Local News
ASD to sell Clear Creek camp, ending decades-long tradition
Megan Wallgren | Lehi Free Press
Tucked in the mountains near Scofield Reservoir, attending Clear Creek camp has been a rite of passage for generations of fifth-grade students in Alpine School District. This week, Alpine School District (ASD) announced it would put Clear Creek Camp on the market, marking the end of an era.
In a letter to administrators, later posted on social media by various groups, Superintendent Robert Smith said the decision came after extensive discussions among the boards of ASD and the three new districts formed from its split: Aspen Peaks, Lake Mountain, and Timpanogos.
“This decision was not made lightly,” Smith wrote. “After many hours of discussion, the boards weighed the costs and benefits of continuing operations with other needs and possible uses. Ultimately, they determined that the proceeds from a sale could be more effectively directed toward meeting the needs of students across three new school districts. This change, though difficult, will allow new school districts to focus on other aspects of their transition plans.”
Smith emphasized that this summer’s Clear Creek program will continue as planned, allowing a final group of students to experience the camp.
Aspen Peaks board president Diane Knight said, “Clear Creek holds a special place in the history of Alpine School District. Generations of students, including my own children, have wonderful memories of the friendships, experiences, and lessons they learned at Clear Creek. Because of that, this decision has not come easily.”
Knight added, “Over time, the program has changed significantly. The traditional week-long camp experience is no longer feasible, and today, Clear Creek primarily serves students through day trips. Rising maintenance costs, combined with the 2- to 3-hour bus ride each way, have made it increasingly difficult to provide the experience students once enjoyed. After careful consideration, all three districts have made the difficult decision to place the property for sale.”
ASD purchased the property in 1972 to establish an outdoor learning program. It had five well-built cabins and a large maintenance building that was converted to accommodate the administrative offices, kitchen, cafeteria, assembly room and showers. Later, an amphitheater and shower facility were constructed by the district.
John Jay Harris served as the camp’s director from 2008 to 2020. He began teaching there in 2000. “Those week-long excursions were packed full of learning opportunities, unique outdoor adventures, games, songs and new friendships. It was a place where 10 and 11-year-old children learned confidence, team building and basic understanding of the history, geology, plant and animal life and beauty of that amazing part of Utah,” Harris said.
At its peak, the camp hosted weeklong sessions throughout the summer, accommodating more than 100 students each week. Harris said, “Once a computerized registration system was in place, the entire summer essentially filled up in 20 to 30 minutes. There was high demand for one of the 110 student openings each week, and a long waiting list was used to fill in last-minute openings. For the 20 years I was involved with the camp, it served approximately 1,100 children every summer.”
Clear Creek camp was also the first time many of the students had taken an overnight trip away from their parents. “It was a coming-of-age type experience. Kids proved to themselves they could make it,” said Brad Greenwood, the camp’s director for six years, following Harris’s tenure.
Greenwood said Clear Creek’s meaning for the community can be found in the individual memories made there.
“It’s been a wonderful resource, and so many good memories have been made there,” Greenwood said. “Individual memories and friendships are what it’s based on. I’ve heard of lifelong friendships that started there. Even though it wasn’t easy for every kid, they all went home with more confidence, friendships and memories that will last for a lifetime.”
Greenwood hopes that the camps’ curriculum can be adapted to continue providing students with opportunities to interact with the outdoors. “Kids were able to turn off the screens and connect with nature,” he said. “It was always an adventure.”
Smith said as the district moves forward with listing the property through a commercial real estate agent, any sale will follow an open and transparent process, with final approval required in a public board meeting.
While the land may soon change hands, those who’ve been involved in any way hope elements of the curriculum will continue in classrooms, preserving at least part of Clear Creek’s legacy.
“It took a tremendous amount of energy to create the Clear Creek experience, but looking back, those summers were absolutely magical,” said Harris.
