Why choose Adventure Treks?

The Adventure Treks difference

Choosing a teen camp is a big decision. You want your teenager to feel safe, supported, and surrounded by good people. You also want a summer experience that feels meaningful—not just another vacation where your teen is sitting around on the beach.

For more than 33 years, families have trusted Adventure Treks to deliver all of that, and more.

Adventure Treks was built on a simple idea:

When teenagers are surrounded by great mentors and given a chance to do epic, joyful things in the outdoors, they grow in transformative ways.

Start by exploring our summer adventure trips or get in touch with our admissions team to talk through options for your teen.

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A community where everyone belongs

The most common feedback we hear from parents is that Adventure Treks has “the best group of people my child has ever been part of.” That’s the foundation of who we are.

From day one, our instructors build an environment where teenagers feel welcome and happy. They help students get to know each other, build trust, and support one another. Teens often describe the AT community as the first place they felt truly included, and the friendships they make here last for years.

Where most programs cross their fingers and hope community will form, our experienced staff create it on purpose.

Read our families’ testimonials

Experienced, professional instructors

Your child’s safety and instructors matter more than anything else. Our staff are not college students simply looking for a fun summer job. They’re trained outdoor educators, teachers, guides, and mentors who return to work with us for multiple years. Our staff not only care about our students’ personal growth and development, but they also have the credentials to back it up.

Their experience shows up in every part of the program—solid risk management, smart decision-making, stable emotional support, and close student relationships. From the moment students arrive at the airport, instructors set the tone for the trip: warm, positive, fun, and steady.

Plus, our high staffing ratio means students will always get the personal attention, guidance, and role modeling they deserve

Get to know our leadership team and instructors

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Gear is included for everyone

We provide tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cooking gear, and all technical equipment for activities like rock climbing and whitewater rafting. This keeps costs fair and helps every student feel prepared—regardless of their background or family’s outdoor experience.

Parents appreciate that “all-inclusive” means just that: Your child has what they need to succeed. Other programs not only require parents to pay for gear, but also for laundry, photos, and even showers. There are no rental costs with us!

Real growth that lasts beyond summer

Adventure Treks helps teenagers develop confidence, independence, resilience, and leadership—the life skills they need to succeed in college and beyond. These outcomes emerge naturally when teens are given opportunities to stretch their wings in a supportive group. They learn to trust themselves, support one another, and take pride in what they can do.

For many students, Adventure Treks becomes a turning point, and the experiences stay with them through high school, college, and adulthood.

In fact, we encourage you to read our many alumni stories and college essays that mention the lifelong impact of Adventure Treks.

Read our students’ testimonials

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Safety and risk management

We want teens to feel excited for a cool new adventure, not scared off by it. At Adventure Treks, a safety mindset is woven into everything we do through decades of refining and reviewing systems and protocols.

Plus, we maintain a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio—which means our trips have 50% more staff than anyone else—giving teenagers the most support and supervision in the industry.

From detailed emergency plans to professional training, our approach helps students stretch themselves in healthy, age-appropriate ways.

Trusted by families for more than 33 years

More than 20,000 students have joined Adventure Treks since 1993. Many families return year after year and send siblings or recommending us to their closest friends. We consider this trust the heart of our work.

Adventure Treks is more than a summer camp. We are an intentional community dedicated to helping teenagers grow into capable, confident young adults through joyful, memorable experiences in nature.

You can learn more about our story and mission and how Adventure Treks began on our about page.

Explore our 2026 adventure programs

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