Present
To date, there are more than 75,000 graduates of NOLS.

September 2003
Peter Roy named Chairman of NOLS’ board of trustees.

February 2003
NOLS community is deeply saddened by the news of the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy—the entire crew of astronauts had training with NOLS Professional Training in Wyoming's Wind River Mountains.

NOLS closes its East Africa school.

NOLS offers its first course in New Zealand.

November 2002
NOLS moves into its new headquarters in Lander, Wyoming.

June 2000
NOLS breaks ground for the schools’ new headquarters facility.

January 2000
NOLS announces the creation of NOLS Professional Training, which provides seminars, customized training, consulting services and program reviews to outdoor educators and programs around the globe, including NASA.

October 1999
Paul Petzoldt, founder of NOLS, dies at the age of 91.

September 1999
The Idaho Base becomes NOLS Teton Valley. This is the newest branch at NOLS.

NOLS purchases the Wilderness Medicine Institute.

1998
Paul Petzoldt's 90th Birthday Celebration takes place at Grand Targhee.

1997
The purchase of the property that the Kenya branch had leased is completed.

Spring 1997
The new Utah facility is completed.

Fall 1995
Mission Statement: The National Outdoor Leadership School's mission is to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve the people and the environment.

Jim Ratz resigns as executive director. John Gans replaces him.

Summer 1995
The Western Canada Branch starts operating out of Smithers, B.C., running courses in British Columbia and Yukon Territory. Now called NOLS Yukon.

1993
The Idaho base in Driggs purchased.

Spring 1993
The current Southwest facility is purchased. Planning and remodeling are done on the facility with completion in the spring of 1994.

Spring 1992
A warehouse is rented and the whitewater program moves to Vernal, Utah, where it still runs out of today.

September 1991
The Southwest facility in Tucson, which had been operating as a base of the NOLS Rocky Mountain, becomes NOLS Southwest.

NOLS runs its first Leave No Trace (LNT) course. The Outreach Department now runs more than 15 LNT Masters courses each year, has more than 1,000 masters and has written 16 different skills and ethics booklets for varying environments.

January 12 - April 1, 1990
The first Patagonia Semester operates in Chile. This is the first NOLS branch formed since the 1974 founding of the Kenya branch.

May 20, 1989
The new Wyoming branch is dedicated. Now called NOLS Rocky Mountain.

March 24, 1989
Exxon "Valdez" oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The sullying of one of NOLS' most pristine classrooms reinforces the NOLS commitment for taking a leadership role in preserving quality wild lands.

1988
Soft Paths, by Bruce Hampton and David Cole, is published by NOLS.

January 7 - 24, 1987
The first Winter Outdoor Educator's Course.

March 1986
Computers are installed in the NOLS international administrative offices at the Noble Hotel in Lander.

1986
First NOLS alumni reunions are held in five United States cities.

Spring 1985
First whitewater section on a semester course at the Wyoming branch.

1984
Instructor Development Fund is established to help instructors continue developing their leadership and outdoor skills.

Spring 1984
First Mexico semester course.

March 1, 1984
Jim Ratz is named executive director.

August 13, 1983
The present Alaska headquarters in Palmer is dedicated.

May 10, 1983
Peter Simer resigns as the executive director.

1983
The NOLS Wilderness Guide is published.

January 4, 1981
First NOLS Wilderness First Responder course is taught.

1978
The Washington branch headquarters moves from Bellevue to Sedro Woolley.

1976
First NOLS Kenya semester course is run.

December 4, 1975
Peter Simer is named executive director of NOLS.

August 1975
NOLS Instructor's Association (NIA) formed in response to Paul's departure from NOLS.

July 1975
Jon Hamren steps in as NOLS executive director temporarily.

June 23 - July 14, 1975
The first outdoor educator's course is held in the Wind River Mountains.

July 14, 1975
Petzoldt is removed as executive director and named senior advisor.

Summer 1975
The first NOLS Alaska semester course is held.

June 15 - August 20, 1974
The first NOLS course in Kenya goes into the field. Paul Petzoldt, and Mike and Jill Williams scouted out areas both in Mozambique and Kenya in 1973.

