Deer Hill Expeditions

My kid needed an accommodation for her class trip and this company was unwilling to let her stay for half the time because it would be “disruptive to the flow”. Even though I was willing to do the pick up and did not ask anything of the organization or school, they said she could do it all or she was not allowed to join. They tout they are inclusive but seem ableist in practice.

It is often difficult to quantify the impact of certain experiences on a teenager. Teenagers can be unpredictable, wily, elusive. Mine is no exception. But on the way to Deer Hill Expeditions this past year (we make a two-day adventure of the drop-off, motoring across gorgeous Colorado) for his third year in a row, he told me, unsolicited, that he does the "most emotional growing" while he is at DHE. He loves the place. He loves the friends he makes, the adventures and misadventures, the instructors, the Interior West, desert rivers, high alpine hiking, DHE basecamp, dessert at basecamp (you know, critical stuff!). He's also an anxious kid who has cried in years past on the way there, but even through his tears he said he knew he would love it and would not want to leave at the end. This has been true every year. It's not easy finding a good fit for most kids. DHE not only promises to allow your kiddo to engage with nature in new, wild ways, but it delivers. It also supports your whole child, helping to gently push them out of their comfort zones, be spontaneous, and meet new people. DHE has strong intake directors that help match participants to the group. So I can safely say that a DHE experience is precious dollars very well spent. We can quantify this with the inches our kiddo grows in confidence every year, the number of friends he makes each year, the ways in which he continues to grow his outdoor skills and his abiding love of nature.

We brought 17 students and 3 chaperones down the San Juan River with Deer Hill and couldn't have been more pleased with the way the trip went. From food to guides, Deer Hill was anticipating our every need, accepting of our school's mission, values, and curriculum, and accommodating to all personal requests from kids and adults. We look forward to partnering with Deer Hill onn more trips like this in the future.

Deer Hill Expeditions is a small organization with a lot of heart and passion for getting youth and young adults into the outdoors! The programs they facilitate are thoughtful and have long standing ties to the peoples and communities in which they operate. Their Basecamp in Mancos, CO, is a first class location, with excellent facilities, communal spaces, natural exploration, and even a small pond to play in! The food that is prepared on base and for their rafting programing is excellent, however the food for backpacking portions is a little heavy but is still quite good. This is an organization which has been changing lives for 40 years, and is striving for further financial resources to attain the next level of excellence. ❤️

My 14 year old had a positive life changing time on the expedition with Deer Hill in July. Maison learned new things about nature and the Navajo culture, made new friends and pushed himself physically during the river rafting and high country backpacking/camping. Maison came home ready to go on anothet adventure next year!