Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions is a nonprofit overnight/expedition summer camp based in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque that leads backpacking and hiking treks across the American Southwest for youth roughly ages 8 to 18. Programs blend wilderness travel with hands-on natural science, cultural exploration, and place-based education; younger campers (9-11) start with a one-week GO Trek basecamp. Coed, with age-tiered treks of increasing length and challenge.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
Camps nearby
Google Reviews
Powered by Google
★★★★★Walter CloudFriendly, fun inviting atmosphere, the staff are extremely helpful and polite. Very positive experience and environment. 10/10, would most definitely recommend.
★★★★★Neil Macneale IIIGreat organization! Our family has been sending kids to the Gulch ever since my Mom went on the first girls trek in 1934!
★★★★★Ben TuckerBeen going there since I was twelve, and loved it every year! It can be a little chaotic, but honestly, that’s a huge plus for me. I love that place with my entire heart and it has made me an unbelievably better person.
★★★★★Elias PadillaWish I could spend every summer here! Cottonwood Gulch is a gem, they are so amazing at what they do. I attended MDT in summer 2024 and a little into summer 2025 with SwArt for the rest of the summer. Both experiences were great and offer different activities and rigor. For both, I met amazing people and ate amazing food, the portions were large and diverse with extra always available, you'll never go hungry. Everyone is so close, you're sleeping next to the same people, eating with them, hiking with them, setting up tarps with them, everything, it really becomes a community you can lean on. The staff are also amazing and so patient, they are clearly trained in handling emotionally stressful situations as this is many people's first time doing something this rigorous. The staff treats you like an equal, not like they're above you, they are not unnecessarily strict (unless it comes to safety) and try to make everyone feel included and have a good time. I feel so lucky to have come across this community, they are very LGBT friendly with many trekkers and staff being part of it, so no need to feel like you're hiding something. I wish I could keep going back again and again and again as a trekker, but instead, I plan on becoming a staff member after graduating to stay connected. If you even suspect you might be interested in the gulch, do it, it's so worth it.
★Gabrielle PetrissansMy grand daughter went to Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions this summer. She was sick with food poisoning for three days. They refused to call her mother. These people are abusive. The cabins are filthy with rat feces. I would never ever send a child to this place.