California Bold

Enroll Now

California Bold

Destination

California

Current Grades

10th-12th

length

12 Days

view dates and prices
Airports

Arrive: San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Depart: San Francisco, CA (SFO)

This tour of the Golden State is packed with fun and adventure. You will explore the beautiful beaches in Santa Cruz, California, take in the rugged stretch of coastline and meet some colorful critters in the beach’s nearby tidepools. Participate in a restoration project with Marin County Parks organization, and learn to climb on a secluded granite dome near Yosemite National Park. Hike to stunning waterfalls in Yosemite National Park, whitewater raft the American River, and learn to surf on quintessential northern California beaches. Finally, wrap up your adventure with a tour of San Francisco, including Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Overview Image

Itinerary

Day 1: Explore Santa Cruz

Put on your hiking boots and get ready to explore the rugged coastline of Santa Cruz. We will hike alongside giant redwood trees and get glimpses of the beautiful endless coast. If we’re lucky we’ll spot some famous banana slugs in the Santa Cruz mountains and wave to some seals in the Pacific. We’ll polish off our tour with a drive on the scenic Highway 1 along the California coastline, until we reach Manresa State Park to camp beachside under the stars.
Accommodation: Camping

Day 2: Boardwalk and Tidepool Exploration

Wake up and head into town to explore the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk! After playing some games and hopping on some rides, we will head to Natural Bridges State Park where we will explore tide pools and learn about some sea critters native to the California Coast. We’ll play games on the beach and watch surfers shred the waves and pick up some techniques as we prepare for our own surf lessons.
Accommodation: Camping

Day 3: Marin County Service Project

Head up the coast to Marin County for a day of community service with the Marin County Parks preservation and restoration program. You will learn about local species and work to restore their habitats by removing invasive European beachgrass, ice plants, Monterey pine, and Monterey cypress. We will learn about the area’s hydrological function and how removing these species helps build resilience around sea levels rising. On this day we will get our hands dirty and gain a greater appreciation for the natural environment while taking in some beautiful coastal views.
Accommodation: Camping

DAY 4-5: Learn to Surf on Stinson Beach

Known by locals as the most beginner-friendly surf spot in the area, we’ll spend two days on Stinson Beach receiving professional surf instruction. You’ll learn techniques, water safety and awareness, and etiquette before paddling out to watch for the perfect line. These mellow waves are so reliable, it’s not unusual to catch 20 to 30 lines in a day!
Accommodation: Camping

DAY 6-7: EXPLORE YOSEMITE AND GIANT SEQUOIAS

Next, we’ll head inland toward Yosemite National Park. After traveling up into the mountains, we’ll pile in the vans and take a short drive to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, where more than 500 of the world’s oldest evergreens reside. Their branches are up to eight feet thick, while their bases can reach 40 feet in diameter! Just north of Mariposa is the famous Yosemite Valley, where we’ll marvel at the 3,000-foot-tall granite walls and hike Nevada Falls, which towers almost 600 feet above the valley floor. Its turbulent, powerful waters create a refreshing mist that’s sure to cool you off after a day of hiking!
Accommodation: Camping

DAY 8: Rock Climbing at Fresno Dome

After exploring the park for a couple of days, we’re taking a different path today and going to see the beautiful and unique granite of this area. We won’t be hanging out with throngs of tourists, though; instead, we’ll escape the summer heat and crowds and head to Fresno Dome, sitting above 7,000 feet in elevation. Learn the ins and outs of rock climbing on the smooth Sierra granite; you’ll even get to belay your peers! Fun fact: Climbing legend Royal Robbins spent much of his time developing routes here.
Accommodation: Camping

DAY 9-10: Whitewater Raft the American River

Don’t be intimidated by the South Fork of the American River’s rapids named “Troublemaker” and “Satan’s Cesspool”—you’ll drop these lively class III rapids with ease with the help of professional raft guides. On the calmer sections, you’ll get to try your hand at stand-up paddle-boarding! Hemmed in by the rolling hills of the Sierra Nevada, you’ll see relics of history: gold discovery on its shores triggered the California Gold Rush of 1849.
Accommodation: Camping

Day 11-12: Explore San Francisco

We’ll finish our northern California adventure with a tour of historic landmarks, including the famous Golden Gate Bridge. We will walk the entirety of Fisherman’s Wharf, a historic fishing village turned tourist destination. While walking past clam chowder cafes and street performers, we will make our way to Pier 39 to see the vivacious Californa Sea Lions in residence! With the Sea Lion bark echoing across the bay, we will make our way up the 209 steps to the top of Coit Tower. From there, we will have a view over the entire city and a sneak peek of what we will see next, like the West Coast’s oldest operating lighthouse and the beautiful Gardens of Golden State Park. Then we’ll walk the entirety of the 1.7-mile-long Golden Gate Bridge before admiring Ghirardelli Square and picking up some namesake chocolate!
Accommodation: Camping

*Listed above is Bold Earth’s intended itinerary for this trip. All itineraries are subject to change in order to provide the best possible program quality.

