Project Name: Taylor Ranch – Youth
Dates: May 31 – June 6
ITA's Youth Trail Crew Program provides opportunities for youth ages 14-18 to learn about the outdoors while building and maintaining hiking trails in a safe, teamwork-oriented environment.
This advanced backcountry project is designed for returning youth crew members who are ready for a fully immersive experience in Idaho's largest wilderness. Participants will fly into Taylor Ranch and work down creek, traveling deep into the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness. The week combines extended backpacking, remote living, and hands-on trail work, offering a realistic look at what it takes to live and work in hard-to-access public lands.
Throughout the project, participants will help maintain an essential corridor along Big Creek by completing brushing, tread repair, and slide removal. In addition to trail work, the crew will connect with professionals working in a range of natural resource careers, including trail and wilderness operations, land management, logistics, and field-based science. Crew members will also share responsibility for all aspects of camp life, including camp setup, water and sanitation, and tool management, while building leadership, communication, and teamwork skills and practicing Leave No Trace and project safety expectations.
ITA's youth projects are completely free for volunteers to join, and all food is provided. Gear can be borrowed from ITA if needed with advance notice, or youth may apply for scholarships to purchase gear they need through the Splattski Outdoor Access Fund.
Project information is subject to change. Crew leaders will communicate via email. Failure to respond to your crew leader may result in being dropped from the project. See ourFAQs, reach out to your crew leader, or contact ITA staff at trails@idahotrailsassociation.org if you have questions.
Trails: Big Creek Trail #196, others from Big Creek TBD
Itinerary: This is a Sunday-Saturday weeklong project. Volunteers and a parent/guardian will join a pre-trip Zoom meeting before the project. Meet in McCall early Saturday morning and fly into Taylor Ranch. Backpacking and working towards the Middle Fork. Hike back to Cabin Creek with a stop at Taylor Ranch for an early flight back to McCall Saturday Morning.
Food Provided by ITA: Yes – Backpacking
Gear Packing List: Gear Checklist for Backpacking Projects
Crew Leader: Taylor Mailly and Barry Miller
Estimated Drive Time from Closest Town: Flying out of McCall
Trail Map: Click for trail map and elevation profile
Youth Trip Selection:
Youth trip sign-ups will be open until March 22nd. Although early sign-ups will be prioritized, ITA leadership and staff may adjust the final crews to maximize trip experience and provide opportunities for the greatest number of youth participants. To help facilitate trip assignments, please sign up for your preferred trip and include alternate trips you could participate in, should the preferred trip not be available. You will receive notification of trip assignment via email prior to March 31st.
Difficulty Rating
You should have experience with backpacking and be in good hiking condition with broken-in and tested gear. This is a remote backcountry project, so injuries such as sprains and blisters or even extreme fatigue from not being properly conditioned can quickly become a big safety issue. If you are unsure about the proper gear or about preparing for a trip, please reach out to trails@idahotrailsassociation.org.
Volunteer Spots: 8
