Low and High Cope Courses

COPE is an acronym for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience. A COPE Course provides just that – personal challenges that are overcome through:

• Teamwork – The COPE course experience teaches that individuals can accomplish more as part of a team than alone.
• Communication – A COPE course encourages active learning of critical listening and discussion skills important for accomplishing difficult tasks.
• Trust – Participants completing difficult tasks on a COPE course develop trust in trainers, staff members, their team members and themselves.
• Leadership – Team members attempting to solve problems on COPE courses encounter opportunities to develop and exercise leadership skills.
• Decision Making – COPE courses require considering several solutions to single challenges. Teams must consider all available resources and alternatives, and evaluate probable results before moving forward.
• Problem Solving – COPE courses challenge participants to develop solutions to interesting problems. Participants sometimes must think creatively then test their solutions and evaluate the results.
• Self-Esteem – Meeting the challenges of a COPE course allows participants to develop positive self-esteem and encourages them to set challenging yet attainable goals.

Low Cope

Low COPE courses are built from poles, ropes, and cables, but the elements are near to the ground. The Wild Woozy, the Triangle Traverse, and The Wall are all examples of low COPE course elements that delve deep into teamwork and communication skills, as participants must work with the members of their team (teams usually consist of 10-12 people) to complete the challenge presented by the COPE director or instructor.

High Cope

A high COPE course consists of a series of elements built from wooden poles, ropes, and cables. The catwalk, the multivine traverse, the Burma bridge, and the two cable traverse are examples of high COPE challenges – all 30 feet up! Safety equipment includes dynamic belay systems that are designed to meet safety regulations, helmets, appropriate clothing and footwear, plus a “buddy” on whom you must depend to lend emotional and physical support. These elements test physical and mental limits!

The high and low COPE courses are designed to be safe, yet also exciting and, at times, extremely challenging to complete. All COPE directors and instructors are trained according to national Boy Scouts of America standards to ensure safety.

Aquatic Center

The aquatic center has two pools – a shallow pool for learning to swim and a junior Olympic size pool for more advanced swimmers to swim, play and cool off in the summer months. Whether you are braving the twists and turns of our water slide or just relaxing in one of the pools, our BSA and Red Cross certified lifeguards will keep you safe and entertained.

Shooting Sport Ranges

Shooting sports at the Outdoor Education Center will be taught with an emphasis on safety and responsibility.  Participants gain both skill and respect for the sport and the equipment used.

The program area features two ranges with eight stations each.

Archery, atlatl, tomahawk, and BB gun are the only shooting sports that will be featured at the Outdoor Education Center.

Hiking Trails

Trail systems within The Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center property and in the surrounding Orange County Regional Parks (Irvine Regional Park, Santiago Oaks Regional Park, and Peters Canyon Regional Park), as well as trails in the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve Trust allow hikers to see the wild and beautiful areas that surround the facility.