Discover safety, survival skills, and outdoor fun for the whole family! This course reveals how people survive in the desert’s weather extremes. Take a short hike, build your own survival kit, and learn the fundamentals of map reading, first aid, and more!

This class is held at Black Rock, with the classroom portion taking place in the Black Rock Nature Center education room.
This youth and family activity is suitable for ages 5 and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Anyone may attend! No expertise or experience is required.
No park pass is required.
Materials for a build-your-own survival kit are provided.
No meals or equipment are provided.

The indoor portion of this class is ADA accessible. It requires very little travel with ADA accommodations, such as accessible parking, available.

The outdoor portion is leisurely and can be modified to accommodate participants. It requires less than 2 miles of walking with shade, seating, consistent terrain, and little to no elevation gain. Please email desertinstitute@joshuatree.org if you need specific accommodations.

Photo credit: NPS/Jesmira Bonoan

Adventure Ready! Preparing for Outdoor Adventures With the Whole Family

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General Admission ticket