Lasting Adventures: Yosemite Summer Backpacking Programs

Come backpack this summer in Yosemite or Olympic National Park! Join Lasting Adventures on a 6-day, 13-day, or 27-day expedition. Hike to amazing locations while exploring the natural world around you along the way. Lasting Adventures is the #1 Guide Service & Summer Camp in Yosemite, with adult & family programs and our Young Women's Program. Pick from our stunning location in Yosemite or the verdant PNW in Olympic! Also offering fall-spring trips in Joshua Tree National Park!

The Adventure Camp Experience

Throughout our youth and teen outdoor backpacking programs, participants are guided along some of the most famous trails and to the top of some of the most iconic peaks. Our experienced Outdoor Educators have extensive knowledge of the backcountry and a passion for the outdoors that they share through fun and inspirational activities.

Participants will actively engage in daily activities that are significant, challenging, supportive, and fun!  All programs have a daily circle time in the morning where the team engages in stretches, reviews maps and daily itineraries, and sets individual and group goals for the day. Also, whether breaking on the trail or in the evening at the campsite after summiting a peak, our guides facilitate ongoing opportunities for youth to process the experience and develop a personal connection with nature. Problem-solving and initiative games are common, as are smiles and laughter.

The Yosemite Journey

The expansive wilderness within Yosemite National Park provides the ultimate backdrop to these transformative experiences. Most itineraries will have an average of one night a week in a front country campground, and the remainder of the nights will be in the Yosemite backcountry. Plan on backpacking 3-5 hours daily on moderate to strenuous terrain. Mileage can vary depending on terrain and age group, but plan on 4-8 miles per day. Throughout the experience, we take our time, take in the views, and break at some awesome watering holes. 

Participants will walk on Yosemite’s fabled polished granite, experience the park’s famous sunsets from unparalleled vantages, and discover the nuances of its majestic wilderness teeming with life.

Our Backpacking Summer Camp Mission

The primary mission of our outdoor summer camp is to foster environmental stewardship, teach responsible recreation, and provide opportunities for personal growth through the facilitation of impactful wilderness experiences. Through our nonprofit scholarship program, Lasting Adventures seeks to provide youth, families, and disadvantaged communities with positive experiences in America’s National Parks and natural spaces. In addition to unique individual backgrounds and certifications, our outdoor educators are trained in adventure-based programming, which challenges participants to improve their sense of self-esteem, worth, and confidence. Campers participate in daily goal-setting, group activities, and debriefing (usually mixed in with marshmallows around the campfire), all done within an environment of fun and support. All participants also learn basic backpacking skills, wilderness ethics,  and Leave No Trace principles. Along with creating lasting memories, our goal is for participants to finish their adventure with a greater knowledge and appreciation of themselves, the world at large, and the environment around them.

Contact us for Adult & Family programs in Yosemite as we are the #1 rated Guide Service within the park. 

We have program departures weekly between June-August. 

6-Day Yosemite Backpacking Adventure cost is $1850

13-Day Yosemite Backpacking Adventure Cost is $3900

27-Day Yosemite Leadership Expedition cost is $7880

* We have both a 6-day and 13-day version of the Young Women's Adventure Program.

We also offer an adventure shuttle to make transportation from San Francisco a breeze!

$135 one way

$250 round-trip

The total cost includes two experienced guides/outdoor educators, all meals, and the use of backpacks, sleeping bags/pads, tents/tarps, trekking poles. We also take care of all the group gear. Equipment Lists are available online. 

Scholarships are available.

We hope to see you this summer!