Dates and Prices

Departure 1
  • Departure Day
    06/30/24
  • Return Day
    07/11/24
  • Grade
    10–12
  • Price
    $4,188
  • Availability
    Limited
Departure 1
  • Departure Day
    07/15/24
  • Return Day
    07/26/24
  • Grade
    10–12
  • Price
    $4,188
  • Availability
    Open
Departure Day Return Day Grade Price Availability
06/30/24
07/11/24
10–12
$4,188
limited
07/15/24
07/26/24
10–12
$4,188
open

Accommodations & Service

Community Service: Approximately 5 Hours
  • Marin County service project: Removing invasive species and environment awareness.
Accommodations:
  • 11 nights of camping. All campgrounds have running water and bathroom facilities on site. Bold Earth will provide comfortable 4-person tents.

Activities

Community service: 5 hours

Hiking

Rock climbing

Sightseeing

Surfing

Whitewater rafting

Reviews

Gretchen K, parent from Northfield, IL

Bold Earth was the best experience of my daughter’s life — truly, her words, not mine. She specifically wanted to pick a trip that had a good boy/girl ratio, that did NOT allow phones, and where there weren’t a lot of kids traveling together who knew each other — and Bold Earth delivered. There were 11 kids, 7 girls and 4 boys…no one knew anyone, and by the end of their 12 day adventure, they were all best friends and making plans to try and see each other again. I believe keeping the groups small and having the kids “unplug” made this trip as special as it was. Instead of being buried in their phones, they were actually communicating with one another, getting to truly know each other. They made up games to play at the campsite, did cartwheels in the grass…it was nothing but pure joy and pure fun. My daughter was so sad to leave, but is counting down the days until her next Bold Earth adventure.

Caroline, student from Jacksonville, FL

My favorite part of the trip was that at every meal, we sat in a circle and included everyone in the conversation. It made our group closer and act like a family.

Wendy C, parent from Ballymena, Ireland

My son was excited from the moment of discussion about the possibility of this trip. He said the feeling he got about the trip before he even got there was like the feeling of Christmas morning. Not knowing anyone did not concern my son albeit he was still a little nervous; he was surprised by the positive relationships and depth of relationship he formed with other members of the group. He returned from Bold Earth exhausted in a positive way and I have enjoyed all the little memories he continues to share since his return. As a parent I loved the blogs and the photos throughout the trip; these were reassuring and supported the communication during the phonecall half way through his trip. It was an amazing trip of a lifetime that I’m sure he will always remember.

Bailey, student from La Mesa, CA

Bold Earth opens your eyes to how you can really appreciate the little things in life like singing songs in the car with friends or even laughing in the tents til your stomach hurts, even when you know you have to be up early the next morning.

Shirley S, parent from La Mesa, CA

Bailey’s experience was even better than we had hoped for! She was nervous though excited about going on the trip and she said that the first van ride was the best and everyone was having a great time and became great friends right from the beginning. She truly enjoyed making these new friends but also great memories that were made every single day! She felt safe on the trip in the hands of her fearless leaders Gracie and Isabelle who kept everything organized and smooth running. The experiences Bailey described were full of fun and adventure, which is her favorite things in life and we couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity for her to grow her confidence and openness to meeting new people and trying new activities.

Zilin, student from Beachwood, OH

Whitewater rafting was super exciting, and my boat crew had tons of fun. Hanging out around camp and playing games together was also extremely fun, and I had a great time bonding and sharing experiences with everyone.

Connor, student from Darien, CT

My favorite part about the trip was the variety of activities and places we visited and participated in. Every day we were doing something different, which made the trip really exciting and engaging.

Jessica R, parent from Longmont, CO

My daughter said this was the best experience in her lifetime.  She came back from camp with so many new friends and was just so happy!  She talked about her experience for days which was worth all the money in the world!

Tennille S, parent from Jacksonville, FL

It was very exciting to hear about Blythe’s trip when she got home. I think this was a great experience for her, and I definitely recommend Bold Earth to everyone.

Michelle A, parent from Montclair, NJ

Our son has done two Bold Earth trips and he loved both. This was his favorite because of the quality of the leaders and the instant, close connections formed by members of the group.

Filippo, student from Long Island, NY

Bold Earth’s California Bold was a really great experience everyone should do at least once in their life if they’re able to. A great time with great people!