Cottonwood Gulch Summer Treks

# Cottonwood Gulch Summer Treks Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions has run expeditionary summer treks in the American Southwest since 1926, operating from a 550-acre basecamp in Thoreau, New Mexico, in the Zuni Mountains. Treks are long - up to 32 days - and combine backcountry travel with hands-on field science, cultural learning, and student-designed legacy projects. Teen options include the Prairie Trek, Turquoise Trail, Wild Country, Mountain Desert, and Paleontology treks. ## What You'll Do - Travel for several weeks through the Southwest by van and on foot from the Thoreau basecamp - Backpack in places such as the Valle Vidal and rock climb at sites like Socorro Box - Do field science and place-based study - paleontology digs, ecological monitoring, and visits to research sites including the Very Large Array - Take on rotating camp and trail leadership roles within a small group - Design and complete a legacy project contributing to landscape restoration or ecological monitoring ## Who Should Apply Summer Treks serve ages 8-18 overall, with the teen treks aimed at "ages 14-18"; the Prairie Trek and Turquoise Trail are for "14-16 year olds." Cottonwood Gulch bases "acceptance into our programs solely on their application and ability to participate fully in the Trek," independent of the price a family selects. ## Outcomes Trekkers gain multi-week expedition experience, real field-science practice, and group leadership responsibility in a program with a century-long alumni tradition and an explicitly income-blind admissions promise.