“Adventure Treks’ unique emphasis on the ‘culture of kindness’ and the way they form adolescent students into a true community is what separates Adventure Treks from other programs”
– Patricia Soong
Hillsborough, CA
Since 1978 schools from all over the eastern U.S. have brought classes of students to beautiful western North Carolina for week-long outdoor education programs run by Adventure Treks.
We currently work with classes ranging from 6th graders to seniors in high school during our fall and spring programs. The programs mix outdoor adventure activities like whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and backpacking with outdoor education and team building.
The trips have become such a highlight for the students that the experience is often mentioned during graduation ceremony speeches several years later. Several students have also joined our summer Adventures to further develop their outdoor skills.
Follow the links to learn more about our school group programs:
OUR MISSION is to ensure the safest, most substantive, and most exciting adventures for young people through our personal attention to every student, our caring, and our competence.
As educators, we have learned that the wilderness can be the best classroom. We have found that an outdoor adventure with excellent leaders and peers can be the most defining and positive experience in a young person’s life.
Even during a short trip, the wilderness experience provides a setting for teenagers to be themselves and to have fun. When students experience the satisfaction of an incredible mountain-top view after striving all day to reach the summit, or when they share a bonding experience with a new friend, priorities shift.
1. Safety.
Safety is our primary concern and we are extremely proud of our outstanding safety record. All of our instructors are certified Wilderness First Responders and have participated in our extensive training program.
2. Fun and exciting adventure.
In order to capture every student’s full participation, each Adventure is carefully designed to include a wide variety of fun and exciting activities tailored specifically to your needs. See below for a full list of activities we offer.
3. Building a community.
Knowing that we all have more fun and success when we feel included, valued and supported, we put a lot of energy into the intentional development of a small community. Students are divided into small groups as soon as they arrive. While a student may be in a group with one or two friends, they will also get to know a variety of classmates that they may not have spoken to before. Our instructors facilitate games, activities, and discussions that foster the development of a close, caring community. After a week of taking care of each other, you can expect students to return home with a new friend or two.
We believe that Adventure Treks has the finest staff of any outdoor program. We are proud that we have the most committed and most professional outdoor instructors. Most importantly, they are outstanding role models for young adults. During a summer program with Adventure Treks, we have a return rate of over 75%, and the average age of our instructors is 27. We are delighted that so many of our excellent summer instructors continue to work with us each fall in North Carolina.
Scroll down for a complete list of instructors that will be out with your child!
Sliding Rock
Sliding Rock is the highlight of every trip. It's a natural 60-foot water slide into a (VERY COLD!) pool at the bottom. Adventure Treks instructors will show students how to safely slide, and we'll let you slide as much as you want. Try to set the record for "most slides" with your small group!
Day Hike and Group Games
Your days are filled with activity at Adventure Treks. Pack a lunch, and explore Pisgah National Forest. You can see Looking Glass Falls, or maybe even hike under Moore's Cove Falls. Take in the view from any nearby vista while you learn about the natural history of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Team building activities are a great way for students to become more comfortable with their classmates. Our instructors provide a large array of fun and challenging games to help students realize the attributes necessary for working as a team. Many Adventure Treks games become favorites among the class for the rest of the school year.
Rock Climbing
Though many students have been rock climbing before, a chance to climb on real rock outdoors is a great challenge! At the climbing site, students learn all about climbing safely and can choose from a variety of climbs ranging from easy to difficult. The accomplishment of completing a climb is something to be proud of!
Bonfire and Evening Activities
After a full day of activities, students return to base camp for a bonfire and evening activities with the entire group. This is one of the few times that the group gathers as a whole, and stories between the small groups are full of hilarity and laughter.
Some small groups may choose to go on a short night hike for a star talk and other fun night-time activities.
Overnight Backpack
Students divide into small groups with two instructors and a chaperone from your school, and walk out of camp for a night in the wilderness. Weather and time permitting, they'll be able to see a spectacular view from their hike or campsite. The beauty of North Carolina in the fall, along with the community of classmates and teachers, makes this evening a very special part of the school group experience. Tonight, students will begin to learn the fundamentals of camping in the wilderness, basic Leave No Trace skills, enjoy a fabulous camp dinner together, share in some group-building activities, and sleep in tents or under the stars.
White Water Rafting the Nantahala River
This is the day students look forward to all week long! A short drive from the Pisgah center on the last day of base camp, our outfitters will instruct and outfit students for a day on the river. Studnets learn to paddle, then head out for an afternoon of exciting class II and III rapids. Lunch is provided before the drive home.
Where are you located?
Students arrive and leave from the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, located in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina. The colors here in the fall are absolutely stunning!
Groups will set up base camp near the Education Center, and all our overnight backpacking groups will be within a few minute's drive (or walk) of the base camp. Groups occasionally spend a night at Camp Green Cove in Tuxedo, North Carolina.
How can I contact my child?
In an emergency, please contact your school, and they will be able to contact our office and our base camp. There is a phone at the Pisgah Center, but groups will not typically have access to cell phones during the Adventure.
What should I pack?
