About the Program
Our ITA Youth Trail Crew Program provides opportunities for youth ages 14-18 to learn about the outdoors while building and maintaining hiking trails in a safe, teamwork-oriented environment.
Students will have the opportunity to live and work together in some of Idaho’s most wild places for a few days to up to a week at a time. Through this experience, they will build skills in teamwork and communication, as well as develop confidence in using traditional tools to perform trail maintenance. Our hope is this experience will inspire teens to become lifelong stewards and voices for their public lands and trails.
See our projects below for open volunteer spots!
On The Trail
Our trips are led by experienced crew leaders who are passionate about the outdoors. These projects allow teens to meet new friends, try new things and explore Idaho’s best outdoor places.
ITA will provide all the meals and supervision for the week. Tents, sleeping bags, and pads are available. Crew leaders will have cell phones/radios in case of emergency.
Contact trails@idahotrailsassociation.org if you have any questions about our youth projects.
Upcoming Youth Projects
Along the Rapid River Wild and Scenic River, ITA is hosting a weeklong youth (ages 14-18) project to work on the Copper Creek and Trail Creek Trails. These trails climb out of the Rapid River corridor up into the surrounding mountains. We will meet at the Rattlesnake Trailhead, with Heaven’s Gate Outfitters as pack ... Read More
In the Sawtooth Wilderness, this self-supported youth backpacking crew will work from Grandjean Campground towards Baron Lake. With camping options along the way, we will bump up camp as we work up, passing Baron Creek Falls and hopefully making it all the way to Baron Lake. This trail travels through forest and up steep ... Read More
In the Sawtooth Wilderness, ITA will be hosting a youth (ages 14-18) trail work project clearing up the Little Queens and Queens River Trails. We will camp at the Queens River trailhead, returning to camp each evening where we’ll have a volunteer cook to help prepare meals. Never a shortage of logs to cut ... Read More
This will be year three of ITA’s youth (ages 14-18) program working on the Loon Creek Trail, and we've worked on every section between Chinook Campground and Lick Creek Road. This year, we’ll start at the Secesh River Trailhead, and work north to tie in with where the crew left off last year. We’ll ... Read More