Teen Summers

Iconic Parks & Epic Hikes

Perfect for teens itching to tick bucket-list names off the map. Think Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite. Days are packed with geyser walks, sunrise summits, and interpretive talks, while evenings revolve around campfire cooking and reflection circles. Expect moderate to challenging mileage and jaw-dropping vistas at every switchback.

Conservation Corps-Style Service

For the teen who wants boots-on-the-ground impact, service-heavy itineraries mix trail maintenance, invasive-species removal, or habitat restoration with classic park exploration. Projects might range from building boardwalks in wetland areas to collecting data on alpine meadows. Daily debriefs help participants connect physical effort to broader environmental goals—resume gold for aspiring environmental-science majors.

Culture & Wilderness Combos

Some journeys weave nearby Indigenous communities into the park experience. Picture service days on the Blackfeet Nation followed by glacier hikes in Montana, or cultural workshops in Alaska before kayaking through iceberg-dotted bays. These programs spotlight stewardship traditions that predate the National Park Service itself, giving teens a richer understanding of land, legacy, and responsibility.

Multi-Sport Adventures

If “variety” motivates your high-schooler, choose an itinerary that hopscotches between national parks and adrenaline activities: backpack Olympic National Park’s coastal trails, climb volcanic rock near Bend, then paddle the Klickitat River’s whitewater. Or spend 24 days in Alaska ice-climbing Matanuska Glacier, sea-kayaking Prince William Sound, and rafting the Nenana. Same breathtaking scenery, fresh challenge every day.

Photography & Field Science Intensives

Budding creators and STEM lovers can turn the parks into personal studios. Mornings might feature wildlife-tracking workshops or field-photography lessons; afternoons could be devoted to shooting geyser eruptions at golden hour or logging data on pikas for citizen-science projects. Teens leave with both a project portfolio and a sharper eye for the natural world.