Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions is a nonprofit outdoor adventure organization founded in 1926 that offers multi-week summer and school year programs for students ages 8 to 18 across the American Southwest. Participants spend days backpacking, hiking, and exploring pristine Southwestern landscapes while engaging in hands-on science, cultural exploration, and environmental stewardship. The program emphasizes place-based, experiential learning, giving students the chance to study and connect with the natural world in a meaningful, immersive way. With nearly a century of history behind it, Cottonwood Gulch is one of the most established and respected outdoor education programs available to young people in the country.
Designing studies, testing hypotheses, and drawing evidence-based conclusions.
Breaking down a challenge and working through it methodically to a solution.
Guiding a group toward a shared goal and keeping everyone moving together.
Evaluating information carefully before drawing a conclusion or making a decision.
Adjusting quickly and effectively when plans or circumstances change.
Understanding and respectfully engaging with people from different backgrounds.
Students conduct hands-on science and environmental education in pristine Southwestern ecosystems, directly mirroring field research work.
Immersive backpacking and hiking in protected lands builds deep knowledge of outdoor stewardship and conservation.
Place-based education programs develop skills in facilitating experiential learning and outdoor classroom instruction.
Programs emphasize environmental stewardship and connecting communities to conservation of Southwestern landscapes.
Community Experiences
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