Your school should have a complete gear list for you. Daytime highs can be 85 degrees, and night-time lows can be as cold as 35. Please plan for rain by packing your raincoat! Most often, students forget water bottles, good shoes, and raincoats. Please do not send snacks, as we provide plenty of food. Please do not send electronics, as all of your equipment will be stored outside under tarps at base camp.
To learn more about Adventure Treks programs for your school, please contact:
Dave "DMac" McGlashan, Educational Program Director
email: davemac@adventuretreks.com
phone: 888-954-5555
fax: 828-698-0339
mail: PO Box 1321, Flat Rock, NC 28731
About DMac:
As our Educational Program Director, DMac coordinates our spring and fall school group programs and is our staffing coordinator. Originally from Western North Carolina, he has whitewater kayaked all over the country and world. He received a Master’s in Recreation from the University of Tennessee and graduated from the National Outdoor Leadership School. He ran the kayaking program at Camp Arrowhead for several years before working as their Program Director. Dave has lived in Southern France, is a certified Wilderness First Responder, Swiftwater Rescue Technician, and ACA Kayak Instructor.
Andy Bleckinger – Andy joins us for his second year, after working our school group programs this past fall. Andy earned a degree in Environmental Studies from Southern Oregon University and spent the winter as a ski instructor in Winter Park, CO. He has led biking trips in New England and traveled throughout Central America. Andy is a certified Wilderness First Responder and frog/amphibian expert.
Liz Golembeski - Liz is very excited for her third summer with Adventure Treks. Liz previously worked at Summit Achievement, a wilderness therapy program in Stowe, ME. She is a graduate of Greenfield Community College’s Outdoor Leadership Program and also has a degree in Mass Communications from Boston University. Liz currently lives in North Conway, NH where she works as an assistant in the public school system to children living with autism. She is a certified Wilderness First Responder.
Jessie Kaplan - Jessie participated in two Adventure Treks trips as student, and is now excited to be back for her third summer as an instructor. Jessie graduated with a B.A. from Colby College where she majored in biology. At Colby, she played varsity soccer, worked in a biology research lab, mentored kids at a local elementary school, and volunteered at the hospital. Her outdoor experience includes graduating from a NOLS course in the Rockies, leading outdoor orientation trips for Colby freshmen, and spending a semester in New Zealand. She is a certified Wilderness EMT and has spent the past 8 months living in a rural village in Nepal while volunteering with Student Partnerships Worldwide.
Tracy Roberts – Tracy joins us for her second summer from Asheville, North Carolina. A Montana native, Tracy graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula with a degree in Health and Human Performance and completed a NOLS semester in the Yukon Territory. Tracy has worked with teenagers as a wilderness therapy instructor for SUWS of the Carolinas, currently for Trails Carolina, and as a Rehab Aide for 2 years at a teen recovery center in Missoula. Tracy has volunteered in Sri Lanka, and had traveled extensively in Europe, Central America and Asia. Tracy is a certified Wilderness EMT.
Eric Sanderson – Eric joins us for his third year, after working this past fall as a senior instructor with our school group programs. Eric has a degree in Outdoor Education from Georgia State College, where he was facilitator for the Outdoor Education Center. Eric was the Program Coordinator for Ultimate Zone and has been a wilderness instructor for Adventures Cross Country. Eric has also led therapeutic wilderness trips with Blackwater Outdoor Experiences. He is certified as a Wilderness First Responder, Leave No Trace Educator, Open Water Diver, and Swiftwater Rescuer.
Corey Steben-Corey holds a degree in Political Science from Boston University and is also a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School. Corey previously worked as for SUWS of the Carolinas as a senior field instructor with at-risk youth. He has traveled extensively in Central and South America and has backpacked and climbed across Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Corey is currently a wilderness instructor for Trails Carolina, a wilderness therapy program where he has helped design and implement treatment goals for teens. Cory is a certified Wilderness First Responder and we are excited to have him join us for a first summer.
Alex Stigliano – Alex began working with Adventure Treks in 2005 and is returning for his third year. He is a graduate of Carson Newman College, where he put his writing skills to work creating, publishing, and distributing The Tail Feather, an independent student newspaper. Alex also worked as a freelance writer for the Metro Pulse in Knoxville, TN. Between writing assignments, Alex has led educational trips with the American Youth Foundation, Inside Out, and Camp High Rocks. Alex has also taught ninth grade English in Chesapeake, Virginia. Alex is an active climber, backpacker, and all-around bon vivant. He is currently working as a sea kayak guide in the US Virgin Islands.
Tessa Dawson – Tessa’s first trip with Adventure Treks was as a 12-year-old student. Since then, she has been on three other Adventure Treks Adventures as a student, led trips for Camp Green Cove, led educational trips with High Rock’s LEAP program and taught skiing at Mammoth Mountain, CA. Tessa is a graduate of Colorado College where she had the opportunity to study in Kenya and lead a trip to Mission Wolf, a wolf sanctuary in Colorado. She is a Wilderness First Responder. She is joining us for her fourth summer as a Trip Leader. Tessa has also taught outdoor education programs for Outward Bound in Australia. Her four summers with A.T. paved the way for her three siblings to also join us as students.
