Semester in the Pacific Northwest: You'll experience things few other semesters at NOLS offer, including taking the helm of a 36-foot sailboat in British Columbia waters. Photo: Alan Neilson

NOLS Pacific Northwest FactsYear Founded: 1971 Operating Season: May-Dec. Location: Conway, Washington In-town Staff: 10 Skills offered: Backpacking, Sea Kayaking, Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Coastal Sailing

Forest and ocean. Glacier and river. Heather and pine. This is the Pacific Northwest, with its temperate rain forests, its stunning ice-covered volcanoes, and its hidden bays and coves. Here you’ll find jagged, glacier-carved mountains and valleys, cascading streams, and lush old-growth forests. Home to bald eagles, black bears, mountain goats, elk, porpoises, and whales, this will be your classroom.

The Pacific Northwest is the birthplace of the outdoor industry and NOLS has been the region’s outdoor education pioneer for more than 35 years. Our state-of-the-art facilities in Conway, Washington, set among 30 acres of meadows and magnificent trees, were built in 1991 and specifically designed to support NOLS’ educational expeditions. Just an hour north of Seattle, NOLS Pacific Northwest is easily one of the most convenient NOLS locations to reach.

We’ll outfit you with everything you’ll need for an expedition into spectacular backcountry, from Oregon to British Columbia. Whatever your method of exploration—sea kayaking, rock climbing, glacier mountaineering, backpacking, or sailing—you’ll be in for the experience of a lifetime.

We offer a wide variety of course options and specialize in courses for educators and trip leaders. The Outdoor Educator courses, featuring backcountry travel, glacier travel, and rock climbing, are truly signatures of NOLS Pacific Northwest.

This is a place that we know well—and you will, too. We’ll teach you how to camp without leaving an impact, how to cook a tasty meal over a camp stove, and how to work as part of a team to explore the rugged Pacific Northwest.