What's special about Sierra Club Outings?
Sierra Club Outings take people to extraordinary natural areas in the spirit of "the conservation and environmental goals of the Club". As the motto at web site says, "Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet." Trips last 4-5 days or as long as three weeks; costs range from $200 to several thousand dollars.
To find family trips, head to the Sierra Club Outings site. (Note, however, that typically summer trips don't get posted online until the preceding December.) Your may find such gems as: Family Raft Adventure on the San Juan River, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah; a Family Lodge Adventure in Alaska; Toddler Tromp in Acadia National Park, Maine; a Rim-to-Rim Family Backpack in the Grand Canyon.
Some trips have age rules, such as minimum age of twelve for a particular Grand Canyon trip. On that sample outing, guests backpack and carry 10 pounds of food and cooking equipment for each adult; half that weight for kids. You may need to provide your own gear (sleeping bag, etc.) on some trips.
To take another example, a San River Trip in Utah for ages five and up is a "leisurely family raft trip" through colorful canyons, featuring Puebloan ruins and rock art, a hike in side canyons, "rubber duckies" (inflatable kayaks), and camping along the river. Staff will row the rafts, cook, and provide special activities for the children. You need to provide your own gear: an itemized list is provided; it's possible to rent what you need, sleeping bag, ground cloth, etc., so you'll only need to bring your personal items.
Check the Sierra Club Outings site for the latest trips offered for families.
These trips are a special and more rugged type of Family Adventure, which is a popular niche in the family travel world. Family Adventures are escorted group tours to Great Outdoors and other destinations; typically all details are handled, special activities for kids are provided, the trip mixes recreation with some education, food and accommodations are high-end; and the tour operator is an adventure travel company (though Adventures by Disney is another major player in this field.)
