High School Summer Camp - Experience Learning

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 we are going to do a little bit of everything. We will backpack through a wild place, explore the local landscape, visit some awesome swimming holes, go climbing on real rocks, and partner with a local conservation organization on a trail-based service project earning service hours for our work.

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.

Dates & Rates

Session One:
July 20 – July 24, 2025
$875/$750/$625

More information on scholarships and tiered pricing can be found here.

Drop off and Pick Up

Session One:
Drop Off Sunday, July 20, 1 pm, Spruce Knob Summit
Pick Up Thursday, July 24, 3 pm, Location TBD

I learned to trust myself more and not be afraid to advocate for myself. – Summer Camper, Leadership Camp
I learned about who I am as a person and that if I look within myself I can find some of the strength and courage that I’ve felt was missing from me. – Summer Camper, Leadership Camp
Mountain Stewards at Experience Learning is a fantastic week-long summer camp for kids who like the outdoors (or who WILL like the outdoors after this wonderful experience!) Stewardship of our natural resources, self-reliance, leadership, and fellowship, are all integral to this program. My daughter LOVES this camp, and that makes me a happy dad. Experience Learning also has great programs for learners of all ages. I recently completed an excellent Wilderness First Aid course at their wonderful Spruce Knob Mountain Center. Check it out! – Mark Wenzler
The mountain stewards camp is a wonderful, fun, confidence and skill building experience every kid should go through! – Sandy Frank
That was the best experience of high school and allowed me to flourish in my further experiences in high school. Absolutely transformed my idea of my own physical, social, and mental capabilities and made me feel much more confident!!!! I couldn’t recommend it more. ~Former Summer Camper
I love the freedom at this camp. It doesn’t feel like a structured camp with strict rules. We are free to have fun and learn in our own ways while still effectively accomplishing the goals of the program. – camper
In this program I was able to be my own leader, which has allowed me to see the ways in which I can improve myself and the ways in which I am strong. – Summer Camper, Leadership Camp
I learned so many interesting facts about the world around us that I will definitely take with me, but I also learned how wonderful it can be to be a part of a group in which everyone gives their all and wants to have a great time no matter the challenging situations or the rainy days. – camp participant