Teens to Trails

Teens to Trails Teens to Trails connects middle and high school students to life-changing outdoor experiences.

We do this by helping to establish and support outdoor clubs in high schools across Maine. ?

Calling all Maine high schoolers!Our new Adventure Ready Student Skills Trainings help students build practical outdoor ...
09/01/2026

Calling all Maine high schoolers!

Our new Adventure Ready Student Skills Trainings help students build practical outdoor skills and the confidence to put them to use, starting with two free, hands-on workshops on October 3rd, offering the chance to learn from outdoor professionals through guided rock climbing at Camden Hills State Park led by Equinox Guiding Service, or a sea kayak skills and safety clinic in Stonington led by Osprey's Echo Sea Kayaking.

Space is limited! Learn more and apply by September 15th: https://teenstotrails.org/adventureready

If you're a teacher, Outdoor Club advisor, or outdoor educator, join us for our 2026 Outdoor Leadership Conference on Fr...
08/27/2026

If you're a teacher, Outdoor Club advisor, or outdoor educator, join us for our 2026 Outdoor Leadership Conference on Friday, October 2nd at Pine Tree Camp in Rome, Maine!

This year's theme is Conversation, Connection & Community, exploring how meaningful conversation can help create a stronger sense of belonging, deepen relationships, and support positive outdoor experiences for students.

The day will feature a keynote from Dana Anderson, Executive Director of Valo, hands-on workshops, and plenty of time to connect with fellow advisors and share ideas.

October 2 | 8 AM-3 PM | Pine Tree Camp, Rome | $50

Come learn, connect, and leave with fresh ideas and resources to bring back to your students and community. Full agenda and registration: teenstotrails.org/outdoor-leadership-conference

Thanks to our sponsor, Northeast Bank, for helping make this gathering possible!

📸 Photo Credit: Cole Rowland

We're excited to welcome Rob Mueller to the Teens to Trails team as our new Development Manager!Rob brings years of expe...
08/26/2026

We're excited to welcome Rob Mueller to the Teens to Trails team as our new Development Manager!

Rob brings years of experience in event planning, fundraising, and community building, from managing national training programs to producing outdoor adventure films. He's a storyteller at heart, always looking for the next great story while getting people outside and active.

Help us in welcoming Rob to the team!

Belfast Area High School's outdoor club used to be pretty low-key, mostly walks into town for ice cream. Then four years...
08/24/2026

Belfast Area High School's outdoor club used to be pretty low-key, mostly walks into town for ice cream. Then four years ago, Heidi O'Donnell took over as advisor, and the club immediately pivoted to five mile hikes and weekend camping trips.

Heidi is the newest advisor featured in our People Behind the Adventures series. A National Board Certified arts educator with 30 years in the classroom, she's spent those four years leading the Outdoor Adventures Club to an adventure nearly every month of the school year, from winter camping to white-water rafting.

Link in bio to read her full story!

📷 Heidi O'Donnell

08/21/2026

Nate has pulled the names for our Choose Outside Summer Challenge outdoor gear raffle, and we’re excited to announce our winners!

Aidan from Bar Harbor
Griffin from Winslow
Reid from Readfield

Each winner receives a gear package and a day pack from our friends at REI

Thank you to everyone who participated and made Life Happens Outside® happen this summer!

Now that our first ever Choose Outside Summer Challenge has wrapped up, we're excited to announce our six photo contest ...
08/20/2026

Now that our first ever Choose Outside Summer Challenge has wrapped up, we're excited to announce our six photo contest winners in three categories: Landscape, Outdoor Activity, and Nature Close Up!

LANDSCAPE
Reid from Readfield
Kendall from Edmunds

OUTDOOR ACTIVITY
Charlie from Winslow
Zara from Bar Harbor

NATURE CLOSE UP
Gerry from Lewiston
Griffin from Winslow

Each winner receives a $25 L.L.Bean gift card!

We're proud of the hundreds of students of all ages from across the state who prioritized the outdoors this summer, tried something new, and shared what it looked like along the way.

Our outdoor gear raffle winners will be announced next!

