Ready for three weeks in the mountains with other like minded 14 and 15 year olds? This course takes you deep into Wyoming’s Bighorn or Wind River Mountains, where you’ll backpack 75 miles alongside clear alpine lakes and up and over mountain passes up to 13,000 feet.

You’ll carry everything you need on your back. Whether you’re climbing your first peak, fly fishing in mountain streams, or making snow cones in July, you’ll be learning by doing—hands-on, every day.

Your instructors will start by teaching the fundamentals: backcountry cooking, reading maps, practicing Leave No Trace principles, and traveling in grizzly bear country. Then you’ll move into wilderness first aid, navigation, and leadership skills like communication and decision-making. Depending on conditions, you might also learn rock climbing, snow travel, baking, geology, or plant identification.

You’ll work in small cook groups, building an inclusive community through teamwork and shared challenges. You’ll have layover days to rest and explore. As you demonstrate competence, instructors will give you more responsibility—you may travel in student-led groups for a day, and if your group is ready, your course could end with a multi-day student expedition where you navigate independently for two to four days.

Weather in the mountains can be unpredictable— you may experience rain, snow, high winds or intense sunshine. You’ll leave with the technical skills and leadership experience to plan your own wilderness trips, plus friendships built through long days and shared adventures in the backcountry.

Information for Parents: The NOLS Difference

At 14-15, your teen’s brain is in a critical rewiring phase—where experiences now become traits later. While camps keep teens comfortable, a NOLS course gives them tools to navigate an uncertain world. Spending 3 weeks beneath Wyoming’s granite peaks, navigating through grizzly country, and learning to live comfortably in nature teaches them that the world is big, beautiful, and not revolving around them. We teach through natural consequences: if the tent isn’t set up right, they get wet. No nagging, just feedback that builds responsibility and judgment. Plus, research shows 96% of NOLS grads complete college. You’re investing in the adult you want to send into the world.