front country setting. Participants also gain certifications in Wilderness First Aid and Leave No Trace Awareness. In our Junior Guide Leadership Expedition, one third of all youth participants are on scholarships. Additionally we work with the local Gateway communities around Yosemite to involve the local high school youth in this program.

Young Women’s Program

Our 6-day & 13-day Young Women’s Adventure Program is aimed at instilling confidence and leadership skills in the next generation of female adventurers and entrepreneurs. This unique program, led by our top female guides, focuses on showing young women their true potential in both an outdoor setting and in their day-to-day lives. While trekking the glorious Sierra Nevada mountain range, these young women explorers get a crash course on influential female adventurers in Yosemite’s history (such as the Sweets sisters, who climbed Mt. Lyell in 1896, the highest peak in the park, as well as modern women who carry the torch through their own wild adventures). 

In addition to park history, participants learn the practical aspects of backpacking and outdoor safety. With the knowledge of the great legacy of women who came before them, this 13 day backpacking trip through high altitude mountains lakes and meadows leaves young women with a sense of empowerment and confidence that they will be able to apply in every facet of their lives.

Urban Youth

Our Urban Youth Program is a 6-day backcountry adventure geared toward inner city youth who have historically had less access to natural places. Under the leadership and expertise of our top guides, participants backpack through the pristine Yosemite National Park and sleep under the stars that are often too hard to see in cities. This trip will give participants a new appreciation of wild places away from the hustle and bustle of large, metropolitan areas. Once again, this program is provided at little to no cost to the participants.

Native Youth in Yosemite

Our Native American Youth Program facilitates native youth exploration and education within Yosemite National Park. Long before the white settlers came to California, the Native Americans inhabited both the Yosemite Valley and the lands around the greater Yosemite region that we now enjoy. Once home to the Ahwahnechee tribe, Yosemite has a rich Native American heritage that stems back nearly 7,000 years and continues all the way up to present day. Through our collaboration with native tribes and leaders, youth learn about the history of Yosemite through the lens of Native American culture, legends and tradition while backpacking through the park. We believe it is imperative for youth to learn about their heritage, thus, we offer these unique trips at little to no cost to the participants. Lasting Adventures is currently working towards offering our 6-day Yosemite High Country Adventure to the youth from the neighboring tribes around Yosemite.

Yosemite Gateway Community Youth

Our Yosemite Gateway program is aimed at youth that live in gateway communities close to Yosemite National Park but have limited access as a result of financial circumstances. This trip allows participants to experience the amazing grandeur nestled in their backyard while minimizing the financial burden of the trip. As a local guide company, we are happy to give back to the community that plays such a big role in sustaining tourism within the park.

Trips by Destination

Trips by Type

Camping Programs
Lodge-Based Programs