2018 Summer Camp Registration Open

Campers Wanted!

Summer is officially underway and B.E.A.R. is excited
to have two more camps ahead of us!

River, Rocks & Ropes Day Camp

July 30th - Aug 3rd
9am - 4pm
Registration is open to all youth entering 6th - 9th grades
Cost: $195
Scholarships available upon request (Don't let cost stand in the way of adventure! Please ask us about scholarships so we can give you one, if needed!)

This day camp is for youth who want to get outdoors and move! Two days of hiking and swimming, one day of whitewater rafting, and two days of rock climbing. The rafting and rock climbing portions of the trip will be led by professional outfitters.

Click here for the River, Rocks & Ropes registration packet

Camping Club Summer Trip

July 20th - 23rd
Registration open to all middle school aged youth
Cost: FREE


Camping Club is a group of adventurous middle school aged students who retreat to the back country ​every quarter to backpack, explore, and build outdoor skills, doing small hands-on service projects along the way.  Mostly we spend our time hiking, building fires, cooking, playing, swimming, fishing, and more! 

*This is a year-round group commitment, so after the initial trip when the youth can make sure it's a good fit for them, we ask that every effort is made by families to have youth attend all of the Camping Club activities throughout the year.

Click here for the Camping Club registration packet

MLK Jr., Day of Service and National Mentoring Month Celebration

On Saturday, January 16th, a group of B.E.A.R. youth gathered with families and community members to serve others by transporting recyclables from their homes to the Ravalli County Recycling Center. 

We picked up recycling at 9 residences in the Bitterroot. At each pick up, we left behind a small thank you note to show our appreciation for the residents contribution to our community by recycling.

Mike and Meghan pull cardboard out of the truck

Sorting recycling

Gerardo, Lucas, and Amanda hang out in the back of the truck while we run across town picking up recycling

Victoria, Leslie, Meagan, Jeremy, and Jessica made a delicious chili lunch at the B.E.A.R. den

Mike seems confused about where the phone books belong

Phone books? Here they are

Amanda and Mike recycle side by side

                   At the end of the day, we had recycled 2.5 truck bed loads of recyclables!

Lucas helps to empty out the back of the truck

Our day ended with an interactive game of trivia. The winning team won a box of treats which included special snacks from Japan, courtesy of Mike!

Playing trivia in the garage

Thanks to everyone who came to our event to show their support for MLK Jr. and National Mentoring Month! The chili was fantastic and so was the company! 

We look forward to working with our community friends again this spring to celebrate Earth Day in April. More details to come!

Open House and Slideshow

In September we held our Annual End of the year Summer Slideshow & first Open House!

We had plenty of kiddos, their families and local community members stop by and show their support!

Many folks had time to tour the new B.E.A.R. headquarters, chat with the B.E.A.R. staff and meet some of our youth!


At 7, our Annual Slideshow began highlighting a year of adventures and fun!

Playing ping pong in the driveway

Hannah, Mike, and Val give a thumbs up to B.E.A.R.

The boys check out pictures from the past

Sean came back to B.E.A.R. to present youth awards

Diane presents awards to youth

Participants who had been in the program for 3 or more years were presented with a small nature-based gift that highlighted one of their strengths.

                                                Tom presents awards to the Sk8 crew

B.E.A.R. would like to thank all those who came out to support us and join in on the fun!

BackPacking 2015: On the Trail to Big Creek Lake

Hello BEAR friends!

This summer we took an excursion to Big Creek Lake! 8 local middle school youth embarked on a 5-day backpacking journey through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. 

Off we go!

Through rain, shine, and smoke, we made it through with many fun stories along the way.

Fun and games along the way. 

The first day was filled with rain, wind, and chills but we made it through!                              

Our youth learned the importance of teamwork, resiliency and hanging food.  
  

Bear claws along the trail

We had a lot fun in the creeks along the way, crossing bridges and exploring the trail.

Creekside pose

On day 2, featuring a large elevation leap and hours trudging through heavy brush we made it to our destination: Big Creek Lake! 

Day 3, was filled with hiking, swimming, and fishing. 

He caught a fish! Whoa

Some of us stayed near camp and took a dip near the lake, while others embarked on a 2 mile hike through the back country. 

On day 4, we had to leave our campsite for the journey back home. In 94 degree temperatures, we decided to cool off with a quick lake dip.  

A quick dip before leaving our site

The journey back down was faster, filled with educational stops along the way. 

The kids learning about snakes and other wildlife.

Our evenings were filled with fun, 

   games

And Laughter!

A mid-evening snack! Yummy chocolate. 

Our B.E.A.R. cubs had a great time in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, traveling 20 miles in 5 days! Give them a roar for their determination.

Time for a water break

Expect to hear more about our backpacking adventures, this fall. 

If you have a youth interested in backpacking this fall, contact us at (406) 363-5410 or visit bearmt.org

For more pictures, visit us on facebook: 

www.facebook.com/Bitterroot.BEAR