Wilderness Trail is for all eStreet Youth students, 6th - 12th grade. This backpacking trip is for people of all levels of hiking experience. Participants should be able to hike 25 miles over the course of 3 days on through rugged wilderness and carry their own backpack with gear. Wilderness Trail teaches students what it means to bear one another’s burdens as they experience the beauty of God’s creation in the outdoors.

Students will spend the first afternoon preparing for the trails. In the three full hiking days, this schedule will be loosely followed. Hiking groups will then spend the last day back at “the Property” where they will return equipment, take showers, and spend the day together before closing worship that evening. Groups leave for home the next morning.

The student registration fee for Wilderness Trail is $450. If you are in need of financial assistance, please indicate that on your registration form and someone will be in touch. Or contact Rush or Lucy, and we can discuss options. We never want the cost of a trip to deter a student from joining us, so please let us know how we can assist you.

Wilderness Trail is in and around Troutdale, Virginia. Hiking groups stay at established campsites in tents or hammocks. At the Property, students stay in sleeping shelters.

Click here for the packing list! Wilderness Trail does provide backpacks as needed. Here is my short list of the most important gear. Good shoes (tennis is okay, but please break in brand new shoes), non-cotton socks, water bottles (2 full size Nalgene or equivalent), and sleeping bag. Outside of that I promise you will survive! 

Click here for a list of meals and snack items provided by Wilderness Trail. Students should bring a packed lunch for the drive up. On opening day, dinner is provided on the Property. On hiking days, students will eat the food provided as well as additional snacks they bring as breakfast and dinner. Dinner on hiking days is cooked together. On “Git Back Day”, students will eat three meals on the Property. Students should bring $10 for lunch for the drive back to Raleigh.

We travel to Wilderness Trail on the mini bus and Suburban! Students and leaders together will be on the bus.

Wilderness Trail provides a theme each summer. Students will engage in discussion each night around the campfire for devotion as they learn about the theme.

Leadership on Wilderness Trail for each hiking group consists of a Youth Staff (Rush and Lucy), an additional trusted adult from the church community, and a staff from Wilderness Trail. Wilderness Trail staff members are trained in navigation, wilderness first aid, and more!