Middle School Trips 2026-2027

• Head into the desert for an unforgettable Middle School Utah adventure this spring break (April 9–15)! Open to 6th–8th graders, students will base out of campsites in Moab and Canyonlands while tackling multi-sport challenges like hiking, rafting, canyoneering, and rock climbing. Between adrenaline-fueled days, travelers will explore towering sandstone arches, dramatic canyon landscapes, and ancient rock art featuring petroglyphs and pictographs. It’s an ideal opportunity for young adventurers to push their physical limits, discover high-desert ecology, and build lifelong friendships around the campfire.

• Current 6th-8th grade students

• 12-15 students

• The SAAS Outdoor/Travel Program, in partnership with Sound Experience, is excited to announce a Puget Sound summer sailing trip offered to current 6th - 8th grade students. Students will explore the waterways of the Puget Sound while staying aboard the 133’ schooner vessel, the Adventuress. Over the 5 day trip, students will be active members of the crew, taking part in all aspects; from cooking to night watches. Participants will experience what it takes to keep the Adventuress in tip-top shape and the importance of working together to make it all work. In addition, students will have the opportunity to learn about what makes this area so unique - the Puget Sound.

• Current 6th-8th grade students

• 15-21 students

• The group will travel by van to Smith Rock State Park, near Bend, Oregon. There, we will spend 5 days camping, climbing, and exploring the high desert area. Spend 4 days on the rock, challenging yourself physically and mentally. Open to both new and experienced climbers. Enjoy building deep connections with your peers by learning to communicate and trust one another. Join us on this climbing adventure!

  The goal of this trip is to encourage personal growth within our students through the experience of outdoor climbing and camping. Students will work on developing character traits that will help them feel more confident. By learning the skills and safety measures that are used to participate in outdoor climbing students will be learning the importance of responsibility for themselves and others. Guided outdoor climbing will help push some of our students outside of their comfort zones and practice personal growth as they safely try something that they may find challenging. 

  Due to the amount of safety precautions taken during outdoor climbing, students will learn the importance of trust and how to build that trust within a community. Students will need to learn when to take the lead while others are climbing in order to keep their peers safe. They will also need to learn to hand over leadership to others when it is necessary for their own safety. This partnership helps them learn that a community member plays many different roles at different times. Throughout this experience students will be working on teamwork, as it is an integral part of being able to climb outdoors since you cannot do it by yourself. Climbing is inherently a trust building sport where students learn how to keep each other safe and to encourage one another up a route. Communication is key in outdoor climbing and students will be practicing clear communication skills to keep each other safe while climbing outdoors. 

  The secondary goal outside of climbing for this trip is to foster a respect and understanding of the culture and history of the outdoor recreation areas people use every day. They will do this by experiencing nature on outdoor hikes, learning about the climbing culture at crags, engaging with the history of how climbing evolved in America, and learning about the history of the area at the High Desert Museum. 

  Reflection and Discussions at the end of the day will encourage students to think about their challenges, things they learned, or ideas that came to them as they experience and learn about outdoor climbing culture.

  When the trip is complete we hope to see new friendships develop, students grow in their self-confidence and self-esteem, and possibly gain a new interest/passion for outdoor sports and recreation and how to continue to be good stewards for these areas. 

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• Current 7th - 8th grade students

• 9-12 Students 

• No climbing experience required.

• The San Juan Kayak Camping trip is a multi-day expedition through the stunning San Juan Islands designed just for 7th and 8th grade students! Starting in Anacortes, we'll paddle our way across the Salish Sea, setting up camp each night at a new site within the San Juan Islands. We will get to sleep in unique places and uninhabited islands only accessible to kayakers! Along the way, students will build kayaking skills, work as a team, learn outdoor camping basics, and experience the thrill of island-hopping by sea, filled with gorgeous sunsets and abundant marine wildlife.  This is a unique opportunity for students to connect with nature, make new friends, and challenge themselves in a fun and supportive environment. Get ready to experience the San Juans like you never have before! 

• Current 7th-8th grade students

• 10-20 students

Trip Prerequisites:

• Be comfortable in/around water 
• Be able to paddle ~5 miles/day (students don’t need to have ever done this much before, but need to have the endurance to be able to paddle for multiple hours in a row)

• On this beloved SAAS trip, students will spend a week in the Tongass National Forest, exploring the area around Petersburg, Alaska. Over the course of a week, we will camp on a backcountry beach, visit the LeConte Glacier up close, hike through the forest, and take a backpacking trip to a backwoods cabin. Students learn outdoor essentials while building confidence and social skills in a safe and fun environment.
  * If enough interest, there is an option for a female-presenting-only trip. This would take place during Trip 1 in June and encompass the experiences and skills listed above, as well as engagement with the experience of being female-presenting in the outdoors. If interested, please indicate so by selecting 6th Grade Alaska Trip #1 when signing up. 

