NOLS Blog
Summer Travel Programs for Teens: Why Wilderness Expeditions Offer More Than a Passport Stamp
Most summer travel programs for teens promise adventure. A select few actually deliver it. There is a difference between traveling through a place and learning to move through it with skill and intention. That difference is worth understanding before you commit to any program, and before your teen boards a plane. This guide breaks down…
Staying Power
Shari Kearney didn’t just find a place at NOLS—as our longest serving female instructor, she has worked over ...
Connection, Resilience, and Dal Bhat: Manaslu Circuit Alumni Trip 2025
In November 2025, five gentlemen, one lady, three guides, and three support staff met in Kathmandu in preparation ...
Best Summer Programs for Teens: Outdoor Adventures That Build Leaders
Most teens will spend this summer doing something fun, but maybe not so meaningful. Not because they lack ambition, but because the summer camps available to them were designed to center around fun, rather than building long-lasting skills. The difference between a summer that fades and one that becomes a reference point — something your…
Case Study: Motion Sickness on a Surf and Dive Trip in Oahu, Hawaii
The Setting You’re leading a small group on a combined surf and introductory scuba trip on Oahu. The group is staying on the North Shore and driving early in the morning to a south shore harbor to meet the dive boat. The coastal road is narrow, hilly, and full of tight curves. Several group members…
Summer Programs for High Schoolers: Choosing an Adventure That Lasts
Every parent of a high schooler feels it: these summers matter. The window is short, and how your teen spends it shapes more than you’d think. The science backs that up. Adolescence, roughly ages 12 to 18, is one of the most significant growth windows a person will ever experience. It’s when teens actively figure…
The Complete Guide to Summer Programs for Teens
Each summer between high school years is about 90 days. For most teens, the time passes quickly — and how it’s spent matters more than it might seem at the moment. For parents thinking about how to help their teen get the most out of these months, a structured summer program is one of the…
Teen Wilderness Programs: What Parents Need to Know
If you’ve started searching for programs that will allow your teen to spend time outside learning leadership, adventure skills, and more, you’ve probably noticed that the term “teen wilderness programs.” This term covers very different types of experiences. Some are clinical. Some are recreational. And some are educational: multi-week expeditions built around outdoor skills, leadership…
Case Study: Bug Bite or Blister on a Trail Crew Project
The Setting You are working as part of a backcountry trail crew in the Nantahala National Forest near the North Carolina-Tennessee border. The project involves brushing and tread work in steep, densely vegetated terrain with long approaches and limited access points. Summer conditions are hot and humid, and the crew has been in the field…
Wilderness and Identity: Q&A with NOLS LGBTQ+ Canyonlands Backpacking Grad
NOLS LGBTQ+ Canyonlands Backpacking grad, Mat Pryfogle, recounts his takeaways from NOLS' first LBGTQ+ Expedition.
Cold Weather Recipe: Cheesy Potato Soup
There's nothing better than a hot meal after a day out in the cold! Try this cheesy potato soup recipe from NOLS Cookery on your next outdoor trip.
Risk Management Training: Kick Your RM Practices into Tip-Top Shape
Risk management training educators and participants talk about the value of a culture of risk management.
Golden Apple Scholarship winner taking NOLS course in 2013
Golden Apple Scholarship winner taking NOLS course in 2013
Virtual Sea Kayaking – Alaska through a NOLS Student’s Lens
Virtual Sea Kayaking - Alaska through a NOLS Student's Lens
Case Study: A Freezing Snowmobile Ride
Do you know how to prevent, recognize, and treat a non-freezing cold injury (NFCI)? Test your wilderness medicine skills with this case study.
Announcing New Expeditions for Summer 2020
Check out our seven new expeditions for summer 2020 and start planning your next adventure!
How To Build a Winter Snow Shelter
Excited to go winter camping? These pro tips and instructions teach you how to build a quinzhee shelter out of snow instead of using a tent.
Celebrating NOLS in the New Year
NOLS welcomes new president, and celebrates Paul Petzoldt's 112th birthday, our 55th anniversary, and 50th anniversary of 30 Days of Survival documentary.
