This expedition includes:
- Canyon backpacking
- Canyoneering
- Cross-Cultural service project*
- Mountain backpacking
- Peak ascents
- Expedition leadership training
While all of Deer Hill’s summer expeditions blend fun, challenge, and beauty, Wilderness Leadership gives participants the opportunity to learn the hard skills to guide others through the backcountry. For those interested in learning orienteering in the rugged canyons and mountains of the southwest, this expedition is designed to give each participant the opportunity to develop his or her own style of leadership in wilderness conditions.
“I never expected to learn so much in a summer. I’ve grown so much as a person.” – Macala, participant
Arrive at Basecamp
Days 1-2
Participants arrive at Basecamp throughout the first afternoon. Their expedition leaders help them become acquainted with Deer Hill as participants meet each other and the group begins to form. In addition to playing games and eating home-cooked meals, the group will begin to pack group and personal gear for the first part of their trip.
Canyoneering in Utah
Days 3-9
All prepped and packed, the group departs Deer Hill Basecamp on Day 3 for the Gravel Canyon trailhead in Southeast Utah. The group will rappel into the canyon, and backpack through the sinuously patterned sandstone, wade through hips-deep water in narrow slot canyons, roping up as needed to drop down pour-offs and into cavelike vaults carved by thousands of years of water and wind. This is a part of Utah that most people only imagine.
Mountain Backpacking
Days 10-17
After transitioning from canyoneering, the group will head up for an extended backpacking and mountaineering expedition in the San Juan Mountains. The group will traverse snowfields, rope up for alpine climbing, attempt to summit 13- and 14,000-foot peaks, and learn orienteering skills, along with Leave No Trace practices for mountain wilderness travel.
Service in Zuni Pueblo
Days 18-23
Participants live and work with their Zuni hosts on a number of projects that serve the community. This often includes building and repairing traditional Zuni bread ovens–outdoor ovens made from brick and mud–and then baking bread in them to prepare for community ceremonies. Additionally, community members teach participants about traditional agriculture in the Zuni garden, and often take the group to a lookout point on the mesa, Dowa Yalanne, a site of historical and mythological significance.
Return to Basecamp
Days 24-25
Participants return to Basecamp for program closure. The group cleans equipment and returns it to its storage locations at Basecamp, and returns any rental items to the Deer Hill Store. The group holds a closing ceremony to conclude their experience, and enjoys a cookout and slideshow on the final evening. On the last day of the program, expedition leaders drive participants to the Durango airport to return home.
Ages 16-18*
June 20 – July 14, 2025
25 Days
36 Service Hours
$6,850
*For questions about age or grade level, call us at 970.533.7492.
Start and End at Basecamp
The expedition is bookended with time at Deer Hill’s Basecamp in Mancos, CO. From Days 1 to 3, participants get to know each other as they pack group and personal gear for their river expedition. At the end of their expedition, the group returns to Basecamp for hot showers and home-cooked meals. The final full day will include a closing ceremony and celebration with a cookout and slideshow.
The group is at Basecamp only at the beginning and end of the expedition.
Arrival and Departure:
Durango Airport (DRO) or
Deer Hill Basecamp, Mancos, Colorado.
Arrive June 20, 11-3pm; Depart July 14, 8:30am-2pm
