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 who have joined us before on 6- or 13-day adventures in Yosemite or Olympic National Parks and want to try 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.Â
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.Â
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 the first time backpacker as well as those who might have previous backpacking experience.
For ages 11-13 we recommend our 6-Day Young Adventurers program. For more mature/physically developed 13yos and all 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 experiences they are after.
Yes, for a detailed packing list, see the Joshua Tree Youth Winter Camp Packing and Equipment List.
Over 50% of our participants come without other friends, which can vary from trip to trip. From day one and throughout the program, our guides facilitate activities and games to bond all the youth. It is almost too common for youth who come with friends to leave with new and better friendships with others. 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.
Our Outdoor Educators are some of the best professionals in the field who share a passion for the outdoors and sharing that with others in a fun and caring manner. All staff go through a rigorous application process and background check where they must demonstrate experiences in the outdoors, 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 as well as they are consistently supervised throughout the season.
We always have at-least two staff members for each youth group that doesn’t exceed 10 youth.
Don’t worry we got you covered. We have a long history of meeting the needs of most all dietary restrictions and even some very complicated ones. When registering, you will complete a questionnaire to give us a brief picture of your needs. Then, later, you will complete a more detailed Medical form where you can include more information. The staff guiding your trip will call you the day prior and when they are packing the food/gear for the trip to 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.
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 critters, so we do not encounter any problems with them.
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 an option up to 30 days prior to the trip. For a full description, visit our Terms and Conditions page.
We eat good food!
Unfortunately, no, and NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS. Because these groups backpack in remote wilderness areas, there is little to no cell service, and communication is limited. However, group leaders use satellite technology to send the required nightly “All-ok” check-ins, which also include their GPS location, which we track in our offices. They can also send custom messages for all other emergencies or for any other issue they need support with. So we go by “No news is good news.” As always, if there is ever any emergency or concern involving your child, you will be one of the first to be notified.
Yes, thanks to our partnerships with some of the best gear companies, we can provide backpacks, sleeping bags, pads, trekking poles, and tents (if necessary). There will be a place to indicate what you would like to borrow when completing the required forms after registering.
Youth should be able to carry a backpack of 25-45lb, and not to exceed â…“ 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.
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 know that we watch group composition and group youth with similar ages/sexes.
