Superstition Wilderness Backpacking Retreat

Feb 24th - March 1st 2026

The desert is a magical place to practice embracing rough exteriors for the beauty and tenderness that lies within.

This 5 day Backpacking Adventure is for beginner and advanced backpackers alike. Led by Zoe, a licensed therapist, meditation teacher and wilderness guide, the focus of this trip will be on cultivating mindfulness and self-love.

This trip is all inclusive and comes with videos, group calls, and lot’s of support to make sure you feel prepared every step of the way.

Explore, Reflect, Transform: A 5-Day Desert Expedition

THE TRIP AT A GLANCE

LOCATION

Superstition Wilderness, AZ

ACTIVITY LEVEL

Backpacking

4-6 Miles a day

DURATION

5 Days

BACKPACKING SKILLS

All levels welcome

Learn Backpacking Skills

GROUP SIZE

6-8 People

MEDITATION LEVEL

Mindfulness & Meditation

Gently Woven Throughout

What To Expect On Retreat

Backpacking, Mindfulness, Star Filled Nights

This is a journey into setting your intention, developing mindfulness and self-love, and of course… learning how to prepare for a weeklong backpacking trip.

Whether you are making a big shift in your career, mustering the courage to end a relationship, or redefining who you are after the kids have left home, this is an opportunity to put down responsibilities and distractions and prioritize you.

Rough Schedule 

Saturday 2/24: Prep Day
We’ll spend the first night at a campground close to the trailhead where we’ll go through gear and prepare to hit the trail early Sunday morning.

Sunday 2/25: Hike In

  • Early wake up, morning coffee with a desert view, start our trek into the wild

  • Hike 4-6 miles into the beautiful superstition wilderness

  • Set up camp, council around the fire, watch the stars reveal themselves

Monday 2/26: Rest Day

  • Early wake up, meditation & yoga

  • Mindful journaling and relaxing

  • Council and connection around the fire

Tuesday 2/27: Move Camp

  • Early wake up, meditation & yoga

  • Guided solo experience

  • Council around the fire at night

Wednesday 2/28: Hike Out

Closing circle, hike out and head home

What’s Included 

FOOD: All backpacking meals and snacks. Have restrictions? No worries, we got you!

GEAR: Any big gear items you might need (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad) plus all group gear (stove, water filtration, maps).

EXPERT GUIDES: Expert backpacking guides trained in Wilderness First Response and master group facilitators (see bio’s below).

GROUP CALLS: Show up feeling connected and prepared

BACKPACKING VIDEOS: What and how to pack

PRIVATE ONLINE COMMUNITY: Ask questions and deepen relationships

NOT INCLUDED

Any unexpected expenses or trip interruptions

Personal items

Trip Insurance

COST

$3,520 or 8 payments of $440*

*cost goes up by $200 January 1st

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LOGISTICS

Getting There

Directions:
Your destination is Los Dutchman Campground. 
If flying, the closest airport is Phoenix Airport and is about a 40 min drive.

During the trip: 
The first night we will stay at Lost Dutchman Campground. The next 4 days and 3 nights we will backpack and camp within the Superstition Wilderness.

MEET YOUR GUIDES

Zoe Gillis, MFT

Zoe (She/her) has a degree in outdoor education, is trained as a Wilderness First Responder, and is a licensed therapist. She has been guiding for over 15 years and loves brining together her love of backpacking, personal growth, and mindfulness meditation.

IG: @wildmindsretreats

headshot of Zoe

Kiki Williams

Kiki (She/they) is a multi-passionate human being in pursuit of both personal and collective liberation. She is a 500hr registered yoga teacher, meditation practitioner, and deep lover of nature!

IG: @diveturnwork

headshot of kiki
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What others are saying

  • Jillian Lydell

    “If you're thinking about this trip - just do it. It is tough in some ways but the beauty and support and your own inner strength and growth make it worth it in every way. Zoe is an incredible guide brining experience, tenderness, humor, wisdom, and the ability to teach you all along the way.“

  • Alexandra Cinazan

    “Backpacking was something I’ve always wanted to do, but I knew I didn’t have all the info and resources to do it on my own. Zoe’s retreat was a great opportunity to learn the basics of a backpacking trip. Besides the amazing opportunity to meet some lovely women that I can now easily call sisters. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life!”