Join us at Maine Beer Company in Freeport on Wednesday, September 16, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM for a Community Pizza Night b...
08/20/2026

Join us at Maine Beer Company in Freeport on Wednesday, September 16, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM for a Community Pizza Night benefiting Teens to Trails! 🍕

The equivalent of 20% of all food sales, including dine in and to go orders, during the event will be donated to support our work, helping connect more Maine middle and high school students to life-changing outdoor experiences through Outdoor Clubs.

Reservations for the tasting room are encouraged: https://resy.com/cities/portland-me/venues/maine-beer-company

Grab some pizza, enjoy a meal with friends, and support more students getting outside!

Welcoming our three new Youth Advisory Council (YAC) members!Our 2026–27 YAC now includes eight high school students fro...
08/18/2026

Welcoming our three new Youth Advisory Council (YAC) members!

Our 2026–27 YAC now includes eight high school students from across Maine who will help plan events, design youth-led activities, shape communications, and spread the word about Teens to Trails programs with their peers. The YAC also gives students opportunities to build leadership skills, connect with outdoor professionals, and explore careers in Maine’s growing Outdoor Recreation Economy.

Zellie Grant – Oak Hill High School, Junior
Zellie has always loved hiking, fishing, camping, looking for sea glass, and exploring nature. Some of her favorite memories are camping with her brothers and dad. Joining her school’s Outing Club in high school only deepened her love for the outdoors and the experiences she shares with her peers.

Rylee Taylor – Bucksport High School, Freshman
Rylee loves hiking and being on the water, especially summit hikes, kayaking, and fishing. She first experienced nature with her grandpa and discovered her passion through the Bucksport Middle School Outdoor Club. She hopes to help others find their own passion for the outdoors and credits advisor Miles Bisher for helping spark hers.

Reid Quirk – Orono High School, Junior
Reid enjoys camping, backpacking, fishing, paddling, hammocking, and just about anything outside. He first fell in love with the outdoors on a week-long family backpacking trip in Glacier National Park. Now, he’s working toward getting into backcountry skiing and hopes to ski Tuckerman Ravine before graduating high school. He hopes his connection to the outdoors can inspire others, too.

We’re thrilled to have Zellie, Rylee, and Reid joining our returning YAC members and can’t wait to see what this group dreams up together! The YAC kicks off in September, with regular meetings, Teens to Trails programs and events, and a leadership day planned for the fall.

08/11/2026

What a summer it has been for time outdoors!
Our Choose Outside Summer Challenge officially wraps up on August 14th, so Connor is out today knocking off a few last adventure activities, one of which being a bike ride on the Kennebec River Rail Trail.

If you participated in the challenge, submit your photos and a photo of your Adventure Tracker before August 17th to be entered into our Outdoor Gear Raffle and Photo Contest (link in bio to both).

Then come celebrate with us on the 19th to pick up your Certificate of Completion in person and find out if you’re one of our winners. Didn’t take part in the challenge? Come anyway, it’ll be a fun time outdoors either way!

Choose Outside Summer Celebration
Where: Woodward Point Preserve, Brunswick
When: August 19th, 3-5pm
What: Campfire and snacks, trail walk to the shoreline where the New Meadows River meets Casco Bay

Register for the event at the link in our bio!

Today marks our official 20th year as a nonprofit!Started in memory of Sara Leone, Teens to Trails was created to give M...
08/10/2026

Today marks our official 20th year as a nonprofit!

Started in memory of Sara Leone, Teens to Trails was created to give Maine teens opportunities to access what she loved most: time outside. As quoted in an early (2008) Portland Press Herald article, Teens to Trails founders Carol and Bob Leone described the mission simply: getting young people outdoors, giving them unstructured time, and letting them find their own connection with nature.

Twenty years later, that mission remains true. Students across Maine continue to find adventure, friendship, and connection through Outdoor Clubs, and what started as a way to honor Sara's love of the outdoors has grown into a movement helping thousands of young people build lasting connections to the outdoors.

Has Teens to Trails or an Outdoor Club been part of your story? We'd love to hear it. Share your memories, photos, or favorite Outdoor Club moments as we celebrate 20 years of helping Maine teens make life happen outside, and if you'd like to help ensure the next generation has the same opportunities, consider marking this milestone with a gift.

Share your story → https://teenstotrails.org/20thanniversary
Celebrate 20 years with a gift → https://teenstotrails.org/donate

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179 Neptune Drive
Brunswick, ME
04011

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+12077250800

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