Wind River Wilderness - 18 to 22 only

Embark on a Transformative Leadership Expedition in the Wind River Wilderness

Spend a month backpacking 90-120 miles through Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains—home to the state’s tallest peaks, hundreds of alpine lakes, perennial snowfields, and some of the most remote terrain in the Lower 48. This is your chance to learn what it means to live entirely in the backcountry and lead a team through challenging conditions.

Photo credit: NOLS Rocky Mountain

You’ll start with the basics—cooking, navigation, Leave No Trace practices, grizzly bear protocols—then move into more advanced topics: leadership, decision-making under pressure, and wilderness first aid. Depending on conditions and instructor focus, you might learn to fly fish, travel or camp on snow, scramble peaks, and identify plants. You’ll carry 50-60 pounds through terrain that ranges from thick brush to talus fields to exposed ridgelines above 13,000 feet.

Photo credit: NOLS Rocky Mountain

As you progress, you’ll get the chance to travel independently—first for a day at a time, then possibly for a multi-day student-led expedition where your group navigates and makes calls without instructors nearby. You’ll have an emergency communication device, but the decisions are yours.

Photo credit: NOLS Rocky Mountain

You’ll leave knowing how to navigate the mountains independently, with the confidence to lead your own trips, and with a community of people who pushed through the hard days alongside you.