This week-long mountain bike camp in Philadelphia’s Wissahickon Park blends hands-on biking instruction with environmental education. Riders will build confidence, develop technical trail skills, and grow their environmental awareness through fun, structured activities.

Campers will learn core riding techniques like body position, braking, cornering, climbing, and descending. They’ll also explore trail scanning, decision-making, and sessioning—building skills progressively while respecting trail conditions.

We also cover trail etiquette, group riding communication, and mindful riding to ensure riders understand their impact on the environment. Games and challenges will reinforce both biking skills and stewardship values.

This camp is presented by YJR Outdoors and Philadelphia Free Range, with site partners Papertrail Bike Shop & Café, and Rittenhouse Town.

Important Camp Details

• This is not a learn to ride session. Youth participants must know how to ride a bike.

• No mountain biking experience necessary. Coaches will teach all necessary mountain bike skills.

• Age 8 to 14 or roughly 3rd to 8th grade.

• This is a co-ed camp open to all genders.

• Snacks, water and drinks will be provided.

• A mountain bike with gears, helmet and water bottle are required. Bikes can be rented for an additional fee.

• Snacks, water, cover, and amenities provided
  Contact us with questions: (215) 704-1556 or info@yjroutdoors.com

Family Fire Day at the Wissahickon Treehouse

This family friendly event is ideal for ages 8+, but all are ages welcome. Instructors will guide participants through the basics of a variety of fire structures and how to make a fire by friction with a Toggle Drill or Bow Drill to take home. Afterwards, we'll cook some tasty treats on the coals!

Families in Cape May, NJ learn of many methods and techniques to cook on the coals for the feast to come!

For this series of programs, Free-Range provided lots of games and joined in on the community structure to the Wild Elements and Shine Foundation curriculum. Collaborating and activity planning built a foundation towards targeting multi ages and stages for this family program. -Thank you Jorge Brana Seeds of Pewen for your expertise on this coal cooking day-

A Winter Solstice crafting event Free-Range planned and implemented for The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.

Free-Range gathered, tested, and tried all methods and natural materials to ensure all activities were accessible and engaging to a variety of participants.

-Wanishi Barbra Bluejay of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania for sharing stories and the importance of Winter

Panda Tracks is our all-weather, all-season, outdoor program for young children meeting weekly.

Above: Children experience a “difficult weather” day by strengthening their resilience to being temporarily slightly uncomfortable and making the best of it by utilizing the weather for playful ‘otter sliding’ underneath the Walnut Lane bridge.

Panda Tracks