Second week of JuneOpen
Week 1: First trails
Day packs, pace and water breaks on short trails near the trailhead, and a first look at the Trail badge.
- Ages 8 to 13
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Trail day camp in Flagstaff, Arizona
Learn the trail, the camp and the map
Tentpole is a summer day camp for ages 8 to 13 on public land outside Flagstaff, Arizona. Campers earn three badges, trail, camp and navigate, with a second adult on every trail group and a routine for altitude, sun and heat.
The badge path
Three badges, one at a time
Every camper works through the same path at their own pace. A badge is signed off when a counselor has watched the skills on more than one day, and you are ready for the next.
Trail
SkillsPack a day pack and carry it for the whole day
Walk at the group's pace and stay in the group
Drink water and eat a snack at every stop, before you are thirsty
Check your hat, sunscreen and layers at every stop
Moving upA counselor watches you do each skill on more than one day and signs it off before you start the next badge.
Camp
SkillsSet up a shade fly with a partner
Tie a taut-line, a bowline and a clove hitch
Set up and wash up a camp kitchen table
Pack out everything we carried in
Moving upYou and a partner set up and take down a camp site while a counselor watches, and the site is left as it was.
Navigate
SkillsFind where we are on a trail map
Take a bearing with a compass
Follow a short route and tell the group when the trail changes
Read the clouds and the wind, and know when to turn back
Moving upYou lead a short leg of a trail day, with a map and a compass, while a counselor walks behind you.
Where to startWhere a new camper starts
Sample levels.
Summer
Six weeks, one theme each
Book one week or several. Every week runs Monday to Friday, and badges carry from one week to the next.
Summer
- Third week of JuneOpen
Week 2: Camp craft
Shade flies, knots, a camp kitchen table and packing out everything we carried in.
- Ages 8 to 13
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Fourth week of JuneWaitlist
Week 3: Maps and compasses
Finding where we are on a trail map, taking a bearing and following a short route with a counselor beside you.
- Ages 8 to 13
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- First week of JulyOpen
Week 4: Pines and cinders
Ponderosa pines, volcanic cinders and the plants and animals along the longer trails of the forest.
- Ages 8 to 13
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Second week of JulyFull
Week 5: Sky and storms
Reading clouds and wind, what the afternoon sky means at altitude and how a trail day changes when storms build.
- Ages 8 to 13
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Third week of JulyOpen
Week 6: Plan a trail day
Campers plan a route and a camp lunch for their groups, with counselors at the back, and families join for the last walk.
- Ages 8 to 13
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Sample sessions.
Weeks open, fill and gather waitlists as families register. Our registration page has the latest.
A camp day
The day, weekday by weekday
The frame stays the same, so everyone knows what comes next. The morning and afternoon blocks change by weekday, and by the sky.
Summer
Monday
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Arrival, sign-in and the water check
Trailhead
9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Circle: the plan, the forecast and each group
Trailhead
9:20 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Trail: pace, water breaks and the day pack
Short trail
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch in the shade
Shade
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Quiet time: journals, maps and sunscreen
Shade
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Trail badge skills near the trailhead
Trailhead
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Closing circle and pickup
Trailhead
Tuesday
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Arrival, sign-in and the water check
Trailhead
9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Circle: the plan, the forecast and each group
Trailhead
9:20 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Camp craft: shade flies and knots
Camp site
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch in the shade
Shade
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Quiet time: journals, maps and sunscreen
Shade
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Camp kitchen and pack-out
Camp site
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Closing circle and pickup
Trailhead
Wednesday
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Arrival, sign-in and the water check
Trailhead
9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Circle: the plan, the forecast and each group
Trailhead
9:20 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Navigate: map and compass
Trailhead
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch in the shade
Shade
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Quiet time: journals, maps and sunscreen
Shade
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Follow a route with a counselor
Short trail
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Closing circle and pickup
Trailhead
Thursday
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Arrival, sign-in and the water check
Trailhead
9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Circle: the plan, the forecast and each group
Trailhead
9:20 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
The long trail day: the route, the stops and the turn-around
Trail
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch in the shade
Shade
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Quiet time: journals, maps and sunscreen
Shade
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
The long trail day: the walk back
Trail
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Closing circle and pickup
Trailhead
Friday
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Arrival, sign-in and the water check
Trailhead
9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Circle: the plan, the forecast and each group
Trailhead
9:20 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Plan the route for the afternoon
Trailhead
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch in the shade
Shade
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Quiet time: journals, maps and sunscreen
Shade
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Walk the route: families join at 2:00
Short trail
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Closing circle and pickup
Trailhead
Sample classes.
On a hot or stormy day the long walk moves to the morning and the afternoon stays near the trailhead.
Safety and notice
Who is with every group, and what we do about the sky
The state notice, how many counselors are with each age group, and the routines for altitude, sun, heat and storms.
License
This camp is not licensed as child care by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Adults to children
1 adult to 6 children
8 to 9 years
Group size: 12
1 adult to 8 children
10 to 13 years
Group size: 16
Capacity
36
Ages 8 years to 13 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Medication training
Safety routines
Altitude
Flagstaff sits at a little over 7,000 feet, and the first days are slow. We take shorter routes at the start of a week, stop for water and a snack often, and walk at the pace of the slowest camper. Tell us at registration if altitude has bothered your camper before.
Sun
The sun is strong at this altitude, even on a cool day. Campers wear a brimmed hat, put on sunscreen at home and again after lunch, and take shade breaks. Sunglasses are welcome, and sunscreen comes from home.
Heat and cold
Mornings start cool and afternoons warm up, so we dress in layers. On a hot day we move the long walk to the morning, rest in shade through the middle of the day and shorten the afternoon block.
Storms and lightning
Afternoon storms are common in July and August. We read the forecast and the sky every morning, keep the afternoon block near the trailhead and bring groups back to the trailhead when the sky starts to turn. When a storm is near, groups move into vehicles and the shelter at the trailhead, and we text families.
Trail groups
Every trail group has a counselor in front and a counselor at the back, so a second adult is always with the group. Each camper carries a filled bottle, and each group carries a first-aid kit, extra water and a phone. We drink at every stop on a schedule and count campers each time.
Wildlife and the land
Trails here are public land that others share. We keep a distance from wildlife, keep food packed away, stay on the trail and pack out everything we carried in.
Sample details.
Altitude, sun and heat
A routine for a mile-high summer
Flagstaff sits at a little over 7,000 feet. The day is built around the way the sun, the sky and the altitude work up here.
Go slow, drink early
The first days of a week are slower, with shorter routes and water and a snack at every stop. A counselor walks at the back.
Hat on, sunscreen from home
Campers wear a brimmed hat, put on sunscreen before camp and again after lunch, and take shade breaks through the middle of the day.
The day follows the sky
We read the forecast every morning. On a hot day the long walk moves to the morning, and when a storm builds, groups come back to the trailhead.
Parents
What parents say
4.8
27 reviews
5★23
4★4
3★0
2★0
1★0
“The text before camp about the storm plan told me exactly where my ten-year-old would be that day, and pickup at the trailhead was calm and quick.”
Mercedez L.“The counselors answered every question I had about altitude and water for my nine-year-old before the first day, and the packing list was specific enough that we got it right.”
Alaina B.“My twelve-year-old came home dusty and talking about the creek, the map and who walked at the back. I liked that I could picture the whole day.”
Steve H.
Sample reviews.
Save a place for the weeks you need
Registration opens in February. Register on our enrollment page, or call and ask about altitude, storms or pickup.