Trip Highlights:
Lasting Adventures 5-day backpacking winter & spring camp trips in Joshua Tree National Park are designed especially for youth ages 13-17 who are new or experienced backpackers. These teen backpacking trips are perfect for participants looking to enjoy backpacking in all seasons. This 5-day Joshua Tree itinerary visits the summits of rocky peaks, explores the depths of winding canyons, and tours mining ruins from the park’s recent past. Past Joshua Tree camp participants all comment on how the sunsets light up the rocks and desert in orange and red during the golden hour before nightfall. On this backpacking adventure, you will encounter daily wilderness challenges, explore natural and human history and geology, and seize opportunities for leadership and self-reflection. Through games, skits, fun, and support from others, Lasting Adventures Joshua Tree winter camps are a positive youth backpacking experience and adventure for all.
Please reach out to us at Staff@LastingAdventures.org to schedule your group of at least six youth.
Age Range
Price
Length
Length
You will receive a full refund if you cancel within 48 hours of the original booking date.
Book with confidence knowing you can cancel for any reason up to 30 days before your trip date and receive a transferable lifetime credit that is good for use on any of our programs.
Not sure if your current trip dates work? Rest assured, you can change your trip date as many times as needed, provided you do so at least 30 days before the current and new trip dates.
YOUTH PROGRAM ADVENTURE SHUTTLE
Lasting Adventures will be providing transportation from near the Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) to our Youth Backpacking Programs in Joshua Tree National Park. Skip the long drive and traffic while helping save the environment.
Although no dates are currently scheduled for the winter of 2025-2026, please reach out to us at Staff@LastingAdventures.org to schedule your group of at least six youth.
This is a Sample Itinerary only and subject to change.
Day 1: Meet your Guides/Outdoor Educators. Get acquainted with the group and with your gear. Group team-building activity and orientation before settling into your campsite at Black Rock Campground for the evening. Take a short tour that includes geological and natural highlights around your area. Evening activities and campfire to strengthen bonds while goal setting and an introduction to the Joshua Tree wilderness and history through storytelling.
Day 2: After packing up and stretching, we will head right out on the trail through the open desert from Black Rock Campground. The trail quickly funnels into some tighter canyons with more vegetation and rocky walls. Make camp at an open spot beneath Eureka Peak and do an optional hike up to the peak to look down on our campsite. The top of this mountain is a fantastic spot to explore the park’s geology. This day entails about 5.5 miles of hiking and 1,200 feet of elevation gain.
Day 3: After morning circle time (stretches, map review, goal setting, etc.) we will make our way about 5 miles to the start of Smith Water Canyon. From here, the canyon itself is about 2 miles of winding rock passages with some fun challenges along the way. We may find some interesting flora and fauna to discuss along our journey. Today’s total is about 7 miles with about 600 feet of elevation gain and 2,000 feet of loss as we descend to the bottom of the canyon. After exiting Smith Water Canyon, we will camp and enjoy the dark night sky.
Day 4: After another morning stretch circle and goal setting, set out early on the trail out of the hills and into the open desert for a stretch before finding the start of Johnny Lang Canyon. This trail takes you through another passage and towards the old mine site of Johnny Lang. Explore the old pump house and mine ruins before camping on the hillside below the mine. This evening we will do a final bonding activity and prepare for our hike out the next morning. This day entails a total of 4.5 miles and 500 feet of elevation gain.
Day 5: On the last morning, we will savor our time in camp, playing games, studying the local history, and enjoying our last morning in the wilderness. A short two-mile hike will bring us to the trailhead, where we will unpack and celebrate with a sandwich bar and beverages before we say our goodbyes.
Other: On all of our multiday youth programs, we have a daily morning meeting where youth engage in group games, share highlights, offer praise to each other, stretch, review maps and day itineraries, and set individual and group goals for the day. Also, whether breaking on the trail in the afternoon or evening at the campsite, our Outdoor Educators also facilitate additional opportunities for youth to develop a personal connection with nature. Problem-solving and initiative games are common, as are smiles. Additional outdoor skills are gained as we practice Leave No Trace principles and promote environmental stewardship throughout the length of the program.
Yes, our trips are perfect for first-time backpackers and those with prior backpacking experience. Our professional, caring, and fun Outdoor Educators design innovative, engaging ways to teach and orient all participants to backpacking during the first days of a trip, and by the end, they come home feeling quite accomplished backpackers. Additionally, often, those with backpacking experience are past participants returning for different itineraries, more exploration, and additional lasting memories.
For ages 11-13, we recommend our 6-Day Young Adventurers program. For more mature/physically developed 13-year-olds and older youth, they can consider our 6-, 10-, 13-, and/or 20-day programs. It’s really up to your child and how much fun and memorable outdoor explorations they are after.
Over 50% of our participants come without friends, though this can vary by trip. From day one and throughout the program, our Outdoor Educators facilitate activities and games to help all youth bond. It is almost too common for youth who come with friends to leave with new, stronger friendships. It’s just the nature of how we have run our programs for the past thirty years: to be all-inclusive and fun for every attendee.
