Sites

We run program at several sites in the San Bernardino National Forest. Though the program, staffing and curriculum are all the exact same, each site offers a bit of unique character. All of our sites are leased from non-profit organizations believing as we do in the importance of teaching children about nature. Situated at 6,700 feet, we are lucky enough to see all of the seasons; from the falling leaves in the autumn months, to the blanket of snow covering us in the winter, and back again to the flowering trees and plants in the spring.

YMCA Camp Oakes: 47400 Monte Vista Dr, Big Bear City, CA 92314
YMCA Camp Edwards: 42842 Jenks Lake Road East, Angelus Oaks, CA 92305

Started in 2000, High Trails is a Big Bear based small business that focuses on residential outdoor education for California elementary and middle schools and their students. Each year we host more than 100 schools and 8,000 students as they visit us in the mountains for 3, 4 and 5 weekday programs. To date we’ve helped more than 100,000 students learn to love nature. This single minded approach of focusing on only outdoor education has let us refine our program into what is now, we believe, the best natural outdoor science camp experience for your students. If you’re looking for a friendly, innovative and fresh approach to the world of outdoor education, come join us at High Trails Outdoor Science School; your very own dirty classroom.

Seed Dispersal of the Black Oak - Davíd Valencia
Did you know that one of the largest populations of all Black Oak trees in southern California is in the San Bernardino National Forest? [1. Tyler, Claudia M., et al. “Demography and Recruitment Limitations...
Planet Walker: A Book Review - Brad Brainard
Have you ever felt small in comparison to the growing problems we face as a society? As one person trying to make a difference on this planet there is not a lot that can be...
Meru: a film review – Grace Kim
In Northern India, stationed unassumingly over the sacred headwaters of the Ganges River, stands the Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru. This particular piece of mountain has witnessed more failed summit attempts by elite climbing...
A Snowy Glory Ridge Trail – Hannah Livezey
Don't always trust alltrails.com...Trail Name: Glory Ridge TrailForest Service Designation: 2N15 (See picture below. Route described is actually a non-system route. Glory Ridge Trail is 1W02).Total Distance: 1.7 miles (with...
Contour vs Downy Feathers – Frazer Winsted
It is the middle of Feathered Friends class. After discussing that there are multiple feathers on a bird consisting of contour and downy feathers, one of my students says: “Mr. Frazer, what is the...
Non-flowering Plant Reproduction: Conifers – Ryne Tobar
Of the classes I get to teach at High Trails, my favorite is Plant Detectives. Plants are incredible organisms. While they might be immobile, plants are able to propagate, or reproduce, far beyond their immediate...
Plastic is the New Black – Lillian Johnson
Do you know what you're wearing? When discussing the natural origin of materials with students, discovering that plastics are typically made from crude oil – the same fossil fuel used to power our cars...
The Power of Moments: Book Review – Suzanne Bosman
If there was one sentence you could say to someone that would make their day brighter, would you make a point of saying it? Would you take thirty seconds to organize your field group...
Blackfish: a film review -- Shannon Pappas
How should YOU feel about SeaWorld? The documentary, Blackfish, was released in 2013. It explores the life of Tilikum, a performing orca that had killed two trainers and one civilian in his lifetime. The film,...
Morphology Makes You a Science Wizard - Jenna Ikwe Mennen
“Who knows one characteristic of a mammal?” says every High Trails instructor, once a week. “Warm-blooded!” answers an eager student, remembering to raise their hand only after already blurting out the words. Now, how do...
Purpose of Pupils - Allison Hanson
Over the summer, I went hiking with some students at summer camp. On the trail, we ran into a woman taking her goats out for a walk. Yes, GOATS. Goats are great. I was...
Benefits of Rock Climbing - Peter Le
People ask me if climbing is a good way to stay in shape; I tell them I stay in shape to be good at climbing! Why do people climb? That is the question all instructors...
H.G. Wells and the Parallels to High Trails - Evan Sawan
The beautiful, winding, scenic, mountainous Highway 38 leading up to High Trails is very much a time portal into another world for our students. To better understand why, I’d like to teach you a bit...
