Expeditions for Adults
Baja Coastal Sailing
Feel the wind rush through your hair as your boat sails over blue waves. Explore quiet coves and spot fish swimming in colorful reefs. Relax in the evening on a beach under the stars. On this course, you’ll join a group of adults to push your sailing skills and develop your leadership style.
Featured Semesters
Fall Semester in Patagonia
Leave the ordinary behind on the Semester in Patagonia. Climb the mountains and paddle the fjords. Taste the cold wind of the Andes on your face. Breathe in the smell of mate while passing by a poblador’s ranch. On this course, you’ll go mountaineering and sea kayaking in the Andes and coastal regions of Chile and earn an industry-respected Wilderness First Aid certification.
Spring Semester in India
Leave the tourist destinations behind and head to the remote corners of northwest India to learn about leadership and yourself. Hike deep into the Himalaya and visit places where animal-powered farming is a way of life. Drink spiced cups of chai and challenge yourself with long days of backpacking. Hear the River Kali roar as you and your group learn about teamwork and whitewater rafting. Live with an Indian family and deepen your cultural awareness with classes in ecology and history.
More Semester Courses
Featured Location
Rocky Mountain
Come join us for the adventure of a lifetime! Start your expedition in the foothills of the Wind River Range at NOLS Rocky Mountain. Here in Lander, Wyoming, the first NOLS students started and ended their Wind River Wilderness course in 1965. Today, our campus is a hub for courses exploring the mountains, canyons, and rivers of Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.
Featured Skill
Canoeing
On a canoeing expedition, you’ll learn the ins and outs of traveling on lakes or rivers by canoe. Each day, you'll practice skills like paddling, reading the water, and helping your group progress. Depending on your course, you might find yourself floating on quiet lakes or navigating varying levels of whitewater. No matter where your course takes you, you’ll find an experience to challenge you.
Stories from the Wild
Stories
How NOLS Ruined the Old Me
Erin Sullivan | March 1, 2016
The summer I was 19, I went on a thirty day Wind River Wilderness course. It wasn't like I was outdoorsy. I never went to summer camp as a kid. I was in Girl Scouts, but I only lasted until we had to... Read More
Stories
Inside Whitewater Expeditions in the Rockies
Kate Dernocoeur | April 30, 2019
On June 8, 1869, John Wesley Powell and his expedition floated down the Green River through the Gates of Lodore—a narrow, towering cleft worn in the deep red rock of what is now western Colorado.... Read More
“NOLS taught me the secret to great teamwork is great leadership … I learned that leadership isn’t exclusive to those in charge; anybody can demonstrate leadership.”