Youth Programs
Fresh Air Fridays
Fresh Air Fridays is being offered as a month-long day program series and will rotate around KMTA communities. The program is a combination of afterschool, half day, and full days sessions based on the KPBSD calendar.
Open to kids grades K-5
Pathfinders
Many of our region’s historic corridors are preserved and enjoyed today as multi-use trails. Pathfinders empowers kids to build skills, have adventures, and create lasting connections to the KMTA via these trails across time.
Open to kids in grades 1-5
Coastal Connections
This 4-day camp for middle schoolers engages participants in exploration of local coastal ecosystems through a variety of adventure outings, science and art activities, and personal connections.
Open to kids in grades 6-8
Hey Anchorage & Turnagain Arm Communities!
New for 2026! This summer we are expanding our Pathfinders lineup to include our first programs that launch from Anchorage. During Pathfinders, youth engage in hiking, outdoor skill building, art, storytelling and stewardship activities while learning about the vibrant people and important landscapes that shape our shared stories. We are excited to be partnering with the Chugach National Forest, Anchorage Public Lands Information Center, Alaska Trails, and Trout unlimited to connect kids to some incredible stewards, stories and projects.
This pilot series is open to Anchorage, Bird, Indian, Girdwood and Whittier area youth ages 7-11. Families have the option to register their child(ren) for one or both days of each camp session. Each program has 1-2 “Meeting Points” where KMTA offers pick up & drop off to participating kids via KMTA’s Van.
Pathfinders program days are rated Easy, Moderate or Hard. All programs are trails based. Please read the “FAQs” section before registering your child for Pathfinders programs.
Program fees explained. If you’ve spent a little time looking around at our programs, you may have noticed that this new Pathfinders option for Anchorage & Turnagain Arm communities is $75/day, where the Kenai Peninsula programs are $55/ day. The Kenai Peninsula programs are subsidized by grant funding and community partnerships. Should this expanded offering be successful, we look forward to fundraising on its behalf.
2026 Program Schedule
June 16 – 17: Beaches & Glaciers
June 23 – 24: Living Landscapes
July 21 – 22: Trail Magic
July 28 – 29: It’s Salmon Time!
Fresh Air Fridays
The team here at KMTA loves snow and ice, and we are excited to get local youth outside this winter and spring for Fresh Air Fridays (FAF) – a kid and staff favorite that is all about fresh air and FUN! This program is offered across the KMTA region to local families with kids in elementary school. FAF offers adventure, art, science, outdoor skill-building, and other activities with a goal to build community, foster pride of place, empower kids through skill-building, and support families with engaging and supervised fun for their kids.
Welcome Kindergarteners!
With the new year, KMTA is excited to welcome Kindergarteners to participate in Fresh Air Fridays, alongside kids in grades 1st-5th.
Tiered Pricing
One of our core values is providing accessible programs to our local communities. Disruptions to federal funding and the federal workforce have created unprecedented challenges for nonprofits like ours and the partners we work alongside. As we find our path forward, we need your help to ensure we can continue our work. Thank you in advance for supporting these programs at whatever level you are able.
Pathfinders
Pathfinders Camps celebrate life in the Kenai Mountains Turnagain Arm (KMTA) National Heritage Area through trails-based explorations. Local youth engage in hiking, outdoor skill building, art, storytelling and stewardship activities while learning about the vibrant people and important landscapes that shape our shared stories. 2026 Pathfinders camps cover a variety of themes, with program weeks based out of Seward, Moose Pass, Cooper Landing and Hope. We are excited to be partnering with Chugach National Forest, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kenai Watershed Forum, Alaska Trails, Trout Unlimited and others to connect kids to some of the incredible stewards, stories, and projects of the KMTA region.
These programs are open to KMTA area youth ages 6-10. Families have the option to register their child(ren) for one or both days of each camp session. Pathfinders programs are open to youth from all KMTA communities (Seward, Moose Pass, Cooper Landing, Hope, Whittier, and Girdwood).
Pathfinders program days are rated Easy, Moderate or Hard. All programs are trails based. Please read the “FAQs” section before registering your child for Pathfinders programs. Additionally, each Camp has 1-2 “Meeting Points” where KMTA offers pick up & drop off to participating kids via KMTA’s Van.
Need help covering the cost of camp? KMTA offers tiered pricing for any families requesting it, simply check a box during booking to receive a $10/day discount on programs. Need additional support? Email education@kmtacorridor.org to talk to our team about payment options.
2026 Program Schedule (all programs are Tuesday – Wednesday unless otherwise noted)
May 29 (Friday): Summer Pathfinders Kick-Off
June 2 – 3: At Home in the Wild
June 23 – 24: Exploring our Inland Trails
June 30 – July 1: Our Trails, Our Stories
July 14 – 15: A Day in the Life
July 21 – 22: Living Landscapes
August 14 (Friday): Summer Pathfinders Finale
Discover. Move. Learn. Play.
Explore our local coastal ecosystem through a variety of adventure outings, science and art activities, and personal connections. Throughout the week, we will build community and broaden our understanding of the surrounding environment. Youth participants will have the opportunity to learn and play outside along with some focused time to connect to the places we visit through hands-on activities. We will explore the coast and experience the lands and waters of the KMTA NHA while working on team building, leadership, and resilience.
Coastal Connections Camp is open to middle schoolers. Participants must be at least 11 and entering 6th, 7th or 8th grade this upcoming school year.
Need help covering the cost of camp? KMTA has partnered with local organizations to offer tiered pricing for any families requesting it- simply check the box during registration. Need additional support? Email education@kmtacorridor.org to talk to our team about payment options.
2026 Program Schedule (all programs are Tuesday – Friday unless otherwise noted)
June 9 – 12: Rivers & Forests (Seward)
June 16 – 18: ROVs Mini Camp (Tuesday – Thursday due to Juneteenth holiday) (Seward)
July 7 – 10: Oceans & Coasts (Whittier)
July 28 – 31: Just for Girls (Seward)
