Deer Hill Expeditions Review

I'm 30 years old now, and about once a month or more I'm struck by a wave of "Deer Hill-sickness", the affliction program directors warn both participants and their parents of before the end of each trip. It is the feeling of grief mixed with exhilaration that comes periodically throughout your trip, and continues after you leave (apparently, for decades). The feeling generates from belonging to a group of new people from around the globe for a short but intense period of challenge and growth and fun, and most of all, the sensation of total freedom. (The grief part comes from the knowledge that the experience will have to end in a few short weeks).
I came home from my first summer at Deer Hill Expeditions at 13 and told my parents I'd never felt more like myself than I had that summer. I was NOT a particularly introverted or self-conscious teen. I had actually fought tooth and nail against going to the unbathed wilderness, and cried every night before leaving because I was having so much fun with my friends at home. But once I settled into my group of amazing kids from across the country, and hiked 40 miles in a week, and climbed multiple peaks, and rafted the San Juan River, and stayed with a family on the Hopi Reservation, I had changed as person. My world as well as my inner life had been amplified. Normal life was not going to cut it for me, ever again.
I returned to Deer Hill for three more summers, each time flourishing physically and in the sensation of being part of something greater than myself. My experiences, and my place in the Deer Hill Family , stay with me like a superpower. Is there anything more valuable than that to give your child? I yearn to go back. I cannot WAIT to send my daughter there. Deer Hill is a place that heightens your senses and opens a door to a part of your being that you might not have known was there. You'll jones for it, and you'll insist that others try it. Go! Just go!!! You ll be so glad you did. Forever.

Took a river trip with my 8th grade classmates about 9 years ago, it was an amazing time. Tough but amazing.

Deer Hill Expeditions offers a socially engaging, physically challenging, and thought-provoking approach to an outdoor adventure experience for teenagers. Students connect with each other, the earth, and most importantly, themselves while rafting, backpacking, mountain biking and climbing in the diverse and exquisite wild places in the American Southwest.
This program is exceptional - a truly unique gem in the outdoor adventure summer program industry!

It is difficult to find words to do justice to the gratitude we feel for Deer Hill! Having attended 2 programs myself, almost 30 years ago, I was thrilled that my 13 year old daughter was not only able to participate this past summer, but that she fell in love with it as I did! The experiences Deer Hill provides for young people are truly formative and unparalleled!

In 2005 I was lucky enough to experience a trip down the Dolores River for a week and then another week on the Navajo reservation thanks to a generous benefactor to Bridges, USA, Memphis TN. 13 years later I still vaule how much those two weeks changed my life in many different ways. The guides knew not just how to handle the river and land but also how to handle the many other life issues we learned along the way. Deer Hill is home to many of my sweetest and most notable memories in my life. Thank you Deer Hill.

The Deer Hill staff, their interactions with students and all who they come into contact with, most importantly nature and the wilderness is deep and thoughtful. There is no other outdoor experience for youth that is more life changing and important. Deer Hill provides an essential experience to growing up and one that every child should have the opportunity to have. Oh, let's not forget their safety record! All of this thoughtfulness and attention translates to how the staff work with students and potential hazards. Safety is of paramount importance and sound practices are a part of every aspect of the experience.

My daughter's and my experience with deer hill expedition was absolutely delightful. My daughter was able to challenge herself and experience the natural world in a way that she never could have in any other camp (that I have know of). The deer hill family went over and beyond expectation in many ways; whether it be cultural, experience, personal development, and knowledge. She found relationships with her peers and they all understood what each other's challenges were and encouraged each other. The staff is amazing at learning about each child and help them developed and encourage their confidence and knowledge. I was very appreciative of Jordan who helped me through the process of the application and assuring my only child was in good hands. Doug is also an amazing person that also assured me and I found his ideas and creation for deer hill expedition is beyond what I could ever imagine. It is a blessing to have so many beautiful insightful people in one place in this world. Thank you all!

Going into Deer Hill I had absolutely no idea how much of an impact it would have on me and the way I lived my life back home. Being around the amazing staff, seeing all of those beautiful places, and enduring the hardships that nature has to offer in the company of total strangers just has a way of molding your perspective for the better that is truly inexplicable without first hand experience. I hope to urge some of my family and friends to take themselves through a course at Deer Hill because being able to do what DHE has to offer just pushes you to become something you can't seem to find on your own.

I have participated in numerous adventure and wilderness programs, as both a student and a field instructor, and Deer Hill continues to stay with me more than any other. Like other outdoor programs, Deer Hill educates adolescents in the mountains and on the rivers while teaching leadership and confidence - building skills. However, Deer Hill goes a step further through its service component with Native Americans in the American Southwest. The magic and new awareness that happens during this time is difficult to articulate. I believe that working with and witnessing a people that still worships nature cultivates a profound appreciation for our Earth, and further with greater Self.
As a student I worked on the Navajo Reservation with my group, and our task was to build a wall around the community center, or Hogan. In the evenings we would participate in community meetings with elders or drumming and music. One of the elders, our host, would also tell Navajo stories and moral lessons with animal and Earth archetypes. Sitting there on the dry, bare Earth, in the Hogan, listening to this older man share his wisdom with us, a gift that is no longer appreciated in my own culture, simply changed me.
Adolescence for me was a time of confusion and fogginess, and Deer Hill provided me with a map and compass to find myself. One could call this a connection to my soul, my true self, or my true nature, but to fully define the beauty of my time as both student and teacher is challenging. What I do know is that my individual experiences with Deer Hill in community felt true, and I am grateful that this feeling has stuck with me.

~~Caroline Lewis