UPDATE 3.3.24 - This program is now FREE for all Teens to Trails teachers, thanks for the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative Grant!

Portland Paddle is partnering with Teens to Trails this spring to offer an Educational Trip Leader Permit Training course. For more information on the ETLP system, please see this FAQ page or contact samantha@teenstotrails.org. 

Existing ETL Permit holders may register for just the pool session in order to strengthen and expand their skill set. The pool session will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 pm and will cover rescue skills for a variety of different watercraft.

UPDATE 3.3.24 - This program is now FREE for all participants, thanks for the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative Grant!

Teens to Trails is looking forward to returning to Black Mountain of Maine on Sunday, March 10th for a full day of downhill skiing, tubing, and Nordic skiing. With special thanks to Black Mountain of Maine, we are able to offer Outdoor Club members a discounted winter experience at one of Maine’s favorite ski mountains!

We look forward to seeing you on the slopes!

The following costs will need to be paid by the club and will be reimbursable, including transportation costs.

Full-day ski tickets - $40 (includes free tubing!) 

Ski/Snowboard equipment rentals - $25 for the day

Tubing only - $15

Nordic ski pass - $15 (rentals are limited)

Snowshoeing - Free!

Lift tickets can be purchased the day of, but if your club is looking for rentals, we ask that you contact the Rentals Office a week before your visit to work with the team to identify your group's needs. The rental department can be contacted via phone: (207)364-8977 if you have any questions.

Please fill out the rental form below and email it to bmomoffice@gmail.com a week before the program. Ski lessons can be made independently of this offer and needs to be completed a week ahead of the program.

Any questions? Join our virtual informational session with Sam Andrews on March 5 from 2:45-3:15 pm. Please register here.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife is hosting a Winter Outdoor Extravaganza on Ice.

Join Samantha Andrews, a certified Maine guide from Teens to Trails, on a group hike along the Range Pond loop! Explore the winter wonderland on this 1.2-mile trek between 10-11 am. Bring your microspikes or snowshoes to prepare for icy or snowy conditions.

Join Teens to Trails at the Camden Snow Bowl on Saturday, February 10th for an experience on the famed toboggan chute!

The chute itself is 400 feet long, rising to 70 feet in elevation. If your club members have a need for speed, then you have come to the right place as some toboggans may reach speeds of up to 40 mph, sending you a quarter mile onto frozen Hosmer Pond.

In addition to tobogganing, we encourage your Outdoor Club to consider planning an afternoon of downhill skiing or winter hiking while visiting Camden Snowbowl for the day!

Tobogganing is free to Teens to Trails Outdoor Clubs, tubing and downhill skiing have a separate fee. Activities available 9am - 3:30pm.

This program is dependent on ice conditions and will be canceled without question by the direction of the Camden Snowbowl staff. In case of cancelation, all clubs registered to attend will be notified prior to day of.

Do you incorporate canoeing or hiking in your PE program or Outdoor Club activities? Do you want more training and a new state-level certification on how to safely facilitate school-sponsored outdoor activities?

This workshop will cover the required training components of the **NEW** Maine Educational Trip Leader (ETL) Permit. This is a new permit that enables educators to be in compliance with Maine statute for Registered Maine Guides, without needing to become a Guide. Previously, there has been no path to compliance for educators that were not Guides. As of Fall 2022 it will be a required certification if you intend to lead students on overnight trips in a backcountry setting or any trip on water.

The workshop is for any educator that wishes to take students into outdoor backcountry/remote settings for trips (such as hiking and camping) or any kind of paddling on inland waters. It will also be beneficial for any educator working with students outdoors, even those who do not wish to pursue the ETL permit.

We will cover topics including:

• risk management

• planning

• group facilitation

• camp craft skills

• Leave No Trace

• and water safety

Lunch is included with the fee

Pre and Post Course Work:
There will be about 2 hours of pre-course work that participants will need to complete prior to the in-person workshop. Details will be sent to participants well in advance of November. Following participation, attendees will take a written test and be able to apply for an ETL permit if they have a current Wilderness First Aid (or greater) certification.

Fee: $50 for MAHPERD members ($60 for non-MAHPERD members).
Note that an ETL permit application fee is $25 and is valid for 5 years, which is a separate fee paid to the State of Maine. You will learn how and where to pay this ETL permit fee at the training.

Outdoor Club Leadership Conference

Join Teens to Trails on Friday, September 22nd at the YMCA Camp of Maine in Winthrop for the return of the Outdoor Club Leadership Conference! This annual convening has taken on a new name as we focus on the objective of providing Outdoor Club Leaders with the skills, network, and tools necessary for a successful school year.

To view our proposed schedule, click here
A final schedule will be published soon!

We will support our theme of improving the whole body health of Maine Teens by engaging them in fun, inclusive, non-competitive outdoor experiences.