  • Deb D.

    “I went on a backpacking retreat with my wife, my daughter, and four other women I didn’t know before signing up. It was challenging yet fantastic. I used to backpack years ago and thought I’d never be able to do it again. I worried about being able to keep up with all of these younger people. But from the get-go, I felt supported and encouraged by the group. Zoe did a truly amazing job of connecting us to the reverence of where we were.”

Relationship with the land

Dear fellow wild ones,

As we embark on retreat, we will be entering into the Sespe Wilderness which is in the Tonto National Forest, originally home to the Apache Native Americans. Understanding the history of the land we are walking on is something I am working to incorporate more of into the retreats I offer.

In addition, my intention for this trip is to be in relationship with the land. For me that means thinking of ways I can give back to the land for all that I receive. Part of this involves traveling on the land in a way that minimizes impact and donating to organizations that protect and look over the land.

I am open to any thoughts or suggestions around this topic.

With love,

Zoe

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Please purchase travel insurance to protect your trip.

    If you cancel the trip 45 days or more prior to the start date you can receive a full refund.

    If you cancel 15 -48 days before the trip receive a 50% refund.

    If you cancel within 14 days of the trip there are no refunds.

  • We will be hiking between 4-6 miles a day, with weight.

    If you have never backpacked before, it’s challenging, but that’s part of the fun!

    The second day in you will get a full rest day, so that helps make this an easier trip.

    Even so, leading up to the trip it is a good idea to go on some longer hikes with a weighted backpack to get your body ready for the trail. I will offer suggestions for how to train if you don’t live somewhere you can easily access hiking.

  • If you have restrictions, we can work with you to figure out what you need to feel good on the trail.

    We provide all the food including backpacking meals that are lightweight and easy to cook in a group.

    Once the group is formed we will work together to pick meals that are within different peoples food requirements.

    Some things to expect are oatmeal or grain free instant cereal, tuna, olives, tofu, granola bars, fruit bars, pasta, rice and beans, rice noodle dishes etc…

    We will work with you to make sure you get what you need.

  • The follow backpacking gear is included upon request. Make sure to have your requests in by the deadline.

    Backpacking Gear

    • backpack

    • tent

    • sleeping bag

    • sleeping pad

    The rest will be your personal gear which you will be responsible for. I will share a packing list that will include things like water wicking hiking clothing, a hydration pack, and warm jacket. The most important thing will be making sure you have good hiking boots that are broken in.

    Hiking Boots

    • One of the biggest medical issues that shows up while backpacking is blisters.

    • This can be reduced by breaking in your boots early and going for hikes with weight before the trip.

  • The great outdoors! Don’t worry though, I will teach you everything you need to know in order to have a 5 star bathroom experience while backpacking.

  • There will not be service where we are going.

    Part of this experience is going completely offline. During our group calls we will talk about the value in going offline and ways to prepare for the trip and integrate back to cell service and email after the trip.

    For safety I will have a gps tracking device which I can send and receive messages on in case of an emergency. Included in the videos is information about safety and communication.

  • The group calls are a really important part of this experience. For this reason, I will send out a survey to find days & times that everyone can commit to.

    On these calls you will get a chance to

    • connect with your new adventure friends

    • practice mindfulness and self-compassion techniques that you will use on the trail

    • plan how you would like to prepare mentally and physically

    • ask questions about packing and gear

  • This is a substance free trip. There is a focus and emphasis on deepening your relationship with yourself and the land. It is also an opportunity to expanding your capacity to be with the ups and downs without turning to substances.

  • ACCOMIDATIONS

    If you are traveling from out of town I suggest flying into Phoenix Airport.

    The evening before the trip…

    You are responsible for getting yourself to the campground by 3pm Saturday Feb. 24th.

    The campground we will be meeting at is Lost Dutchman State Park Campground and it’s about 40 minuets from the airport.

    The evening after the trip…

    If you are flying from out of town I suggest getting a campground or a hotel for Wednesday the 28th.

    We do not know the exact time we will get back from the trail on our last day so it’s safest to not plan on flying that day.

    You might want to bunk up with someone from the trip to save on cost and make a new friend 😉

  • This trip is for those over the age of 18. There is no age limit on who can come on this trip.

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