Overnight Adventure Camps

Fenster Ranch Summer Camp and Southwest Trekking are teaming up to offer Overnight Adventure Camps for kids 12-15 years of age this summer! To register, download the registration form here.

  1. Backpacking in the White Mountains near Alpine, AZ
  2. Mountain Biking in the White Mountains near Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ
  3. Rock Climbing in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, AZ

Mountain Bike Adventure Camps

Two 5-day camps: June 23 - 27 and June 30 – July 4
Cost: $400/person
Rolling Mountain Bike Style! Beat the heat by heading north into Arizona’s White Mountains. This five-day adventure will take kids on a mountain biking and camping adventure near the town of Pinetop-Lakeside. After driving from Tucson on Monday, participants will ride one of the trails in the White Mountain Trail System, then set up a base camp within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Each day will include mountain biking on forest roads and trails, some of which offer the most enjoyable riding opportunities in Arizona. All meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner) will be provided, and all camping/bicycling/outdoor gear will be provided (participants can elect to bring their own bike and camping gear). Participants will return to Tucson on Friday in the early evening.

Adventures are limited to 12 youth per session.

Backpacking Adventure Camps

Two six-day sessions: July 7 - 12 and July 14 - 19
Cost: $ 425/person
Waterfall Rap Disappear into the cool pines and tall aspens of Arizona’s White Mountains. This six-day adventure will take kids on a backpacking and camping adventure in the Blue Range Primitive Wilderness near the town of Alpine. After driving from Tucson on Monday, participants will camp in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Each day will include hiking on trails and camping in the wilderness. All meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner) will be provided, and all camping/outdoor gear will be provided (participants can elect to bring their own camping gear). Participants will return to Tucson on Saturday in the early evening.

Hikers of all levels are welcome to participate in this adventure, but should feel comfortable walking 5-10 miles per day with a backpack.
Adventures are limited to 10 youth per session.

Rock Climbing Adventure Camps

Two five-day sessions: July 21 - 25 and July 28 – August 1
Cost: $375/person
Rock Climbing Climb high. Climb safe. Climb for a whole week on the granite of the Santa Catalina Mountains this summer. We’ll camp among the pines and aspens high on Mt. Lemmon, and spend our days rock climbing at a variety of safe, cool and challenging climbing areas higher up on the mountain. The rewards of climbing are greater than most other outdoor activities, and everyone involved will push beyond previously known barriers with the help of professional climbing guides. All meals (breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner) will be provided, and all camping/outdoor gear will be provided (participants can elect to bring their own camping or climbing gear). Participants will return to Tucson on Friday in the late afternoon.
All levels of climbers are welcome to participate in this adventure.
Limited to 12 youth per session.

Matt’s Mission: “No Child Left Inside”

After eight years of being the director of Fenster Ranch Summer Camp and working with younger children, I have decided to create an outdoor adventure camp for young teens. When I was 13 years old my summers were spent hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and exploring California’s Sierra Nevada. That time spent in the wilderness was some of the most influential of my life, and it was somewhere among the pines and granite cliffs that I figured out who I was and where I belonged.

Being involved in Tucson’s summer camp scene for so long helped me realize that there are few opportunities for kids 12-15 years of age…and this is a time when self-discovery, awareness and connecting to others is incredibly important. So I have combined my passion for outdoor adventure, commitment to connect kids with Nature, along with decades of experience in the wilderness to organize weeklong trips into Arizona’s most amazing places.

Leadership and outdoor skills will be developed during the outings, including teamwork, communication, orienteering, self-confidence, technical mountain biking, rock climbing, leave-no-trace ethics, responsibility and awareness.

These camps will fill up very quickly, so I encourage you to sign up soon if you’re interested. And please share the information with parents you know whose children would benefit from a week in the wilderness. It’s going to be the best summer ever!

These outdoor adventures are a partnership between Fenster Ranch Summer Camp and Southwest Trekking, two organizations that I have been involved with for many years. All of the trips will be led by experienced, knowledgeable guides that understand the needs of young teens. For co-ed trips we will have male and female leaders. I am excited to be able to lead some of the adventures myself!

Upon receipt of payment and a completed Registration Form/Liability Waiver you will be mailed a packet of information about the outing, including what to bring, what to expect, a checklist of things we can provide if you don’t have them (such as tent, sleeping bag, mountain bike, etc.) and a Health Form that needs to be completed before the trip. Then we’ll look forward to seeing you this summer for an amazing adventure! I know this will be a safe, rewarding and memorable experience that will have a positive impact on your child at a time when they need it most.