For years, Deer Hill has specialized in hosting a wide range of school programs including Waldorf 8th grade class trips, high school trips and service programs, alumni reunions, and more. Students gain valuable hands-on field experience, which in turn compliments their classroom learning, strengthens their connection with their classmates and teachers, and often provides a well-rounded capstone experience.
Deer Hill empowers students to connect authentically with each other and themselves by utilizing the powerful and grounding nature of a wilderness experience.
Our program activities vary naturally to keep students engaged, challenged, and working as a team, while they also include time for reflection and solitude at the end of each day.
We work closely with you to design a program that builds off the curriculum that your students are already learning in the classroom, to create a memorable capstone learning experience.
Common School Program Options
For groups embarking on adventures outside our Colorado basecamp, Deer Hill utilizes various program elements in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona to deliver our mission. To learn more about each specific program element, visit this page.
Most schools like to combine a few elements, such as River Rafting and Service Learning, and some like to focus on just one element that speaks deeply to the work they do back in the classroom. For more details on how these program elements may work best for your school, reach out to the Program Sales Manager through the button below.
River & Service Learning
River & Service Learning experiences are one of the most popular school group programs at Deer Hill. Rafting expeditions are a great way for groups of people with varying degrees of comfort in outdoor activities to explore the wilderness of the Southwest. Groups will splash through Class I – II+ rapids, relax on stretches of flatwater, camp on sandy beaches, make meals together, explore ancient Ancestral Puebloan ruins, and practice Leave No Trace techniques. At Service, either with Native American service hosts or with an enriching community farm stay or local project, students engage in cultural exchange, explore a change in perspective, and often become closer with their classmates through hands-on projects.
Options include:
- Average Trip Length: 9-12 days, customizable for your school’s needs
- Ability to start on the river or at service
- Choose between rafting on the Upper or Lower section of the San Juan River, the Colorado River, or the Green River.
- A wide range of enriching Service Learning experiences in the Four Corners region
Backpacking & Service Learning
Through Backpacking & Service Learning experiences, students challenge their physical ability as their body carries them through meaningful work. Human-powered transportation has the great ability to challenge, connect, and teach many valuable lessons in community. Deer Hill Expeditions leads backpacking trips in the mountains of Colorado and the canyons of southeastern Utah. At Service, either with Native American service hosts or with an enriching community farm stay or local project, students engage in cultural exchange, explore a change in perspective, and often become closer with their classmates through hands-on projects.
Some options include:
- Average Trip Length: 9-12 days, customizable for your school’s needs
- Ability to start either at service or backpacking
- Depending on the time of year choose between exploring the canyons of Utah or the mountains of Southwest Colorado
- Consider basing your group out of High Camp Hut to accommodate a greater range of adventure levels, with day hikes and exploration of the area
- A wide range of enriching Service Learning experiences in the Four Corners region
River, Backpacking, Service
Combine all 3 elements for a powerful, immersive program more akin to our summer open enrollment expeditions. Over the years we have found the combination of river, service, and mountain to be a powerful and effective platform for transformation in our participants.
Options include:
- Average Trip Length: 19-21 days, customizable for your school’s needs
- Cross Cultural Service learning with one of our host families.
- Choose between rafting on the Upper or Lower section of the San Juan River, the Colorado River, or the Green River.
- A wide range of hiking opportunities, from canyons, to the mountains, to day hikes based out of High Camp Hut!
Create Your Expedition with Deer Hill
You provide the group, we guide the experience. Certain activities are dependent on the season, but Deer Hill operates year-round. Inquire online to find out if Deer Hill is the right outfitter for your group.
- Review the suggestions above (more options available)
- Contact the Program Sales Manager by submitting an inquiry (see below)
- The Program Sales Manager works with you to design a program for your group