Youth Expeditions

 

Summer 2025 Registration Is Now Live!

For 7 days/6 nights, or 4 days/3 nights youth ages 10-17 can join us in the Oregon backcountry for a unique and rewarding summer experience. Our one-of-a-kind model teaches: backcountry skills, confidence, learning from nature, Leave No Trace, dedication to safety, and fun! With two guides leading a group of up to 10 youth, we offer a 1:5 guide to camper ratio. We provide all food and group gear (e.g., tents, camp stoves, water filters), and each youth brings a backpack, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad as key personal gear you’ll need. We have a full gear library available to you for any items you do not already own.

Get Early Bird Pricing by booking before January 31st! We offer scholarships on a sliding scale from 15% to 100% tuition coverage, and all are encouraged to apply.

2025 Youth Expedition offerings include:

  • Ponderosa Basecamp: Middle School
  • Strawberries Basecamp & Rafting: Middle School
  • Elkhorns: High School
  • Boys Going Glacial: Middle School
  • Strawberry Lakes Loop, Middle School
  • Marion Lake Loop: High School
  • Mt Hood Dwellers: 10-12 year olds*
  • Bold and Brave: Girls 13+
  • PCT Section Hike: High School
  • TFJ with rafting: Middle School
  • LGBTQ+ Youth: 13+

*New expedition alert!

What’s New for 2025: Shuttle Service, 4-Day Adventures, and Weekday Dropoffs

We’re thrilled to share some big updates for the upcoming season! Our adventure offerings are expanding, and we’ve made some adjustments based on your valuable feedback to ensure an even better experience for everyone.

New Trip Formats:

We’re sticking with our popular 7-day/6-night expeditions, but for those looking for a shorter adventure, we’re introducing a brand-new 4-day/3-night format! This option is perfect for adventurers with tighter schedules who still want to immerse themselves in Oregon’s backcountry.

Shuttle Service:

We heard your concerns about traffic during pickup and drop-off times, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll now offer a shuttle service from Salem and Portland! This new service aims to reduce stress and make transportation to and from our trips more convenient.

Revised Schedule:

This year, all youth trips will begin on Tuesdays, a change from previous seasons aimed at simplifying logistics and making planning easier. The new schedule, paired with our morning shuttle drop-offs before the workday starts, will make for a more convenient and accessible start to your adventure.

We’re looking forward to another incredible season of adventures and can’t wait to have you join us!

Are you ready for an Opal Creek Expedition?

Our backpacking adventures are open to anyone 10 and up who’s ready to connect with nature, challenge themselves, and have fun. The backcountry requires teamwork, awareness, and physical fitness. If you are wondering if a trip is right for you or your child, please review our Essential Eligibility Criteria and difficulty levels.

Opal Creek provides all food (snacks and meals), tents, water filters, stoves, fuel, first aid, cookware, bug spray/sunscreen, and bear/animal-proofing. You are required to bring personal items and equipment, though we have a gear library for your use with extra sleeping bags, backpacks, sleeping pads, water bottles, and dishes. View the full packing list for more details.

Drop Off & Transportation

Youth Expeditions are launched from the Minto Brown Island Park in Salem. Our new shuttle service will be departing from Portland Oregon!

Cancellation Policy

Your reservation is fully refundable at least 60 days out from the trip start date. Within 60 days, this trip is no longer refundable. If this is a problem for you, we strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance. Visit SquareMouth to get a quote from many different trip insurance providers. If you'd like "cancel for any reason" insurance, there's usually a requirement that you acquire it within a short window after booking your trip.

Questions?

View our Frequently Asked Questions. Also, you can reach out to us by email at expeditions@opalcreek.org or phone at (503)892-2782, ext. 1.

Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center operates under a special-use permit for the Willamette, Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, the Malheur National Forest, the Umatilla National Forest, and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest from the US Forest Service and an Oregon outfitter guide permit from the Oregon State Marine Board. We are an equal opportunity outdoor recreation service provider.