California Challenge

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California Challenge

Destination

California

Current Grades

9th, 10th, 11th

length

24 Days

view dates and prices
Meeting Place

Sacramento, CA (SMF)

Discover the awe-inspiring beauty of northern California with our 24-day adventure! Hike through the breathtaking Shasta-Trinity Alps, one of the most coolest wilderness areas in North America. Cool off afterward with a thrilling whitewater rafting trip down the Trinity River. Challenge yourself with mountain biking and rock climbing in the scenic shadows of Mt. Shasta, and then prepare for a life-changing summit attempt of its iconic sister, Mt. Shastina. Afterward, enjoy three lively days of rafting and kayaking down the bouncy Rogue River! Cap off this incredible adventure with a hiking journey through the tallest Redwoods in the state, right on the beautiful CA coast, and an overnight rafting trip on the American River.

The California adventure camp is perfect for teens of all levels of outdoor experience. With expert guidance, we ensure a supportive and fun environment where everyone will thrive.

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California Challenge Itinerary

Hike in the Shasta-Trinity Alps

The Trinity Alps range was named after its more famous European counterpart due to its chiseled granite peaks and domes. Spend five days wandering through lush, green valleys carved by glaciers long ago, beneath one of the greatest conifer forests in the world. Black bear, bobcats, blacktailed deer, pine marten, wolverine, and many more species of wildlife call the Trinity Alps home. In the afternoon, cool off with a refreshing swim in one of the region’s hundreds of alpine lakes! At night, settle in with your new best friends, blanketed by the brightest stars you’ve ever seen.

Rock climb in Mt. Shasta

Gear up for a rock climbing adventure at the riverside crags near the behemoth Mt. Shasta! With routes for all abilities, you’ll challenge yourself and progress at your own pace. Reach new heights as you climb against the backdrop of stunning natural beauty. When it’s time to cool off, take a refreshing plunge into one of the sparkling swimming holes in the Sacramento River. Today combines the excitement of climbing with the fun of swimming holes in the forest.

Mountain bike in Mt. Shasta

The next day, you’ll love riding the trails around Lake Siskiyou, nestled at the foot of Mt. Shasta. Choose your adventure: Zoom down thrilling flowy trails or take a mellower approach on beginner-friendly tracks. Wind your way through thick forests and enjoy wide-open trails that offer breathtaking views and a super-fun biking experience.

Summit attempt of Mt. Shastina

We’ll spend two memorable days on this mammoth, 12,335-foot mountain that commands the landscape of northern California. First, learn how to use ice axes and crampons in snow school. Then for our summit attempt, we’ll wake up when it’s still dark to start our hike—our reward is the most vibrant sunrise you’ve ever seen and the thrill of accomplishing an incredibly impressive feat.

Hike in Redwoods National and State Parks

Gaze in awe at the towering giants of California’s old-growth coastal Redwoods, some soaring over 300 feet high! Over several exciting days, you’ll hike through these majestic, world-famous forests, shaded by the tallest trees on earth. Walk through vibrant fields of wildflowers, including the iconic lupine and rhododendrom blooms. Keep your eyes peeled for hawks, bald eagles, osprey, and peregrine falcons gliding through the sky overhead. You may see Roosevelt elk and deer gracefully moving through the forest or grazing in the scenic coastal grasslands. And if you’re really lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a playful fox or a sleek river otter! On the coast itself, peer into the tidepools for bright pink, purple, and green sea stars, anenome, sea urchins, crabs, and more! In the distance, you may see harbor seals, sea lions, and gray whales.

This is more than just a hike—it’s an unforgettable adventure in nature’s most awe-inspiring playground.

Whitewater raft the Trinity, Rogue, and American rivers

After your hike through the Trinity Alps, work together as a team to navigate the rapids down the Wild and Scenic Trinity River. If we’re lucky, we might see river otters and beavers at home in the water, or black bear, foxes, deer, or elk on the shores! This area has a ton of bald eagles, so keep your eyes to the skies as well.

Spend three blissfully fun days bonding with your friends while paddling down another Wild and Scenic River: the Rogue in southern Oregon! Feel the rush as you navigate through thrilling rapids surrounded by pristine wilderness and rugged canyons. During the day, the adventure never stops with splash wars and laughter echoing across the water. In the evenings, relax on the riverbanks and share stories under a starry sky.

At the end of your trip, get ready for two epic days on the Wild and Scenic American River! Fueled by the fresh snow melt from the Sierra Nevada and surrounded by lush, vibrant scenery, this is the ultimate whitewater rafting experience. Ride the continuous rapids and feel the rush as you navigate the twists and turns of this exhilarating river.

