Enjoying the outdoors can be hard for metro Denver teens and kids. Even though the mountains are always in the background, it can take more than an hour round-trip drive to access them. The best bet to get outdoors for teens and kids is usually parents or older siblings who aren't too busy to drive them to the mountains, but not everyone has that privilege.
On top of that, outdoor hobbies such as skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing and mountain biking all require expensive gear.
"There are real challenges that exist with transportation, or families haven't been up there," explains Seth Ehrlich, the executive director of SOS Outreach. "There's also the indirect challenges that kids face where they feel it's just not for them — that's not something that we do, that's not something people from my neighborhood do, that's not something people of my culture do or my color do. That's not for me."
It's not that outdoor activities are only enjoyed by white people, according to Cal-Woods Education Center Rafael Salgado.
"Our people like the outdoors as well...it's important for Latinos." he says. "The difference is they often move to Colorado for work. They don't come here for the mountains or because there's fishing or because there are outdoor recreational activities, like you often see with people who are white, who come here to ski, to camp and all that."
Organizations like SOS Outreach and Cal-Woods offer trips to national and state parks as well as lessons in popular outdoor sports like skiing and rock climbing, and some will combine their outings with lessons in science, forestry or park management. There are groups that even offer discounted or free gear to steer often-overlooked youth toward outdoor activities that suit them best.
"Having the ability to show, really physically, a different environment has a direct impact that we've seen time and again in expanding horizons, expanding goals, expanding perspectives of what is possible," Ehrlich says. "The outdoors is such an amazing place to support in that expansion of what is possible in a kid's life."
These five organizations tailor their programming for students of color and kids from low-income backgrounds. They offer a range of activities in both the snowy and sunny seasons, and their programs are free or covered by scholarships.
SOS Outreach
450 Miller Ranch Road, Edwards
970-926-9292
SOS Outreach has been around for more than thirty years, mostly focusing on getting kids into snowboarding and skiing. The group tries to focus on kids from minority communities and those at risk of not graduating from high school.
SOS recruits students through teachers and counselors at partnering schools, who identify students who are at risk of not graduating high school. About 600 kids from the Denver metro area sign up for SOS programs each year, and more than half of them on average identify as a minorities coming from families making less than $40,000 a year.
In Denver, the group does all of its recruiting through schools, including Mapleton Public Schools, McClain High School in Lakewood, Westminster High School and Sheridan High School. It also works with Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. Most of the kids it recruits "have never been west of [C-]470," Ehrlich says.
SOS programming follows the school year, from September to May, with registration taking place in September and October. Costs range from $25 to $180 per participant depending on the program, but SOS does offer scholarships that cover everything from gear to ski passes to instructional courses.
For families who are interested but don't have kids enrolled in those schools or in a Boys & Girls Club, Ehrlich encourages them to reach out to SOS Outreach through its website, by phone or email.
Cal-Wood Education Center
2282 County Road 87, Jamestown
303-449-0603
The Cal-Wood Education Center is based in Jamestown, a few miles outside of Boulder. The organization is dedicated to introducing Latino boys and girls to the joys of camping. More than 2,300 Latino parents and children went on hiking, camping and fishing excursions with Cal-Woods in 2023, and more than a quarter-million have participated since it started in 1982.
Cal-Wood teaches basic skills for camping, hiking and fishing, like how to start a fire or bait a fish hook. Children also learn about public lands, leave-no-trace rules and permitting for camping, hunting and fishing.
After-school programs aren't offered by Cal-Wood, but it does take out children and adults for bilingual weekend camping trips. Although it focuses on Latino families, Cal-Wood welcomes all children and teenagers in kindergarten through high school.
Programs can be pricey for families or teachers organizing private adventures for their kids or classroom, with a three-day trip set at $240 per person and two days at $140. However, Cal-Wood puts together group camping trips where multiple families hike and camp together — mostly during the summer, with a few in the fall — that only cost $25 per person, and children five or younger can attend for free. Cal-Wood also offers around $36,000 in scholarships per year to kids and families who can't afford to participate.
The Cal-Wood Education Center teaches Latino families how to camp and enjoy a plethora of outdoor activities within their reach.
Courtesy of Cal-Wood Education Center
621 Kalamath Street, Suite 62
339-234-3009
New Treks is a Denver-based group serving kids in Title 1 schools, where low-income students make up a large portion of the enrollment. Since 2021, New Treks has served more than 750 kids, 86 percent of whom identify as students of color, and all of the students served receive free or reduced lunch.
At no costs to students or parents, New Treks provides kids in kindergarten through high school with free programs that teach rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, wilderness first aid, backpacking, camping, paddling, canoeing and kayaking.
New Treks signs kids up through its ten partnering schools. Kids in the middle and high schools can select a New Treks program as an elective, while kids at Gust Elementary, the only partnering grade school, can sign up through their gym class. Nearly all of the partnered schools are in the city of Denver, except for one in Sheridan: Soar Academy.
Big City Mountaineers
5394 Marshall Street, Suite 200, Arvada
303-271-9200
Since 1990, the Arvada-based nonprofit Big City Mountaineers has been taking Denver-area kids ages twelve to eighteen into the Rockies to teach the ins and outs of camping, hiking and backpacking. Big City estimates that 90 percent of the 10,000 kids it serves nationally have their first outdoors experiences through its programs.
Big City programs teach a range of skills for staying in in the backcountry, including map reading, navigation, overnight and multi-day packing, choosing a campground, pitching a tent, and backcountry hygiene. Professional guides and essential gear, including backpacks, tents and sleeping bags, are provided for free.
Partnering youth organizations that recruit for Big City include the I Have a Dream Foundation in Boulder, Denver City Lax and the Black Parents United Foundation in Aurora.
Big City programming is "very spring- and summer-based," says Megan Aranow, the nonprofit's communication manager, so students who are interested will have to either sign up for programming in August or wait until programming starts again around April.
Lucky to Ride
2751 West Oxford Avenue, Sheridan
720-454-9722
Lucky to Ride is a nonprofit based in Sheridan and dedicated to introducing at-risk youth to biking. Adult volunteers teach kids ten and up mountain-biking skills and safety tips during two- and four-hour rides.
Lucky to Ride also offers bicycle repair and upkeep courses for kids in middle school and high school. Teens and young adults between the ages of 14 and 22 years old can apply for three-month paid internships with Lucky to Ride, as well.
Lucky to Ride recruits students through youth organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, and schools in Denver and Jefferson counties. Everything is free for kids who join, and participants can even get a free bike through the program.
