WELCOME TO HIGH TRAILS

Are you attending High Trails this year? Students, watch our welcome video to learn more about your trip!

 

Nature, Community, Self, Wonder

 

The investigation of the natural world shapes our time spent at High Trails.  Three, four, and five-day residential experiences focus on nurturing an urge to explore, while building knowledge about the history and science of the natural world that surrounds us.

 
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I think that everybody needs a special spot in life, out in nature. A place where they feel calm, a place to think, or get inspiration for things.
- former 6th grade student
Teaching Fossils

We provide a tailored experience so that you get the outcomes your class needs. 

 

Our program is designed to meet state standards for 6th, 5th, and 4th grade students. High Trails instructors look forward to collaborating with and learning from experienced classroom teachers, and look to teachers for support and advice.  Your presence and participation throughout the school’s visit not only ensures a smooth trip, but also provides the opportunity to get to know students in a new setting, to watch as students thrive outside of the classroom, and to build community in the cabin, during meals, and during Discovery Groups.

 

 

Working with your child is our passion. 

 

Coming to High Trails is a big step for many students, as they live away from both home and parents for part of the school week.  Although this can be a challenge, it results in dramatic growth, increased independence, and the chance to develop unique bonds through living with friends and teachers outside of the traditional school setting.

 

 
When I’m out in nature, I’m free. I let the wind take my imagination wherever it wants to go.
-former 5th grade student

Make a difference. 

 

Being a leader at the High Trails Outdoor Education Center is a remarkable opportunity to be the best version of yourself, and see that effort reflected right back at you through the experience of your students. As a High School Counselor, you will stay up late and wake up early, tie little shoes and find lost water bottles, teach about the inner workings of a Ponderosa pine, and put on a ridiculous costume and dance. If this sounds exhausting and challenging, it is! High Trails is a whirlwind of new experiences bellied by the intentional support of peers, teachers, and the High Trails staff. For many who choose to come here, High Trails becomes a truly life-changing experience.

If you're interested in making a difference in the life of a young student, gaining new leadership skills and meeting new people, contact the High Trails coordinator at your high school to get your application process in motion.

 
 
 

Our staff is high-energy, creative, and ready to talk your ear off about the magnificence of an aspen grove. We are comprised of a core group of year-round staff members and a team of seasonal instructors. The staff receives in-depth training prior to each season, and works together in a variety of positions to run the High Trails program each week. We strive to provide exceptional education and learning opportunities in an environment where individuals are accepted and encouraged to grow in their connections to the Earth, their Community, their Self, and their Sense of Wonder.

 
High Trails is a place where you can feel wild for real.
-former 5th grade student

High Trails Outdoor Education Center and the Colorado Outdoor Education Center admit

students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges,

programs and activities generally accorded or made available to participants. It does not

discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin or any other status

protected by applicable law in administration of its educational policies, admissions

policies, scholarship program and other administered programs.