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.
California Bold
Enroll NowCalifornia Bold
Destination
California
Current Grades
10th-12th
Airports
Arrive: San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Depart: San Francisco, CA (SFO)
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
Dates and Prices
-
Departure Day
06/30/24
-
Return Day
07/11/24
-
Grade
10–12
-
Price
$4,188
-
Availability
Limited
-
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!