Why We Lorax - Penelope Burgess
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” –Dr. Seuss What is The Lorax? Every Friday morning at High Trails Outdoor Science School, groups of 40-120 5th...
Desert Solitaire: a book review - Audrey Wheatcroft
Leading students into the forest at night, though exciting for me as an instructor, proves to be a great test of courage for most 5th and 6th graders. When I ask students to, “Please...
Matilda: a book (movie?) review - Kate Mika
Throughout my life, I have seen many movies created from beloved books from my childhood, including, but not limited to: Holes, The Harry Potter series, A Wrinkle in Time, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,...
Snake Reproduction - Mallory Schmackpfeffer
When we talk about snakes, the assumption that we make is that all snakes reproduce by laying eggs, but that’s only part of the story! The truth is that only 70% of snakes lay...
Can A Formula Predict Floods? - Anne Sweney
“From where we stand the rain seems random. If we could stand somewhere else, we would see the order in it.” –Tony HillermanFor people living in climates that are dry and arid, understanding the...
Outdoor Education & Line Dancing - Jade Koenigs
When I say the words “Line Dancing”, the faces of my students scrunch up into a mixture of emotions. Some voice excitement, some voice disgust, but most faces bare the unmistakable feeling of apprehension, scared...
Weekends: A Snowy Ascent of Mt. Whitney - Mark Kerstens
Right foot, kick. Left foot, kick. Reposition ice axe. Repeat. You hear the wind come roaring over the notch in the ridge and brace yourself as it comes whipping down the couloir. You lean into...

Morphology Makes You a Science Wizard - Jenna Ikwe Mennen
“Who knows one characteristic of a mammal?” says every High Trails instructor, once a week. “Warm-blooded!” answers an eager student, remembering to raise their hand only after already blurting out the words. Now, how do...
Guided Questioning: Turning Wah into Wow - Mark Kerstens
Ever have a cool fact, idea, or concept that comes up as you hike that you want to share with the students? These teachable moments happen all the time, and are a great way...
Props: Can’t live with them, can’t live without them… Shane Hyre
If you talk to anyone in the outdoor education business – talk about props. Talk about the rubber chickens, the stuffed animals, the rope, the spots, the foam thingies… props have been the underestimated...
Ode to Button-Pushers - Alex Rice
Do you know the student who throws a stick when their instructor isn’t looking? The one who goes past the boundary their teacher very explicitly creates or breaks the rule that was thoroughly reviewed...
Toothpaste: Show Don't Tell - Kelsey Wentling
Once inside the cabin, everyone shivers off their jackets and eagerly starts buzzing around the warm haven: home for the next three or four nights. Soon after, buzzing turns to chatting and not far off...
Why We Lorax - Penelope Burgess
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” –Dr. Seuss What is The Lorax? Every Friday morning at High Trails Outdoor Science School, groups of 40-120 5th...
Frontloading and Debriefing - Shannon Diaz
“On your mark, get set, go!”“Huh? I don’t even know what we’re playing!” Have you ever tried playing a game or doing an activity that wasn’t explained completely or didn't make sense to you? This...
American Sign Language in Science - Sarah Beery
How do you teach science to a deaf student if sign language doesn't have a way to sign the word? Science is its own language with all the varying terms ranging from photosynthesis to camouflage...
Growth Mindset - Alicia Imbrogna
Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. -Tim Notke How many times in your life have you encountered a situation that was frustrating or annoying and often appeared too difficult to overcome?...
Flip Distractions into Discussions: Verbal Jiu-Jitsu- Alex Eisenreich
You are a Teacher. So you probably know that Random Tangent Student. The one that takes extra prompting to engage in class; the one that needs redirection to stay on task; the one who doesn’t...
“Whatever GRABBSS their attention...” - Shane Hyre
Team Discovery Hike: it's the first activity you do with your field group on their first day at High Trails. It's time for the group to discover who you are, where they are, and...
Analogies are to Teachers as Utility Belt is to Batman - Hollyann Duskin
A streak of light burns bright and brief across the night sky. A collective gasp comes from the group of students huddled in the darkness as they exclaim, “a shooting star!”As we discuss that...
