Kroka’s classic “Introduction to Adventure” program has introduced countless children to the wonders of the wilderness since its inception in 1995. It is the perfect program for campers who are ready to participate in their very first expedition. The week begins at base camp doing useful work around Kroka’s village and the farm. We will go rock climbing, study plants and animals in the forest, and learn new wilderness skills. All of this is in preparation for a three-day mini canoeing expedition during which we settle into the backcountry rhythm of campfire meals, stories, and songs. Days will be filled with swimming, fishing, exploration and crafts. Activities will differ from session to session. This means children can attend both weeks!

All you river rascals out there, it’s time to come together and head to the water! This will be a week of canoeing, kayaking, and swimming through currents, around bends, and into eddies. Skill building begins at our very own pond at Kroka base camp, after which we will embark on a four-day river expedition. Kroka’s unique paddling progression is rooted in developing skill and comfort in swimming the moving water as well as paddling both canoes and kayaks. In addition, we will simply soak in the joys of river life. Our afternoons will include camp set-up in the woods or on sandbars, roasting tasty bannocks over the fire, and time for play and discovery. Days end with craftwork, stories, and songs.

Join us on an adventure in fishing, crafting, and exploring the hidden secrets of the streams, lakes, and rivers that surround us. We begin the week at Kroka Village where we will carve our own fishing poles, learn to tie flies, and rig our lines. In the afternoons we will try our luck from shore, testing our patience and our wit while exploring the magical forests that surround us. Then with barrels packed and lines reeled tight, we will head out on a three-day expedition by canoe through one of Vermont’s most famous fisheries. Each day we’ll paddle further downstream, learning about currents, eddies, and fish habitat. In the heat of the day we’ll stop to swim and to test the many rope swings and jumping rocks along the shore! We will camp in the forest and cook delicious dinners over the fire. We eat what we catch: eager fisherfolk should be excited to catch, gut, clean, and cook their fish! If you’ve fallen hook line and sinker for the adventure of fishing, this expedition is not to be missed!

Experience the thrill of adventure and wilderness while creating a close circle of new friends. This program is designed as an introduction to Kroka and will cover the basics of our curriculum: navigation, backpacking, canoeing, camp craft, and rock climbing. After two days of "Kroka 101" training at our base camp, we will depart for our journey by foot and paddle, experiencing the beauty of the wilderness as we swim, craft, and spend evenings by the campfire. This program is designed as a bridge for students who are new to Kroka's expedition lifestyle, and participants will be able to enter any intermediate Kroka program with competence and confidence.

This is an unforgettable week of becoming one with the river! The journey will take us down the beautiful winding stretch of the Connecticut River flowing swiftly through Piedmont – the foot hills of the Green and White Mountains. Skill building begins at Kroka’s pond, after which we will embark on a 4-day expedition to camp at the base of a great rapid. Our unique paddling progression is rooted in understanding the power of moving water and developing skills in raft, canoe, kayak, and stand up paddle board, as well as comfort swimming in fast moving water. In addition, we will simply soak in the joys of river life in the summer. Our afternoons will include camp set-up in the woods and on sandbars, fishing, roasting bread-on-a-stick, and time for rope swings and river play. Days end with spoon carving and stories around the campfire.

Calling all rock climbers, tree climbers, parkour athletes, and bouldering enthusiasts for a dynamic week of rock climbing in nature. Journeying into the hills and hollows of Western Massachusetts we will establish a wilderness outpost close to three famous crags with climbs that will challenge beginner and experienced climbers alike. Each morning we set off to explore a different line of cliffs to practice toprope, sport, and trad climbing. Afternoons find us searching for caves and ruins in the forest, bouldering, cooking over the open fire, and practicing knot tying. Add to the repertoire the slack line, cliff-jumping and refreshing swims in the river and you‘ve got yourself a perfect summer week!

Kroka’s new Trailheads program is an entry-level expedition for all teenagers seeking adventure and community. During this jam-packed week we will travel on foot and by canoe through the wilderness, experiencing the wonders of nature in a supportive community of peers. We begin by hiking through the Piedmont of the White Mountains toward the freely-flowing waters of the upper Connecticut River. After two days on foot we descend from the mountains to the river where canoes await. Here we experience the joys and challenges of expedition life, paddling by day and setting a wilderness camp by night to cook delicious meals over the fire. You will come away with the skills to thrive on your next Kroka adventure. 

Note: Trailheads may be used as an admissions pre-requisite for new students entering our three and four-week expeditions.

Come and play at Kroka Village! Roast bread-on-a-stick over a fire, pick berries, wade in the brook, and float boats downstream! During this exciting week, young campers will join in the life of the farm and garden at Kroka while staying at our base camp in earthen dwellings (also known as “Hobbit Holes”). This is an introductory program aimed at cultivating imagination and wonder. The long summer days will be filled with canoeing, fort building, working on traditional crafts, splashing in the pond, singing and storytelling. Each day we will immerse ourselves in a simple life, spending plenty of time exploring the woods and visiting the animals on the farm. Children of Kroka Village is the perfect experience for young adventurers for whom this is their first time at sleep-away camp.

