Summer Treks

Gulch expeditions are an opportunity to immerse you in the majestic land and cultural heritage of the American Southwest. At The Gulch, we take you on world-class backpacking and hiking excursions, but our expeditions are much more than that— we use our hands to explore Southwestern art, science, farming, and archaeology, and we take time to learn from the Native American traditions of the Navajo, Zuni, and Acoma people.

Prairie Trek (boys 14-16)

Date: 2021 dates coming soon
Boys: Ages 14-16
15-20 members
Cost:

Two backpacking excursions; live and work on a Navajo farm; learn to rock climb or master your technique; explore ancient Puebloan ruins; in-depth exploration of the science, art, archaeology, and food of the Southwest.

Turquoise Trail (girls 14-16)

Dates: 2021 dates coming soon
Girls: Ages 14-16
15-20 members
Cost:

Two backpacking excursions in Utah and New Mexico; live and work on a Navajo farm; explore ancient Puebloan ruins; in-depth exploration of the science, art, archaeology, and food of the Southwest.

Mountain Desert Trek (AGES 16-18)

Dates: 2021 dates coming soon
Ages 16-18
All genders
15-20 members
Cost:

Three backpacks in the mountains and desert of the American Southwest. Live and work on a Navajo Farm; develop your own projects in art, science, archaeology, food. Longest and most challenging of our expeditions.

Paleontology Trek (ages 14-18)

Dates: 2021 dates coming soon
Ages 14-18
All Genders
10-15 members
Cost:

Find and excavate real dinosaur bones with professional paleontologists; earn four college credits for your work; learn to live and camp in the exotic badlands of New Mexico; “behind the scenes” tour of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History.

Outfit Expedition (ages 10-12)

Session 1: 2021 dates coming soon
Session 2: 2021 dates coming soon
All genders: Ages 10-12
15-20 members
Cost:
Introduction to outdoor living for younger and first-time campers. 10 Days at the Cottonwood Gulch Base Camp, summit Mount Taylor to watch the sunrise, Explore mushroom rocks, lava tubes, one-day river trip on the San Juan River.

Wild Country Trek (ages 13-15)

Session 1: 2021 dates coming soon
Session 2: 2021 dates coming soon
Session 3: 2021 dates coming soon
Ages 13-15
(12 by instructor approval)
All Genders
10-20 members
Cost:

Introduction to backpacking and rock climbing. 4-day backpack, explore the volcanoes of New Mexico, wander through Chaco Canyon, restore a New Mexico wetland, 7 days at the Cottonwood Gulch Base Camp.

Adventure Conservation Trek (ages 15-18)

Dates: 2021 dates coming soon
Ages 15-18
10-15 members
All Genders
Cost:
Explore incredible climbing areas in the four corners region, meet local characters and adventure enthusiasts, and help save our planet at the same time! This trek will focus around conservation, rock climbing, mountain biking and general adventure in the Southwest.

Art & Music Trek (ages 15-18)

Date: 2021 dates coming soon
All Genders: Ages 15-18
10-15 members
Cost:

Let the wilderness inspire your art and music; work with professional artists throughout the Southwest; create pottery, rugs, and painting with Native American Artisans; spend two weeks as an artist-in-residence at our Cottonwood Gulch Base Camp, and one week traveling through New Mexico’s wilderness to inspire your creative side.

Get Outdoors (G.O.) Trek

Session 1: 2021 dates coming soon
Session 2: 2021 dates coming soon
All Genders: Ages 12-14
15-20 members
Cost:

Join us for 7 fun-filled days of adventure, art and STEM programming. Located at our base camp in the Zuni Mountains of Western New Mexico, we will rock climb, hike, mountain bike and go caving. We will also learn how to work with pottery and silversmithing tools in our Arts Workshop.

The price for each expedition includes everything (food, transportation, staff, etc.) once you arrive in Albuquerque. Trekkers are responsible for their own transportation to and from the Albuquerque Airport, for personal spending money during the expedition, and for bringing the necessary personal gear on the packing list of their chosen expedition.

*Our cancellation policy

What You’ll Explore

The Gulch experience embodies these core activities: