Rivers & Rocks

entering grades 9 – 12

Nothing is virtual about this camp, it is a real-world adventure in all its stunning and gritty glory, far from wi-fi and cell signals, and a prime opportunity to evaluate outlooks and priorities for the high-school aged camper.

The terrain will be rugged, the adventure will be real, and more likely than not, it’ll be a little wet!

This year, the adventure begins in Bemis, WV, where the train will pick our group up and carry us to the High Falls of the Cheat River. There, at the longest trail in West Virginia – The Allegheny Trail, we’ll step off the train and begin our backpacking journey.

Along the way, we’ll meet with representatives from the U.S. Forest Service and volunteers from the WV Scenic Trails Association to complete stewardship projects that directly benefit both the Allegheny Trail and the surrounding national forest. Our route takes us through habitat for the Cheat Mountain salamander and the Eastern hellbender, giving us opportunities to explore these unique ecosystems and learn why these endangered species are vital to the greater forest community.

There’s no better way to dig deep into history than by traveling the railroad, just as people did a century ago, to one of the most remote sections of the Allegheny Trail. Throughout the expedition, we’ll learn about the people who shaped these lands and those who have called them home over the years.

After completing the backpacking portion, we’ll take day trips to other locally significant sites to explore the richness of the forest, partner on additional stewardship projects with other local agencies, and explore the remarkable aspects that make these often-forgotten areas so unique. The program concludes with guided rock climbing at the iconic Seneca Rocks.

Throughout the entire trip we will make the time each day to incorporate reflective activities as well as opportunities to push comfort zones and set personal goals.  In this way, we can use this experience as a tool for successfully facing personal challenges and fears with direct applications to the real-world. 

This camp will work to more deeply develop campers’ basic adventure and wilderness survival skills as well as fostering relationships with each other, and awareness of group dynamics. Our mindfulness and reflection exercises will help each camper identify their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences and the supportive environment will help them develop confidence in the value and importance of their unique offerings.

Stewardship Flashback

In 2022, the Rivers and Rocks program saw firsthand the kind of effort it takes to maintain remote wilderness areas as they headed deep into the Otter Creek. They spent several days working alongside the USFS using two person crosscut saws and loppers as they worked hard to fight back the thick stands of mountain laurel and rhododendron that have taken over large swaths of the trail.