You cup it gently in your palm, the most powerful force on Earth, the source of life. This miniature sun spun to life with wood gathered from the forest has been enlivened from your gentle breath to become fire. During this adventure we will learn to make fire as was done in ancient ways with friction and flint and steel. As we travel the forest, we will learn to carry the fire with us, and to bring it to life in the wet and rain. Coals from the fire will burn the branches that become our spoons. As we deepen our relationship to this sacred element, we will learn to make, tend, use, celebrate, and care for it. We will come to know Fire as a sacred part of our lives. More than this, traveling through the wilderness will teach us to connect with the living Earth, be it gathering wild edibles or building an overnight shelter. We must all come prepared to carry an overnight backpack through the mountains, leaving modern conveniences behind, and proudly carry our inner flame of community.

Young explorers, come join us at Pumpkin Hill Village for a week of cooperative play in nature. We will begin each day by visiting the animals on Kroka’s farm. Our cows, horse, and chickens love the attention! Afterwards, we set off for the forest where each day finds us doing something new: building fairy houses, exploring the Porcupine Cliffs, playing in the mud, or floating boats downstream. Our days are filled with games, songs, stories, and exploring the wonders and magic of nature.

Don't miss this unique adventure that combines rock climbing and underground exploration! Our expedition begins with a hike to an impressive rock face hidden deep in the woods. After a day and a half of climbing we will continue on our hike, ending at a spectacular waterfall. Refreshed by plunging into crystal clear pools it is time for caving! We will search the woods for caverns that take us deep into the glittering underground world. As we gain experience, we will scurry through tunnels, wade through underground streams, and witness beautiful rock formations that showcase millions of years of geologic history. To wash off the cave mud, we will spend our afternoons swimming in a mountain river and at our wilderness camp learning to live in harmony with nature.  Each day concludes with campfire stories and songs.

Engage your senses in this adventurous week of growing, foraging, and cooking delicious food. Become a master forager, a farm-to-table chef, and a connoisseur of wild tastes. We begin our journey on the Kroka farm, where we will cultivate vegetables and nurture animals that will provide us with the gift of food. Trading our pitchforks for knives, we will learn and master technical cooking skills from local celebrity chef Theresa Darling. We will test our recipes in Kroka’s state-of-the-art sustainable kitchen – then take it up a notch by cooking over the open fire in the backcountry. With bags packed full of fresh ingredients, we will hike out to a wilderness campsite and build a stone hearth for cooking. Here we blend the culinary skills of the kitchen with the wild wisdom of the woods. As we prepare our recipes we will form a close-knit community of friends and share stories and songs. Our week will culminate with a student-prepared feast to share with the Kroka community!

Come and play at Kroka Village! Roast bread-on-a-stick over a fire, pick berries, wade in the brook, and float boats downstream! During this exciting week, young campers will join in the life of the farm and garden at Kroka while staying at our base camp in earthen dwellings (also known as “Hobbit Holes”). This is an introductory program aimed at cultivating imagination and wonder. The long summer days will be filled with canoeing, fort building, working on traditional crafts, splashing in the pond, singing and storytelling. Each day we will immerse ourselves in a simple life, spending plenty of time exploring the woods and visiting the animals on the farm. Children of Kroka Village is the perfect experience for young adventurers for whom this is their first time at sleep-away camp.

Join us in discovering the adventure of backcountry bikepacking! After tuning up our bikes and practicing riding techniques on Kroka’s bike course, we will head into the forest for a week filled with spectacularly wild mountain bike adventures. The rich history of New Hampshire has left our forests full of wondrous dirt trails alongside abandoned root cellars, mines, and wilderness lakes. We will return to Kroka for campfire meals and cozy dwellings during the first half of the week. Our next adventure will be a two-day overnight expedition. Each day will include discovering and playing in wild swimming holes, games, and evening stories by the campfire. In addition to technical riding, students will learn how to take care of their bikes and participate in community service projects. This introductory program is excellent preparation for our Mountain Bike Expeditions!

For novice - intermediate buccaneers
 
Come one and all for a two-week treasure-hunting adventure! We will form our crew and head to the coast of Maine where we will take to the sea in voyageur canoes modeled after those that have been navigating northern waters for thousands of years. On the first day, we will travel a short distance across a sheltered bay to our first wilderness island home. We will sail from camp to camp, practice fire building, and create wilderness crafts.  There will be islands to overtake and explore, coves to brave cold waters in, and tidal pools to investigate. We will forage for mussels, fish for mackerel, and harvest shells and special seaweed. Everyone will come away from this week having witnessed beautiful sunsets and made lasting new friendships. Sign up to uncover some of the mysteries of the sea!