Outdoor Education

Establishing Community Through Adventure

We hear it all the time: Sage Ridge students’ best memories and relationships often have roots in Outdoor Education week.

To set each school year up for success, students and faculty embark together on unique journeys full of meaningful challenges and connections.

I remember during our junior year [Outdoor Ed trip] we were all outside, it was nighttime...our tents blew down so we slept outside under the stars all together.

Jeremy Rodriguez Canales ('19)

Outdoor Ed really did exactly what it said it was going to do: it was education in the outdoors. It wasn't necessarily education about the outdoors, although that happened; we were being educated by our teachers 24/7 while we were outdoors and it was really a great way to learn.

Brett Webster ('08)

2024-2025 Trip Locations

  • 3rd Grade - Project Discovery Day Trips around the Reno-Tahoe area (Day Trips only)
  • 4th Grade - Project Discovery Day Trips around the Reno-Tahoe area (Day Trips only)
  • 5th Grade - Grizzly Creek Ranch 
  • 6th Grade - Marin Headlands
  • 7th Grade - Kayaking and Donner Summit
  • 8th Grade - Pinnacles National Park 
  • 9th Grade - Yosemite National Park
  • 10th Grade - China Camp and Angel Island
  • 11th Grade - Kayaking on Tomales Bay 
  • 12th Grade - Ashland, Oregon and the Shakespeare Festival

Grade 7 Donner Summit Adventures

At Sage Ridge, Outdoor Education trips take students far and wide across the West, but one special trip takes advantage of the stunning scenery and history right here in our own backyard. Grade 7 drove a short distance to Clair Tippaan Lodge near Donner Lake. A favorite highlight of the trip was the hike up Donner Summit. Students enjoyed a well-earned sense of accomplishment as they sat on the rock together eating lunch overlooking an incredible view. Throughout the trip, they journaled about the science and nature around them, but also about their own reflections. They practiced empathy and teamwork, which culminated in writing a class constitution to establish guiding principles for the rest of their year. All in all, these fortunate Sage Ridge students had a blast while building interpersonal skills that will influence and serve them for the rest of their lives.
 

Donner

Grade 11 Kayak Trip in Tomales Bay

The junior class had multiple years of Outdoor Education under their belt before taking on a sea kayaking adventure in California. Years of friendship built a strong foundation that helped make sometimes tedious and difficult things like cooking and setting up tents go smoothly. In their kayaks, students battled against intense winds, which tested their willpower, but they were rewarded later, tossing snacks between kayaks and playing Spikeball on the beach. Their week in Tomales Bay helped strengthen friendships with their classmates and bonds with their teachers. Grade 11’s Outdoor Education trip gave the Class of 2020 memories that will last forever, and started their challenging junior year off on a strong note.