• Current 6th grade students 

• 12 - 15 students

Trip Prerequisites:

• Ability to hike at least 3 miles with some rigorous elevation.
• Swim test required.

• Japanese Journey: History, culture & society from Kyoto to Tokyo. This trip takes us to the old capital of Kyoto, the megalopolis of Tokyo, and, very much off-the-beaten-track, to central Japan and the Nakasendo Way, an ancient highway in the beautiful Kiso Valley.

  After delving into the facinating history and elegant culture found in Kyoto, we explore one of the old highways of Japan, the Nakasendo, or 'road through the central mountains'. Once a main thoroughfare of feudal Japan, today the Nakasendo provides a delightful excursion through scenic countryside.

  En route we delve into Japan’s elegant culture; its history, especially when the samurai were at the height of their power; and modern life both in Japan’s cities and countryside. We stay in atmospheric, traditional inns; enjoy a wide variety of Japanese cuisine; and make friends with the Japanese, some of the politest and friendliest people on earth.

  Sights include exquisite temples and gardens in historic Kyoto, the bright lights of cosmopolitan Tokyo, and quiet, pretty villages in secluded valleys. We experience the Japanese way of life including sleeping on futons, bathing in wooden baths and eating while sitting on tatami mat floors. We learn why the Nakasendo Way existed and about Tokugawa Ieyasu, the great shogun leader who established a dynasty that ruled Japan for over 260 years. We also learn to sing traditional folk songs and visit a school. Of course, each day also provides opportunities to learn some Japanese. Other highlights include singing karaoke and exploring Tokyo’s Harajuku, which has long been at the centre of Japanese youth culture.

• Current 7th - 8th grade students

• 12 - 18 Students 

Trip Prerequisites:

• Be able to walk 2-10 miles a day with a maximum elevation gain of 1,000 ft.
• Passport required (must be up to date)

• Ridges to Reefs: Learning alongside active scientists in Puerto Rico. This 10-day immersive field program guides participants through Puerto Rico's complete ridge-to-reef ecosystem — beginning in our local marine reserve to anchor the curriculum, and tracing ecological connections through coastal systems and up river to inland farms. Every session is led by working marine scientists with over a decade of field experience in Puerto Rico.

  The trip is guided through the lens of a naturalist and engages students' critical thinking, observation and notetaking skills, and presents a perspective of experiencing nature as being interconnected rather than having humans set apart from the whole.

• Current 7th-8th and 9th-11th grade students

• 24-26 students

Trip Prerequisites:

• Students need to be confident swimmers and able to swim in the ocean. 

• The Middle School Yukon Trip is an opportunity for 7th and 8th grade students to experience canoeing and camping on the shores of Lake Laberge and the Yukon River. The group will paddle roughly 150 miles in canoes. Along the way we could see bears, moose, bald and golden eagles, beavers, lynx, porcupines and more! In addition to canoeing, students will have the opportunity to explore historical sites, hike, play games, enjoy campfires, and reflect on their trip experience and middle school journey. Students will be responsible for group and personal gear, setting up tents, cooking in small groups, and managing canoes.

• Current 7th-8th grade students

• 12-14 students

Trip Prerequisites:

• Passport required (must be up to date)
• Swim Test

• On this beloved SAAS trip, students will spend a week in the Tongass National Forest, exploring the area around Petersburg, Alaska. Over the course of a week, we will camp on a backcountry beach, visit the LeConte Glacier up close, hike through the forest, and take a backpacking trip to a backwoods cabin. Students learn outdoor essentials while building confidence and social skills in a safe and fun environment.
  * If enough interest, there is an option for a female-presenting-only trip. This would take place during Trip 1 in June and encompass the experiences and skills listed above, as well as engagement with the experience of being female-presenting in the outdoors. If interested, please indicate so by selecting 6th Grade Alaska Trip #1 when signing up. 

• Current 6th grade students 

• 12 - 15 students

Trip Prerequisites:

• Ability to hike at least 3 miles with some elevation.
• Swim test required.