Historically, we experience increasing bookings from December through June, with almost 50% of bookings occurring in the late spring. You are welcome to book early and check back periodically to monitor group composition, while knowing we allow date changes as often as you like. Also, during our booking period, we continuously monitor group composition to ensure similar age and gender distributions across groups.
Yes, for a detailed packing list, see the Joshua Tree Youth Winter Camp Packing and Equipment List.
Yes, thanks to our partnerships with leading gear companies, we can provide backpacks, sleeping bags, pads, trekking poles, and tents (as needed). There will be a field to indicate what you would like to borrow when you complete the required forms after registering.
Youth should be able to carry a backpack of 25-45lb, and not to exceed ⅓ of their body weight. The weight is a combination of their personal gear and part of the group gear. Always bigger youth carry more, and smaller youth carry less.
Our Outdoor Educators are among the best professionals in the field, sharing a passion for the outdoors and for sharing it with others in a fun and caring manner. All staff undergo a rigorous application process and background check, during which they must demonstrate experience in outdoor recreation, backpacking, working with youth, risk management, and customer service. All staff must possess a Wilderness First Responder certification and also pass a Department of Justice fingerprint background check. Our staff are trained yearly by us, and they are consistently supervised throughout the season with required pre- and post-trip meetings/reviews.
We always have at least two staff members for each youth group that doesn’t exceed 10 youth.
We eat good food!
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We have a long history of meeting the needs of almost all dietary restrictions, including some very complex ones. When registering, you will complete a questionnaire to provide a brief overview of your needs. Later, you will complete a more detailed Medical form to provide additional information. The staff guiding your trip will call you the day prior and, when they are packing the food/gear for the trip, will go over your needs and modifications in more detail. Although we have many options in stock, we respect it if you ultimately decide to bring your preferred substitutions.
We operate traditional wilderness backpacking trips, and participants should prepare themselves for not having access to bathrooms/showers. Participants will be instructed on how to conduct their business in the wilderness while following the Leave No Trace Principles. There will also be time to rinse off, as we camp near rivers, streams, and/or lakes daily. Less often, we may stay in campgrounds with toilets or outhouses.
The wildlife in the parks we operate in is not really a significant threat. Black bears are naturally afraid of people and are easily scared away. In addition to the bears, we encounter many other animals and critters, including deer, squirrels, marmots, birds, and even rattlesnakes and scorpions. We work with participants to teach them to respect animals and wildlife, so we do not encounter any issues.
Unfortunately, no. We go by the principle that no news is good news. Because these groups backpack in wilderness areas, there is little to no cell service, and communication is limited. However, group leaders use satellite technology to stay in contact with our office and send the required nightly “All-ok” check-ins, including their GPS location, which aligns with their intended itinerary on file with our office and in each park’s systems. They can also send custom messages for any other emergencies or issues requiring support. As always, if there is ever any emergency or concern involving your child, you will be one of the first to be notified.
If you need to reach us, please note that both our 1-800-513-8651 voicemail and Staff@LastingAdventures.org email are actively monitored by multiple members of our on-call Admin team. Your contact will be responded to as soon as possible.
About one-two weeks after the camp has concluded, you will receive an email that includes a daily journal, trip highlights, and a link to pictures from the trip.
Lasting Adventures has been operating youth wilderness backpacking trips since 1997. We are highly experienced in the industry and know the parks we operate in better than many others. Additionally, the park staff knows us and respects our experience.
With over 30 years of experience operating youth wilderness camps, Lasting Adventures has faced a wide range of issues, including bug bites, twisted ankles, illnesses, and wildfires. If there is an emergency with your child or their group, you will be notified as soon as possible. Our highly trained staff also has direct contact with our on-call admin team and with the dispatch for Ranger and Search and Rescue (with helicopter support) in the parks, as needed. Fortunately, because we focus on managing risks and educating youth on safety protocols from day one, our evacuation needs have been minimal.
As far as wildfire concerns go, we are fortunate to operate in alpine areas (or beach areas in Olympic) where the risk of rapid wildfire growth is minimal. (Simply put, our normal hiking speed is typically faster than a wildfire can spread in these areas.) However, if a wildfire erupts, park personnel are dispatched promptly and will support an evacuation if necessary. The bigger threat is unhealthy smoke levels coming from wildfires many miles away. When a distant wildfire erupts, we use an established evacuation criterion based on smoke levels and wind patterns, which we monitor consistently while in contact with field groups.
Yes, Lasting Adventures is a nonprofit with the mission to foster environmental stewardship, teach responsible recreation, and provide opportunities for personal growth by facilitating impactful wilderness experiences. You can see here to Apply For a Scholarship.
Lasting Adventures offers a very forgiving and structured Cancellation Policy, with lifetime, transferable credit always available up to 30 days prior to the trip. For a full description, visit our Terms and Conditions page.
Yes, see here for our Parent Reference List.
Also, feel free to search our Google and TripAdvisor reviews, which feature hundreds of testimonials from past summer camp participants and parents.
