How Adventure Treks Makes the Outdoors FUN!

And How to Get Your Teen to Love Nature at Home, Too

Adventure Treks trips thrive on community and fun—this is why each year, our instructors go above and beyond to turn an itinerary of hiking, backpacking, kayaking, rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, and more into even more exciting and memorable experiences than they already are!

If you’re looking for ways to amp up your time in the outdoors, look no further than these tried-and-tested ideas from our staff playbook.

Dress up in flair

Any time outdoors is infinitely more fun when wearing an unquestionably stylish outfit. Who says that you can’t summit a mountain in a onesie, throw on a wig (beneath your helmet) while whitewater rafting, or make an outlandishly large pair of sunglasses your go-tos for an entire 24-day trip?

At Adventure Treks, we love all varieties of flair—it’s on the packing list for a reason, and our students and instructors love to lean into the creativity. Flair is a great way for students to express themselves and bring a lighthearted attitude to even the biggest challenges, like mountain summit days!

Play lots of games

Adventure Treks students hike through beautiful natural places, but they rarely go in silence. Our time on the trail is constantly buzzing with conversations, riddles, and trail games that make those uphill miles go by in a snap.

Games and unique events also carry into the frontcountry, particularly through competitions like Iron Chef and AT Olympics that put students’ teamwork, imagination, and resourcefulness to the test. There’s no limit to the kinds of musical skits, talent shows, complicated riddles, and wacky games that we can dream up to make an Adventure Treks trip unforgettable.

Celebrate with a snack

Treat yourself! After a tough hike, an invigorating rafting day, or a cardio-heavy mountain biking session, we’ll fuel up with a snack. AT students enjoy a variety of options from the fan-favorite Hi-Chews to classics like beef jerky, GORP, and fruit to the ever-mysterious alpineapple.

With the right amount of planning and culinary skill from our students, more ambitious treats like no-bake cheesecake and backcountry brownies have also come to fruition on AT trips. No matter what kind of snack you prefer, remember that it will taste better when enjoyed alongside your friends!

Make it an event

There’s always fun and WOW lurking around the corner at Adventure Treks, whether it’s a student-planned dinner or a surprise spontaneous dance party. You might find an appointment at the backcountry spa, a birthday party for your trip mascot complete with cupcakes, a trash-bag-themed prom night, or a goal to perform 500 squats or push-ups over the course of a single day.

These fun traditions and events are layered throughout our itineraries, giving students new occasions to look forward to throughout their trips.

Build a community that cares

Everyone here at Adventure Treks can speak to the positive impact that community has on an outdoor experience. Our students unlock their best selves not just by taking on new challenges, but also by supporting each other every step of the way.

Truly, all of the above ideas above are rooted in the friendship and trust that a group of AT students builds over the course of their trip. That’s why our student and staff return rate is so high, and that’s why every single thing we do to make the outdoors more fun becomes a core memory for our teens.

Making the outdoors fun for teens is a core component of Adventure Treks

To make hiking fun, we focus on the the social experience, not just the physical challenge. When teens are hiking with a group of peers—talking, playing games, and sharing the experience—the miles pass more quickly. It also makes the type 2 fun experiences more memorable.

We also keep students engaged by breaking the day into smaller moments—games, snack and lunch breaks in scenic spots, fun conversation, and shared goals. Instead of focusing on the full distance, the experience becomes about what’s happening along the way. We’re pretty sure you’ll never hear “boring” and “backpacking” in the same sentence from an AT student.

In our experience, teens tend to enjoy a mix of movement and activities. That’s why all of our trips are multisport. They all include hiking and rafting, and from there, each itinerary has a different mix of climbing, biking, kayaking, etc. Every day is a little different, and that novelty (we’re not a “rinse and repeat” program) keeps every new challenge and activity fresh and exciting.

Another goal with a multisport program is to help students find at least one new hobby or passion—a lifelong sport they fall in love with and perhaps can pick back up when they get home!

It’s truly not just the activities—it’s the full experience. Being away from phones, visiting different national parks and forests, being surrounded by friendly peers, getting through a tough moment with an encouraging community, and finding support from caring instructors creates this incredibly unique space for teens to relax, be themselves, and have fun that’s hard to replicate at home.

It’s both, and that’s the point. The challenge makes the fun more meaningful. When teens work through something difficult—like a physically difficult summit or a fear of heights while rock climbing—the celebration afterward feels way more impactful and special. Teens can stretch themselves in a supported environment, which allows them to more naturally improve the life skills every parents wants for their kids: confidence, resilience (a huge one these days), social skills, teamwork, and more.  (Read more on how adventure camp builds confidence in teens here.)

Set your child up to have the best summer up by enrolling on a trip below!

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