Dates and Prices

Departure 1
  • Departure Day
    06/25/25
  • Return Day
    07/18/25
  • Price
    $6,595
Departure 2
  • Departure Day
    07/06/25
  • Return Day
    07/29/25
  • Price
    $6,595
Departure Day Return Day Price
06/25/25
07/18/25
$6,595
07/06/25
07/29/25
$6,595
Included in tuition:
  • All meals
  • Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack, and all group gear
  • Guided activities
Not included in tuition:
  • Airfare to and from Sacramento, CA (SMF)
  • Travel protection (more info here)
  • Personal clothing and items (packing lists available for enrolled families)
Camping

About two-thirds of our nights are spent at “frontcountry” campsites, where we’ll generally have a more developed campsite with running water, toilets, and sometimes cell phone service. This may be a public or private campground. We often stay at the same frontcountry site a few days in a row.

The other third will be spent “backcountry” camping, referring to wilderness locations where we are most likely out of cell phone service and away from our vehicles, electricity, and other amenities. Many multi-day activities like backpacking take place in the backcountry.

Challenge/fitness level

No experience necessary; all skill levels welcome! We’ll teach students everything they need to know to be successful and have fun.

Fitness and physical challenge are subjective, so Adventure Treks does not “rate” its trips based on challenge. However, because we’ll be highly engaged in backcountry activities throughout trip, our students have the responsibility to be physically fit. We know physical fitness looks different for everyone, but it’s important to come prepared so that you and your fellow students can succeed. One student not coming prepared with physical fitness will negatively impact the entire group. In the months leading up to their trip, students should develop a routine that emphasizes stamina and sustaining a moderate level of exertion for many hours, several days in a row. Running, swimming, bicycling, aerobics classes, and team sports are all beneficial and will help improve cardiovascular fitness in preparation for a student’s trip.

Activities

Backpacking

Mountain biking

Mountaineering

Rock climbing

Whitewater rafting

Reviews

Courtney Moseman, Bethesda, MD
July 2024

We felt very comfortable sending Leo off on this new adventure. It was well organized and planned. I loved that he did a variety of activities but seemed to do everything twice, so the challenges built on each other. Leo gained so much confidence in himself that he accomplished something he has wanted to do for a long time (climb a very tall mountain). He seems more comfortable with living in nature and not having lots of modern convieinces, like a fridge. He also was proud of himself for going on his own and meeting new friends. He loved seeing and learning about a part of the country he has never been before and has not stopped talking about the whole experience.

Jeff Marks, Fremont, CA
July 2024

If you’ve found the Adventure Treks website, then you or your kid are looking for something different this summer. Honestly, don’t hesitate—just do it, as the saying goes. There are not many experiences with the power to change your perspective and rewire your brain like extended time in the outdoors. The team at Adventure Treks really helped our son tap into a sense of wonderment and self-confidence that was lying below the surface. Outside of the obvious benefits of an intense exposure to the outdoors over that length of time, I think he really garnered improved confidence from experiencing the trip with a group of entirely new people. The communication before, during, and even after the trip was top-notch. The trip blogs and photo uploads were fantastic.

Elyssa Pellish, Westborough, MA
July 2024

Gabe said this was the best three weeks of his life, and he didn’t want to come home. He wouldn’t change anything about the trip! The kids and the staff were all amazing, and he is already planning on his next trip.

Kasia Dolecki, Surrey, British Columbia
July 2023

This was Aleksa’s second AT experience and definitely not the last one! Last summer, Aleksa went to Yellowstone and this year she joined California Challenge. There is nothing better to describe my kid’s experience than the fact that she can’t wait till next summer to hopefully meet some old and new friends in Alaska! Adventure Treks provides a safe, inclusive, encouraging, and supportive environment for kids who want to experience new adventures, discover their abilities, learn their limitations, gain new skills, and meet like-minded friends. AT gave Aleksa chance to take a break from constant peer pressure and social media interactions. She was able to give herself the opportunity to reflect and discover and get greater appreciation for the world and life around her, people, environment, wildlife, etc. After a busy, often hectic and stressful school year, AT gave her a chance to actively restore herself, build confidence, learn new skills, make new friends and rediscover herself as a better person. She speaks highly of all her instructors as amazing friends and true mentors. Every year she comes back with new skills and lifelong memories. She comes back more mature, confident, caring with new skills and appreciation of herself and others. But most important she has fun and comes back happier. AT is very well organized and safe. I feel comfortable sending my child to the camp and leaving her in hands of such nurturing, skilled, supportive and fun people.

Lauren Figge, Pittsboro, NC
July 2023

Coen is an introverted classic teen who, if given the option, might take the easy way out. However, AT has sparked in him a new love for outdoor adventure, travel, meeting new people. It has broadened his horizons in ways he didn’t expect, and he’s proud of the physical and intellectual challenges AT has helped him conquer. Exposure to sights, sounds, people and skills that we cannot get in NC. And as a parent presenting them to my son, these would not have the same impact on my teen’s willingness to accept new adventures the way AT brings it to him.

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