Live in Arizona and want to get your youngsters interested in backcountry travel? Saguaro National Park is offering a year-end three-day Wilderness Camp for 10- to 14-year-olds who will travel into the Tucson Mountain District.

Dates for the camp are Saturday, Sunday, and Monday December 27-29.

The program is described as helping participants develop a personal relationship with the desert by exploring the wilds of the park and experience the wonders of nature as they are guided by experienced and enthusiastic staff. Participants will wander through hidden washes while searching for animals and their signs, learn how to pitch a tent or string up a tarp for shelter, use lightweight stoves to cook hot chocolate and soup, and understand how to explore the outdoors safely.

Signature events of the outing are watching twilight fall across the landscape, exploring the desert after dark, and listening to the sounds of the night while sitting around the campfire.

Camp hours are 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Monday, ending with a night hike, campfire, and the end of camp celebration. While waiting for your child to hike out from our basecamp, please join us at the parent campfire where hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows will be served.

For more information or questions, please contact Ranger Chip Littlefield at 733-5157. The camp fee of $40 per child covers all three days. Space is limited and reservations are required. Scholarships may be available. Camp fees and registration paperwork must be received by Wednesday, December 17.