Youth Volunteer Vacations 2013

Washington Trails Association's Youth Vacations are opportunities for high school students ages 14-18 to spend a week outdoors building and maintaining hiking trails in a safe, teamwork-oriented environment throughout the state. Learn more about the details and the schedule.

Service Trips for High Schools Students

: Youth Vacations are good muddy fun! View a slideshow of photos from 2011 Youth Vacations by clicking here.

Are you a high school student age 14 - 18 who loves to be outdoors? Are you eager to experience new challenges, learn new skills and meet new people? Learn all about the world of building and maintaining hiking trails, experienced in a safe, teamwork-oriented environment in various locations across the state. WTA offers first-time participants front country trips, and returning students have the option to join a more remote trip in the backcountry.

Front country Trips

WTA Front country trips provide opportunities to experience projects near the ocean and in the mountains. All of our trips provide you with experienced crew leaders, a great project, some camping gear (tents and sleeping pads provided for front country trips) and all of your meals for the week.

Advanced Backcountry Trips

Those with previous Youth Volunteer Vacation experience may be eligible for one of our Advanced Backcountry trips. Participants on these trips will be backpacking in to the work site and will have a chance to advance trail and leadership skills under the supervision of a WTA crew leader. Approval from a previous crew leader is necessary. Read about the criteria to join one of these trips. For more details on the backpack in to the locations for the Advanced trips, see the trail profiles for elevation gain/loss and distance.

Trip Details

Click here to see WTA's short documentary (3 min) on our youth trail maintenance program.

Please read more about the format of our trips, including the menu and procedures for submitting application and payment, in our Youth Volunteer Vacation FAQs. In 2013, trip fees for WTA members will be $195 for the first trip and $145 for each additional trip. Non-members will pay an additional $40 for their first trip. There will be a $30 cancellation fee for cancellations more than 30 days prior, and no refund for cancellations less than 30 days prior to the trip. Due to the popularity of our trips, full payment and application is due within two weeks of signing up for a triple. If a trip is full and you would like to be added to a waitlist, please call us at (206) 625-1367 or e-mail trail_teams@wta.org. Please read through the "How to Apply" section in the Youth Vacations FAQs.

Scholarships

We believe no student should have to stay home this summer because he or she can't afford to get outside. Thanks to donations from members and supporters, WTA is proud to announce that we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships. Learn about this opportunity to get more youth outdoors.

2013 Youth Volunteer Vacation Schedule

: Click here to view an interactive map of the 2012 Youth Vacation locations.

You must be 14 - 18 years old to join one of our Youth Volunteer Vacations.

We always recommend that volunteers join at least one day trip before attending a Youth Vacation to understand what the work will be like for a week. Please see the main schedule to sign up for a day trip!
If a trip you are interested in is full contact the WTA office (206) 625-1367 to get put on a waitlist.

Difficulty Ratings:

* 1-3 mile backpack to camp with little elevation gain

** 3-5 mile backpack to camp with 500–1,000 feet elevation gain

*** 5-8 mile backpack to camp with 1,000-2,000 feet elevation gain

**** 4–6 mile (or more) backpack to camp with 2,000+ feet elevation gain (Advanced Backcounty)