This year will be open to current or interested outdoor club advisors. We've designed this program for you, our fearless outdoor club leaders. This day will provide our outdoor club advisors with the opportunity to build lasting connections within our network, as well as with the generous partners who are offering hands-on, discussion-based workshops and panels throughout the day.

For more details head to our events page here

Join Teens to Trails on Friday, June 2nd from 3:30 pm-6:30 pm for our first-ever Bike Day.

This program is for all Teens to Trails middle and high school outdoor clubs in Somerset County to come together and enjoy an afternoon on wheels! Students will have the opportunity to partake in bike rides, workshops, and demonstrations on a variety of bikes throughout the afternoon. There will even be some skateboard demonstrations!

We will have a variety of bikes available to borrow but we encourage students to bring their own bikes, boards, and helmets if they have them!

The afternoon will conclude with a pizza party to celebrate!

This bike day is supported and made possible thanks to Somerset Public Health, First Push Syndicate and Bicycle Coalition of Maine.

Share this informational poster with your club!

Black Mountain and L.L.Bean are teaming up to offer lift tickets for $15 Thursdays and $25 Fridays, as well as free nordic skiing and snowshoeing all season long.

Teens to Trails picked Friday, March 10th to join in the fun. We will set up a table and can help you check-in and provide a centralized meeting location for all clubs.

Visit Black Mountain’s website for more details, including information on lessons and rentals. FREE snowshoeing ALL WINTER LONG (includes, ticket, snowshoes & poles). FREE nordic & $5 uphill

If you can’t attend on a weekday for the special pricing, contact the ticket office for school discounts offered to groups of 10+ students.

Registration for this event is now closed, however, please reach out to Jess@teenstotrails.org for more information.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is teaming up with Teens to Trails to offer a full day of Winter Skills at the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine in Augusta.
This event is free to all Teens to Trails outdoor clubs. Please come prepared for a full day outside.

Adequate winter gear is mandatory. Hot cocoa and warming shacks will be available.

Come join other clubs from around the state. Activities include ice fishing and safety (ice dependent), fire building and campfire cooking, snowshoe hikes, mammal tracking, and more!

Registration for this event closes Friday, January 13th at 5pm.

Join us for a day of downhill skiing or snowboarding at Mt. Abram & uphill ski touring with Inclusive Ski Touring!

Teens to Trails is excited to offer a discounted day of skiing for our outdoor clubs to come together. We will set up a table and can help you check-in and provide a centralized meeting location for all clubs.

$35 ski tickets, 20% off rentals and lessons (excluding touring equipment)

Total cost after discount is $99 p/p for a ticket, rental & a lesson OR $65 p/p for a ticket and a lesson

• $10 inclusive ski touring program & $50 touring equipment rentals

We are partnering with Inclusive Ski Touring at 12:30pm to work with up to 12 students with prior downhill skiing experience. This is an incredible opportunity for students to learn something new and tour Mt. Abram! Not sure what ski touring is? Check this out with your students! Our program Manager, Sam Andrews will be touring with the group. Have students interested but unsure, reach out!

Please register for this event by Friday, December 23rd.

The Outdoor Leadership Conference will be at the Y Camp of Maine again! Building on past years, it will include workshops for new and established middle and high school Outdoor Clubs, separate workshops for student leaders and club advisors, and a special section for Recreation Departments who want to offer outdoor programs like our Outdoor Explorer’s Club. Likely topics are: how to start an outdoor club, student recruiting, planning trips, first aid basics, risk management, campfire cooking, improving diversity in the outdoors and learning about ways Teens to Trails can support your club.

It’s a great way to connect with other advisors, share resources, discuss obstacles and set goals.

Please join us May 12th at 3pm for our final Trail Talk with Catie & Sam of the 2021-2022 school year. We have lots to discuss! We will be talking about WAVES coming to an end, Registering your Club for next year, and our upcoming Partner Program.

Don’t miss out!

Missed A Monthly Trail Talk? Read the Recap:

January Trail Talk Recap [WAVES Reimbursement]

February Trail Talk Recap [Student Engagement & Recruitment]

Get on the trails while there is still snow on the ground! Carter’s XC Center will be hosting Teens to Trails for a day of fun outside.

Learn more about this event here. Register by February 18th, 2022.

More downhill skiing! Because we know you can’t get enough. Hermon Mountain is an awesome mountain just outside on Bangor that is perfect for those who are just starting out in the downhill world.

All costs (rentals, lift tickets, and travel) can be reimbursed by WAVES.

Register here by February 4th, 2022.

Teens to Trails has partnered with Downeast Coastal Conservancy to provide a day of ice fishing to Maine teens!

There will be fishing, XC skiing and snowshoeing with Washington County Community College’s Outdoor Adventure Center, horse drawn sled rides, snow sculpture contests, and smores to top it all off!

This event is FREE and you can register here by January 21st.