Green River Lakes Young Men Trip

From June 23-27, 2026, we took the young men to Green River Lakes in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming, just east of Jackson. Green River Lakes sits in the northern Wind River Range, about 52 miles north of Pinedale, and is considered the source of the Green River.

The trip had a little bit of everything: canoeing, camping, fishing, first aid, knot tying, paracord shepherd slings, Spikeball, hiking, rappelling, rain, wind, and a lot of boys throwing rocks farther than they probably should have.

It was exactly the kind of trip young men need. Enough structure to learn something. Enough discomfort to stretch. Enough unplanned time to laugh, mess around, and build memories they will actually keep.

Tuesday, June 23 - getting to Green River Lakes

We drove from Kaysville up to Green River Lakes and started the trip by unloading gear and getting the canoes ready.

From the north end of the first lake, we paddled south across the water. The scenery was unreal: clear mountain water, forested shoreline, and the Wind River Range rising up around us.

After crossing the lake, we had to keep moving up the river toward camp. Since we were going upstream, paddling was not really an option. We got out and walked through the water, dragging the canoes behind us.

I had two of the younger boys with me in two separate canoes, so I ended up helping pull two canoes through the river. It was slow, wet, and harder than some of the boys probably expected. Which, honestly, made it a pretty perfect start.

Once we reached camp, we set up tents, got settled, did a little fishing, made dinner, and started settling into camp life.

Wednesday, June 24 - fishing, first aid, knots, and camp life

The next morning, Lincoln and I got up early to fish. He had caught one fish the night before, then caught another one that morning, which made for a pretty great start to the day.

Wednesday was mostly a skills and camp day. We worked on knot tying and first aid, giving the boys practical outdoor skills they could actually use.

The rest of the day had a good camp rhythm to it: fishing, hanging out, playing games, goofing off, and playing Spikeball. A lot of the best parts of trips like this happen in that open time, when the boys are just together without phones, schedules, or much else to do besides make their own fun.

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Thursday, June 25 - rain, shepherd slings, and a good pivot

Thursday was supposed to be our rock climbing day, but the weather had other plans. It was rainy and windy enough that we decided to pivot.

Instead, we made paracord shepherd slings, using a tutorial called How to Make a Paracord Rock Sling / Shepherd Sling Tutorial. The activity tied back to the story of David and Goliath, and the boys had to weave the slings themselves before they could use them.

Once they figured it out, they spent hours throwing rocks and trying to see how far they could launch them. It was simple, a little chaotic, and exactly the kind of thing boys will do forever if you let them.

We also played more Spikeball, did more fishing, and spent the day around camp while the weather moved through. It was not the day we planned, but it turned into one of those days the boys will probably remember.

Friday, June 26 - Clear Creek Natural Bridge and rappelling

On Friday, we did a day hike from Green River Lakes toward Clear Creek Natural Bridge. The hike is about 8.2 miles round trip from the Green River Lakes Campground and follows mountain terrain with views of Green River Lakes, Square Top Mountain, waterfalls, meadows, streams, and canyon country.

The natural bridge itself is formed where Clear Creek cuts through a wall of limestone in Clear Creek Canyon. It is a rare formation, with the creek running through the rock and exiting through a smaller downstream opening.

We decided to rappel off the face of the formation down to a ledge below. For a lot of the boys, this was their first time rappelling.

At first, several of them were genuinely scared. You could see it when they clipped in and looked over the edge. But one by one, they learned to trust the rope, listen to instructions, and take the first step backward.

That was probably the best part of the whole trip.

After a little while, the same boys who had been nervous were going back for another turn. Fear turned into confidence pretty quickly once they realized they could do it.

When we got back to camp, the boys kept playing with the slings, played more games, and we spent the evening around the fire.

Saturday, June 27 - canoeing out

Saturday morning we packed up camp and canoed out. The weather started to turn. The wind picked up, and it got colder and rainier, so we were grateful to be heading out when we did.

We paddled back, loaded everything up, and drove home.

By the end, everyone was tired, dirty, probably a little cold, and ready for a real shower. Which is usually the sign of a good trip.

A few things I will remember

I will remember pulling canoes through the river with younger boys who needed help.

I will remember Lincoln catching fish at camp.

I will remember a rainy day turning into hours of boys throwing rocks with handmade slings.

I will remember watching nervous young men step backward over the edge of a rappel, then come back wanting to do it again.

Mostly, I will remember seeing these boys get outside, work through discomfort, laugh together, and grow a little. Trips like this are messy and tiring, but they create the kind of memories that stick.