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.
Kroka’s new Trailheads program is an entry-level expedition for teenagers seeking adventure and community. During this adventurous week we will travel by foot and by canoe, 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 prerequisite for new students entering our two and three-week expeditions.
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, 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 through 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, songs and games.
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 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!
Come Take to the Woods and become the wild children of the forest! Experience the pure fun and magic of living in and from the wilderness. The forest will fuel our projects, providing saplings for branch bows, dry wood for friction fire, pine for bowl carving, and wild plants for food. Camping on the banks of the Ashuelot River we will swim, fish, and learn stealth while observing the life of the woodland animals that abound. We will form new friendships with nature and each other. We will become a true community, relying on each other and celebrating the joys of summertime. Yes, let’s take to the woods: we are the wild ones, adventuring and learning the secrets of the earth.
Intoduction to White Water Level I
This is an unforgettable week of becoming one with the river! The journey will take us down the beautiful winding Connecticut River flowing swiftly through the foothills 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.
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.
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.
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, sheep and chickens love the attention! Afterwards we set off for the forest where each day greets us with a new surprise: 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. This is the perfect first step to begin a child's life-long connection to Kroka.
An Introduction to Earth Skills
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a time when all the necessities of life were made by hand from the raw materials of the earth? During this exciting week of adventure and discovery, we will settle into traditional dwellings made from poles and sod. Venturing deep into the forest we will set up a wilderness outpost and learn a variety of primitive crafts. Days will be filled with playing forest games, lighting fires, learning to cook wholesome feasts, and working with our hands as well as swimming and climbing trees. Come celebrate the wonder of Earth Crafts and return home with your own creations.
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.
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.
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!
Do you love taking care of animals, helping others and digging in the dirt? Do you love exploring and playing in the natural world? Kroka’s farm program may be just the program for you! Farm Magic is filled with extraordinary adventures both on the farm and in the forest! Together we will uncover the mystery of how, from tiny seeds, we grow amazing things to eat. The magic of the living earth will present itself in front of our eyes as we sow seeds, water, weed, and harvest the gifts from our organic gardens. We will visit the animals, collect eggs, observe the bees at work, make yogurt or cheese, and cook delicious wood-fired pizzas! Afternoons will be filled with swimming, paddling, rock scrambling, games and searching for hidden treasures in the forest. There will be time for crafting, singing, telling stories and, of course, making new friends!
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.