Come join us for an adventure in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Whether you’re paddling a sea kayak in Prince William Sound alongside massive glaciers, hiking across the vast tundra above the Arctic Circle, or mountaineering in the Chugach Range, you’ll marvel at the enormity of the Alaskan wilderness.
Nestled in the protected Coyote Bay, NOLS Mexico is your gateway to the coastal desert and turquoise waters of Baja California. These wilderness classrooms range from open ocean to coastal desert—and you’ll be exposed both to the many ways you can explore this area on foot and by sailboat or kayak while soaking in its culture and lifeways.
Explore the heart of upstate New York’s Adirondack Park, one of the oldest and largest designated wilderness areas in the U.S. Here, only a few hours from several major cities, you’ll find access to world-class paddling, hiking, and rock climbing.
In vibrant wilderness classrooms ranging from ocean to alpine and rainforest to high desert, you’ll find courses in five outdoor skills: backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, sea kayaking, and keelboat sailing. Whether it’s summitting a peak at sunrise or waking early to get on the water, you’ll return home with experiences to remember.
Come to the River Base to learn, live, and play on the water. This campus lies in Utah’s dinosaur bone country and geologic features burst with fossils. Whether you’re paddling a canoe, kayak, or raft, life on the water is about focusing on simple necessities and enjoying the journey downriver.
These courses explore some of the most dramatic landscapes of the intermountain West and is a hub for exploring this area’s the mountains, canyons, and rivers. Backpack along high mountain ridges, navigate whitewater rapids, break trail in snow-covered mountains, or navigate some of the most remote glaciers in the lower 48.
The Southwest has far more to offer than sand and cacti—these wilderness classrooms range from desert terrain to ponderosa pine forests and narrow river canyons. Backpack through the “sky islands,” isolated mountain ranges that rise up out of vast expanses of desert. Canoe the Rio Grande or climb granite crags at Cochise Stronghold.
Nestled on the Idaho side of the Tetons, and near Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, our campus is your gateway to some of the best skiing, backpacking, and paddling in the lower 48. Depending on your course, you might hike along the Continental Divide, paddle whitewater rapids, or backcountry ski in the snow-covered Rockies.
Challenge yourself to learn new skills and effective communication—with both human and horse companions—in Wyoming’s rugged mountains and sweeping deserts. Not only will you master the basics of backcountry horse travel, you’ll also find that working with horses is a great way to develop leadership skills.