May 24, 1973
The Noble Hotel is purchased.

May 1974
The Wilderness Handbook written by Paul Petzoldt is published. This was the first NOLS publication for national distribution.

March 1974
First edition of the NOLS Cookery, edited by Nancy Pallister, with illustrations by Beverly Holsapple, is published. This was the first NOLS publication for public distribution.

1972
NOLS East closes.

Scab Creek (Three Peaks Ranch) near Boulder, Wyoming is purchased.

September 2, 1972
NOLS Tennessee closes.

1971
NOLS administrative offices were moved to 258 Main Street from the Sinks Canyon location after the purchase of the Nicholas Building in Lander.

NOLS Alaska started in Anchorage, by Tom and Dorothy Warren. Rob and Martha Hellyer and Bill Scott scouted the area.

June 1971
NOLS Washington branch opens with the first North Cascades Mountaineering course. Dave Polito was the first director. The branch is now called NOLS Pacific Northwest.

June 7, 1971
NOLS Tennessee opens with Haven Holsapple and R. Allen Robinson. The students learn canoeing, fishing, camping, cooking with the major focus on caving, cave biology and ecology.

March 13, 1971
The first course in Mexico begins at the current NOLS Mexico headquarters at Coyote Bay.

February 1971
The first issue of the NOLS newsletter, Alumnus, is printed.

Winter 1970 - 1971
The NOLS Mexico Branch in Baja California is started by Tap Tapley near Bahia de los Angeles.

1970
Course tuition increased from $400 to $450.

Fall 1970
NOLS field-tested Dacron 88. Thelma Yong designs a prototype sleeping bag using Dacron 88 instead of down.

June 1970
First NOLS Instructor course.

Summer 1970
NOLS East opens near Washington, Connecticut. Skills taught at NOLS East included canoeing, rock climbing, ecology, firearms instruction, preparation of small fowl and animals, use of chain saws, snow shoeing, winter travel and camping, cross-country skiing, and igloo and snow cave-building.

February 1970
Fremont Lumberyard on Lincoln Street was purchased for outfitting NOLS students.

January 20, 1970
Alcoa Hour presents "Thirty Days to Survival," an hour-long television show, which boosted NOLS enrollment.

1969
Paul Petzoldt founded Outdoor Leadership Supply to design and manufacture equipment that was unavailable to purchase for NOLS courses. This company was later called Paul Petzoldt Wilderness Equipment (PPWE) and also included a store and mail order department.

Summer 1969
Michael Wadleigh, Charles Grosbeck and Fred Underhill filmed an entire 30-day course. The film was shown on the Alco Hour and titled "Thirty Days to Survival." Michael and Fred went on to film Woodstock after completion of the NOLS film.

Summer 1967
The first NOLS course for 13-15 year old boys, the primary course at first, later called the Adventure Course.

June 1966
The first women were enrolled on NOLS courses. College credit was available for students.

Thelma Young hired as a seamstress to make equipment and clothing that was not available commercially: tents,wind shirts,dacron booties etc... Thelma was the longest tenured employee at NOLS. She worked until her death in the fall of 1999. One of her equipment tricks in the early days was to take two sweaters and make them into one long sweater that extended to the knees for added warmth (double sweater).

June 8, 1965
Food and equipment for the first NOLS course are issued from the Sinks Canyon headquarters. The all-male enrollment for the first summer, which consisted of three courses, was approximately 100 students.

During the first five years, courses could consist of up to 100 students under the leadership of one course leader, usually Paul Petzoldt. The students divided into patrols of a dozen or so students under the direction of a patrol leader and an instructor. These groups traveled separately, rejoining for re-rations. This is where the terms course leader and patrol leader originated.

Backpacks were the three-bag system, which were zip bags lashed to a JanSport frame. No cotton was allowed at all on any course. Wool pants were standard issue, along with the customized double sweater.

March 23, 1965
The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) is founded in Lander, Wyoming. It first operated out of a building in Sinks Canyon, which is now the Sinks Canyon State Park Headquarters.