When it comes to teen summer camps and adventure programs, there are many companies out there with glossy catalogs and fancy websites. We know that the number of choices for next summer can seem overwhelming. Developed from questions that we have been asked over the years at Deer Hill, …

In this shot from our 2010 Southwest Journey adventure summer camp, Evan and Edi hit the first wave in Joe Hutch Canyon rapid in their inflatable kayak. Probably the biggest test in the 85 or so miles of Desolation and Gray Canyons of the Green River, this class 3+ rapid …

 We were happy to receive a beautiful poem from Julian Mullins, who was a participant in an 8-day San Juan River trip and Navajo service project that we ran for the Eugene Waldorf School in May. Julian is clearly an imaginative and talented writer, having previously won a gold medal …

Deer Hill’s staff development program is always a rewarding event. Usually the only moment when so many of our field staff are in the same place at the same time, this in-the-field training provides an opportunity for idea-sharing, skill-sharpening as well as the establishment of new friendships and the renewal …

This photo, taken during Staff Training for our summer programs, shows some of the dramatic geology surrounding the San Juan River in Southeastern Utah. To begin the day’s leadership exercise, the group of new and returning field leaders hiked over this sandstone bulge and onto the rugged Mule’s Ear “diatreme” …

Sample Itinerary: “Ecology, Rivers and Cultures of Costa Rica”
The itinerary below, planned for Deer Hill school groups, is a wonderful journey into the wild places and native cultures of Costa Rica. Though it takes place outside of our “backyard” – the American Southwest – the program maintains our 25-year tradition …

John Heider’s adaptation of the Tao Te Ching adapts Lao Tzu’s writings relevant to the lives of anybody who finds themselves in the position of leader. Heider takes Tao ideas of “How Things Work” and finds lessons about issues central to leadership: ego, conflict, teaching, intervention, listening, creativity, success and …

Service Leadership teen summer camp. Mudding bread ovens in Zuni is dirty work but fun.
Activities: Inflatable Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Campcraft, Leadership Workshops and Initiatives.
Community Service: Cross-cultural service projects in Navajo and Zuni; Conservation service project with the US Forest Service (80 total certified service hours)
Locations: Deer Hill Basecamp, …

Program Leader Emily Wilbert relaxes on the summit of Centennial Peak with her River and Mountain Adventure group in July 2009.
This is a guest post from Eli Shostak, Deer Hill’s Staff Manager:
As Staff Manager at Deer Hill, I spend a fair amount of time chatting with people who are …

An amusing anecdote from the leaders on a recent Deer Hill school custom program. The host for their service project with the Navajo, or Diné people, was Patricia, who plays the role of healer in her community close to Gallup, New Mexico.
“One evening Patricia came out to sit around the …

In this photo, students from the Latin School of Chicago, make their way up Steer Gulch in Southeastern Utah. Backpacking into the scenic solitude of Cedar Mesa, an area of the Colorado plateau rich in Ancestral Puebloan ruins and beautiful rock formations, is a journey back into both human history …

The photo shows Deer Hill Founder and Owner Doug Capelin, and daughter Emily, digging in the vegetable garden at Deer Hill Basecamp. With the sun shining, birds chirping, and the winter snow melting away fast, you could hardly call it working! Mia and Lily, Basecamp Golden Retrievers, are in …

This gallery of photos is a guest post from Michael Barton, a Deer Hill field staff member since 2002, who was Program Leader on our Heart of the Rockies adventure summer camp program last year. The Heart of the Rockies features the Weminuche Wilderness, the largest Wilderness area in Colorado. …