Scientific Method in Everything - Leslie Urban
In sixth grade I remember losing a spelling bee because I did not know how to spell ‘hypothesis’.Our science teacher, Ms. Miers, had spent the entire fall semester pounding the Scientific Method into our...
Your Name? I Don't Have A Clue - Haley Cushing
Instructor: “Ok, who can tell me an example of a renewable resource?” Unnamed Student Raises Hand. Your mind goes blank. You look down at your attendance sheet. Back at the student. Back at the attendance...
Improv-ing Education - Cass Language
Friday afternoon— busses are delayed due to snow, and you find yourself with 15 students for an hour longer than you expected. Or maybe your boss tells you to lead a 10 minute activity...
Don’t Rain on My Parade! Shannon Diaz
Have you ever had to teach students while outside in the rain or snow ?Here at High Trails, we hike and teach our students in three different seasons with all sorts of weather. Whether...
Teaching with Music - Jordan Rowell
"Alright class, it’s time to earn our beads for our Furry Friends class. Let’s review what you can remember about adaptations of mammals. John, tell me at least one characteristic of a mammal?"Uhhh….Uhhh oh...
3,2,1, Bonus Point! Caroline Blake
“Single file line in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,”This is what I shout to my students within the first 5 minutes of their arrival. The kids scurry to get into the best line that...
Building Communities - Jess Fangman
“This needs to come from your heart,” I said in a soft tone. I watched anxiously as 12 different sets of eyes peered back at me in puzzlement. I had asked my cabin group of...
A Unique Class is a Memorable Class - Paul Adams
A few weeks ago, I was attending a music festival in Santa Barbara. As I was walking around the camp ground, I met a man named Brian who invited me into his camp. We...
My Former Self - Shannon Diaz
Have you ever thought back to when you were in fifth grade? What was the world like for you then? I remember when I was in fifth grade, and getting ready to go to...
Why Visit A Classroom? Tamara Perreault
Working at High Trails, I quickly became a proponent of teaching outside. There are a lot of clear benefits. In California, class size is almost always 20 or more, but our groups are rarely...
Home - Tamara Perreault
What makes a place a home?This can be a tough question. Think about it for a moment. When you say, “I feel like I’m at home” what makes you feel that way? 2,000 years...
Science Fiction Is a Teaching Tool - Jake Sheaffer
As instructors at High Trails we are constantly trying to relate the material that we teach back to the student’s daily lives. Sometimes this is difficult, because not all students understand why topics...
Esquith, Kohlberg, & their 6 Levels of Moral Development - Caroline Burdick
Last summer, I accepted a new position at High Trails as Program Coordinator. At the time, I was unclear exactly what that meant. Honestly, as we moved forward in the school year, I was still unsure as...

Seed Dispersal of the Black Oak - Davíd Valencia
Did you know that one of the largest populations of all Black Oak trees in southern California is in the San Bernardino National Forest? [1. Tyler, Claudia M., et al. “Demography and Recruitment Limitations...
Contour vs Downy Feathers – Frazer Winsted
It is the middle of Feathered Friends class. After discussing that there are multiple feathers on a bird consisting of contour and downy feathers, one of my students says: “Mr. Frazer, what is the...
Non-flowering Plant Reproduction: Conifers – Ryne Tobar
Of the classes I get to teach at High Trails, my favorite is Plant Detectives. Plants are incredible organisms. While they might be immobile, plants are able to propagate, or reproduce, far beyond their immediate...
Plastic is the New Black – Lillian Johnson
Do you know what you're wearing? When discussing the natural origin of materials with students, discovering that plastics are typically made from crude oil – the same fossil fuel used to power our cars...
Benefits of Rock Climbing - Peter Le
People ask me if climbing is a good way to stay in shape; I tell them I stay in shape to be good at climbing! Why do people climb? That is the question all instructors...
Purpose of Pupils - Allison Hanson
Over the summer, I went hiking with some students at summer camp. On the trail, we ran into a woman taking her goats out for a walk. Yes, GOATS. Goats are great. I was...
Over the Moon...Cycle - Suzanne Bosman
“The common theme of calendar making is the desire to organize units of time to satisfy the needs and preoccupations of society. In addition to serving practical purposes, the process of organization provides a...
