Boojum | About Boojum | Course Areas | Colorado River/Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Canoeing Expedition

Colorado River: Flatwater Canoeing Expedition, Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Standard length of trip: 4-5 days
Recommended group size: 10 to 150+
Standard size of trail group: 12-15 participants

Course Overview

The Colorado River Flatwater Canoeing Expedition offers a premium-quality outdoor education experience in the grandeur and world-class wilderness of the lower Colorado River. This stretch of river, in the Black Canyon region below Hoover Dam, is a spectacular outdoor setting and fantastic location for experiential education courses.

The river sections Boojum participants travel include blue-green water flowing between tall canyon walls, mysterious side canyons with hot springs and hot waterfalls, ancient petroglyphs, and expansive sandy beaches for comfortable tent camping. The trip generally covers 15 to 30 river miles, with three to seven miles paddled each day. The program is run expedition-style, with downriver travel each day and camping in a new beach location every night. The program generally starts with an afternoon of canoe skills training on Lake Mead, prior to put-in. Program elements include expeditionary canoeing, hiking up winding canyons, and group activities at the campsites. The desert and riparian ecosystemsÑone hot and dry, the other cool and lushÑoffer a study in ecological contrasts and an unparalleled opportunity for group adventures and environmental education.

In addition to the wilderness environment and unique set of ecosystems, the Colorado River program offers a sense of adventure with the comfort of canoe-camping. Coolers of fresh food and an ever-flowing river that carries you and your gear downstream help make this a comfortable excursion and the perfect atmosphere in which to focus on group and personal goals.

Sample Activities

Activities offered vary by specific location and may include the following:

Flat-water expeditionary canoeing
Paddling training and canoe skills instruction
Guided natural history and ecology hikes
Explorations of native art sites
Lessons in biology, geology, weather, and aquatic and desert science
Team-building initiatives and group development challenges
Journal writing & creative assignments
Service learning projects

Early morning sunrise hikes, stretch circles or yoga
Small group presentations
Exploration of hot springs, hot streams and hot waterfalls
Free time, recreation and fun games
Environmental awareness games & lessons
Classes in outdoor survival skills, stream studies, native plant use, and many more

Evening programs occur in large groups or smaller "trail groups" and may include:

Campfires with skits, songs, stories, and s'mores
Town Hall environmental resource use discussion
Astronomy observation and lessons
Native American myths and stories

Council meeting & group topical discussions
Talent show and coffeehouse
Night-hikes focusing on nocturnal animal adaptations

Learning activities are presented in a variety of formats throughout the program and are experiential in nature. Lessons are planned to be stimulating and challenging. Instructors give participants the tools to promote personal discovery and self-direction in learning, while supporting learners with information about the topics being explored. A thoughtfully developed progression of hands-on learning, structured lessons, experiential outdoor activities, and free time is provided to maximize learning and craft a positive, memorable experience.

Sample Goals for the course:

To build character, confidence, and life skills through outdoor adventure activities.
To foster responsible environmental citizenship and ecological sustainability in the lives of program participants.
To facilitate group cohesion, teamwork skills, and positive group development.
To learn outdoor science, including natural history and ecology, tied to state science standards.
To develop communication and problem-solving skills, independence and leadership skills.
To teach specific outdoor skills, field science topics or other areas requested by the client.
To have fun!

Sample Itinerary (five-day program):

Day One
Participants arrive at Boulder Beach group campground, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and are welcomed by Boojum staff. The group receives an orientation that includes a safety briefing, introduction to the environment, expectations of conduct, a schedule overview, staff introductions, and brief icebreaker games. Participants help set up camp. Participants are then divided into learning teams, begin to bond as a small group through games and initiatives, and establish learning goals for the course. Small groups practice canoe paddling techniques and boat safety during practical session rotations on Lake Mead. Groups pack bags for the next day's river put-in. The day ends with an evening program.

Days Two through Four
On day two, participants break down camp and travel to the put-in, at the base of Hoover Dam in Black Canyon or at Willow Beach. Groups put on the water, review canoe travel skills, and head downstream! In the afternoon, at an inviting beach, participants unload canoes, set up camp, and may go on short explorations or day hikes. A certain amount of free time is offered. Following days continue the expedition travel format. An evening program rounds out each day.

Day Five
Day five begins with a paddle to the take-out area, where participants unload and clean canoes and load the bus or other vehicles. A review of the program's significant learning moments may be held. A favorite activity is the "Boojum relay," a fun review game where participants go over the course's environmental and social lessons while completing an obstacle course. The last moments of the program are spent in large and small groups bringing closure to the experience.

Course-Specific Logistics
The program starts with participant arrival at the Boulder Beach Campground on Lake Mead near the town of Boulder City, Nevada. On the last day participants and their gear typically depart the course for home from Willow Beach, AZ or El Dorado/Nelson's Landing, NV between 9:30 am and noon.