Outdoor Programs

A group of students wearing yellow helmets and life jackets paddle a red raft down a river canyon.

Outdoor Program

The hands-on experience of spending time outside with peers and trusted faculty leaders is a crucial part of our students’ education. Developing an appreciation for the beauty and tranquility of the Southwest is also key to understanding a sense of place. The challenges of camping make our students more resilient and adaptable in all aspects of their lives.

Annual Outdoor Education Experiences

Middle School

Two backpackers pose together with arms around each other atop a scenic mountain ridge overlooking a forested valley.

7th grade: 100 Elk Outdoor Center
8th grade: El Rito Campground
7th & 8th grade: Winter Wonder Days
7th grade: Ghost Ranch camping
8th grade: Rio Grande camping & rafting

The 7th grade kicks off the fall semester with a three-day orientation trip to 100 Elk, an outdoor education center in Buena Vista, CO. The 8th grade heads to El Rito, NM for paddleboarding, kayaking, and swimming at Abiquiu Lake, top rope climbing, and camping along a scenic creek. These orientation trips focus on students working together in teams, self-care in changing environmental conditions, personal goal-setting, and setting the tone for the Middle School as a whole.

In late January, the Middle School participates in Winter Wonder Days, spending three Fridays snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing, or ice skating. At Ski Santa Fe, students take morning lessons from experienced instructors and gain confidence to ski or snowboard with peers and or faculty during the afternoons.

At the end of the school year, the 7th grade takes an overnight trip to Ghost Ranch, where some students experience tent camping for the first time. The 8th grade embarks on a guided rafting trip on the Rio Grande near Cumbres, NM.

Upper School

A skier in a yellow jacket, helmet, and goggles glides down a snow-covered slope lined with pine trees.

9th grade: Agua Piedra Campground
10th grade: Santa Barbara Campground
11th grade: "Challenge by Choice" small group camping & backpacking trips
9th-12th grades: Winter Festival
12th grade: Green River rafting trip

9th, 10th, and 11th graders embark on orientation camping trips at the start of each school year. The 9th grade heads to Agua Piedra Campground to enjoy great day hikes and a scenic riverside campground. Students assist with numerous aspects of the group camping experience, from cooking to cleaning to making s’mores. The 10th grade heads out to Santa Barbara Campground in the Carson National Forest, where they are able to take more ownership over the group experience and activities include hiking, swimming, games, and astronomy.

The 11th grade divides into smaller camping groups for trips focused on various areas of interest: fly fishing, exploring the artistic inspirations of Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe at Ghost Ranch, backpacking in the Pecos Wilderness, taking a deep dive into the archeology and unique cultural history at Bandelier, or learning about numerous world religions and their influence on Northern New Mexico life and culture.

In late February, the entire upper school heads off campus for the Winter Festival — a day of skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, or indoor climbing.

The seniors’ main event is the five-day rafting trip on the Green River in southern Utah. The trip down Desolation Canyon is an opportunity to take in stunning scenery and begin to say goodbye to their classmates in their final week as Prep students prior to graduation.

Optional Experiences

Short Alt Text Three people row a green canoe across a calm lake backed by tall mountains and a cloudy sky.

Senior Summiting: 12th grade fall backpacking trip
Watercolors in the Wilderness: Fall backpacking trip
Wolf Creek
Winter Camping
Introduction to Avalanche Awareness
Middle School Spring Backpacking

In early October, seniors interested in backpacking will have the opportunity to attempt to summit Wheeler Peak, the tallest mountain in New Mexico. Later in the fall, a trip to the Chama River Canyon Wilderness — led by Anders Fristedt and art teacher Matt Mullins — will allow upper school students to practice both backcountry camping and watercolor techniques in nature.

In the winter, three optional trips will offer students opportunities to enjoy snow activities and learn new skills. Recommended for advanced skiers and snowboarders, the Wolf Creek trip takes place over MLK Day weekend and offers a three-day trip to one of southern Colorado's premier ski resorts. Over President's Day weekend, students can experience winter camping as they ski or snowshoe to the Bull of the Woods Yurt near Taos Ski Valley and build Quinzhees, or snow caves. Finally an introductory half-day course will offer education avalanche rescue techniques, including beacons, probes, and shovel use — timing TBD, after a big snow storm!

In late April, an introductory backpacking trip specifically for middle schoolers will cover backpacking techniques, tent and campsite set-up, and team-building activities with classmates.