Outdoor Education & Line Dancing - Jade Koenigs
When I say the words “Line Dancing”, the faces of my students scrunch up into a mixture of emotions. Some voice excitement, some voice disgust, but most faces bare the unmistakable feeling of apprehension, scared...
Where Have All The Monarchs Gone? - Melissa Mercier
Monarch butterflies are amazing insects; they can change from caterpillar to beautiful winged creatures! What you may not know is they perform a second and equally amazing feat... Monarch butterflies perform a four generation long...
Snake Reproduction - Mallory Schmackpfeffer
When we talk about snakes, the assumption that we make is that all snakes reproduce by laying eggs, but that’s only part of the story! The truth is that only 70% of snakes lay...
Can A Formula Predict Floods? - Anne Sweney
“From where we stand the rain seems random. If we could stand somewhere else, we would see the order in it.” –Tony HillermanFor people living in climates that are dry and arid, understanding the...
Steller’s Jays: The birds you hate to love - Shannon Pappas
When I say that I don’t always like Steller’s Jays, my students are always shocked. I, of course, understand where they are coming from. I remember when I first came to these mountains and was...
We Don’t Need No GPS! Brad Brainard
The day is September 11th, 2014. I am standing face to face with a weathered and worn wooden sign on the top of a mountain in the middle of Maine. The sign reads, in...
Diggin Deep into the world of the Thatch-Mound Ant - Kyle W. Gray
What is that mound thing? When sauntering about in the San Bernardino National Forest you may notice large mounds or domes made of grass, leaves, pine needles, and numerous other plant materials. What exactly are...
Replenishing the Water Cycle - Kevin Williams
Did you know the scientific term for the water cycle is the hydrologic cycle? I was on a hike the other day and thought about the apple activity I do during our Water Wonders class...
Bird Sounds of Spring - Danny Walden
Spring is here, and it's an exciting time! Our bird friends in the San Bernardino mountains begin to sing, and these year-round populations are complemented by a whole new host of migrants. To many...
The Spirits of the Water: Loons - AleXANdra Barteldt
There is a loonie legend about a small lake in rural Maine named Flying Pond.As the story goes, the Native Americans of the region returned to the northern lakes every season for fishing...
Archery in North America - Hannah Livezey
As staff members at High Trails, we are offered opportunities to visit other outdoor schools and exchange ideas with others in the outdoor field with hopes to deliver the best possible curriculum to the...
Speak Like A Yuhaviaatam - Ikwe Mennen
You're staying in the Condor cabin? I think you mean Qwat cabin!Yuhaviaatam means “people of the pines” in their own language. They are the native peoples who lived on top of our mountain, in...
Welcome to Subirdia: Book Review - Mark Kerstens
Ever wonder how our ever growing suburbanization and development affects wildlife populations? Have you heard that urban development is exclusively bad for bird populations? I thought so, too, until I read Welcome to Subirdia...
Rock Climber or Amateur Geologist? - Michael Perez
Is igneous bliss or are all the little sediments of rock knowledge metamorphosing climbers into rock experts? Ha! As rock climbers, we experience many different types of rocks when we go to climb at various...
Bald Eagles and Their Comeback! Brandon Bortzer
In 1963, scientists estimated a total of just 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles survived in the lower 48 states. The emblem of the United States since 1782 and the only eagle endemic to North...
Magnetic North - Lauren Elysée Stansbury
Here’s a riddle: A young explorer finds a map of a buried treasure. With compass in hand, the explorer takes a perfect reading and travels for 5 miles through the wilderness. Upon arrival at...
What a Planet Needs to Sustain Life - Bryce Bicksler
Have you ever found yourself gazing up at a beautiful night sky and asking yourself if there is any other life out there? Or maybe you ask yourself what makes our planet Earth so...
Birds Battle to be heard over Noise Pollution - Gabriela Antonova
To many, pollution is something dark and disgusting that poisons clean air or pristine rivers, like Dr. Seuss’s Smogulous Smog or Gluppity-Glup. However, pollution can be invisible, sly, and can even inhibit communication. We’re...