Forest Cradle Adventure Club
Adventure Days for ages 8–16 in the forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains of Western North Carolina.
Inspiring young people through adventure
The Forest Cradle Adventure Club is an outdoor enrichment program designed to inspire young people through adventure, exploration, and meaningful experiences in nature. Our goal is to help youth develop confidence, independence, resilience, teamwork, and a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors.
Each Adventure Day is unique and may include hiking, flat water paddling and swimming, teambuilding games, outdoor skills, plant identification, wildlife observation, primitive skills, stewardship projects, art, and other seasonal adventures throughout the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
Adventure Club meets two Saturdays each month, with each day featuring a different adventure. There are no long-term commitments — simply register for the Adventure Days that interest your family.
Program Details
Meeting Location: Participants will meet at our central meeting location in Marshall, North Carolina. From there, the program director will transport participants to the day's adventure location. Pickup will be at the same meeting location.
Trip Itinerary: Parents and guardians will receive a detailed itinerary before each Adventure Day, including the day's activities, meeting and pickup times, packing list, and any additional information needed for the trip.
Registration & Cancellation Policy
A minimum of four participants is required for an Adventure Day to run. If fewer than four youth register, the Adventure Day will be canceled and all registered families will receive a full refund.
Because Adventure Days require advance planning and reservations, refunds are not available for cancellations within seven days of a scheduled Adventure Day.
In the event that an Adventure Day must be canceled due to inclement weather or unsafe conditions, participants will receive a full refund.
Private Group Adventures
Have a homeschool group, youth organization, or group of friends looking for an outdoor adventure?
If you have at least four participants, we'd be happy to schedule a custom Adventure Day on a weekday or another mutually convenient date. Reach out to us — we'd love to create an adventure that fits your group's interests and schedule.
Safety
Your child's safety and well-being are our highest priorities. Forest Cradle is fully insured, and every Adventure Day is thoughtfully planned to provide a safe, supportive, and memorable outdoor experience. Alisha, the program director, has 10 years of experience working in outdoor adventure, most of those spent with youth. Professional references are available to parents upon request.
We can't wait to explore the forests, rivers, lakes, mountains, and hidden places of Western North Carolina with your young adventurer. Come join the Adventure Club and discover where the trail leads next!
Sign up for Adventure Club
Meet Your Outdoor Education Specialist
Alisha Blair is an outdoor educator and program leader with nearly a decade of experience guiding groups through the wilderness. She graduated cum laude from a nationally recognized Outdoor Leadership program, one of only two Outdoor Leadership degrees in the United States and the only one offered in North Carolina. The program’s director—her mentor and teacher—was honored as a Mountain Legend at Lees-McRae College, a testament to the program’s excellence and legacy.
Alisha is highly skilled in flatwater paddling on multi-day trips, extended group backpacking expeditions, challenge course facilitation, traditional skills, among others. She has worked as a Wilderness Therapy Guide, Head Adventure Leader for a nonprofit youth program serving teens, and as a trip leader for a variety of outdoor organizations.
Certifications: Wilderness First Responder · Leave No Trace Trainer
Now, Alisha is bringing her experience and passion together to create her own programs, designed to help others build confidence, resilience, and leadership in the outdoors.
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