NOLS Expeditions
Step into the wilderness, emerge a leader
Find adventure and perspective. Develop lifelong leadership skills as you dive into our time-tested curriculum. Build courage and competence under the guidance of the best instructors in the industry.
Why NOLS
A NOLS course is an immersive expedition
Remote country, real challenge, and a tight-knit community of students and instructors: a NOLS course asks more of you than you expect, and gives back more than you planned for. No experience required. What you build out there — the judgment, the grit, the belief that you can handle hard things — comes home with you.
Developed through extensive research and decades of experience, the NOLS leadership curriculum sets the industry standard and will set you up for success.
Education designed for life
Why students choose NOLS expeditions
Real skills in wild places so you can adventure for a lifetime, and lead in any environment you find yourself in.
Leadership Curriculum
NOLS' leadership curriculum is the industry standard, developed through extensive research and decades of fieldwork. You'll leave with a personal leadership style.
Real Wilderness
Remote, undeveloped country, not a campground. You'll travel through some of the world's most stunning wilderness areas with your group.
Tight-Knit Community
A small group of students and instructors traveling together for weeks at a time. The relationships you build last beyond the course.
Experienced Instructors
Our instructors are wilderness experts and the best educators in the industry. Average 1:5 instructor-to-student ratio for personalized learning.
What makes our expeditions different
An expedition you don't just take, you become part of
NOLS expeditions aren't trips. They're a small group of students living, traveling, cooking, problem-solving, and leading together for weeks at a time, in places where the wilderness sets the agenda and there are no shortcuts.
The 1:5 instructor-to-student ratio is real. The country is genuinely remote. And the leadership curriculum has been refined for 60 years to fit the way people actually learn in the field.
EXPEDITION
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ContinentsFind the right expedition
Expeditions for every stage
NOLS courses serve learners from teens through adults, with options for academic credit, gap years, and lifelong wilderness skills.
Gap Year
Take time for your future. The extended, immersive lessons of a NOLS gap year are life-changing.
Study Abroad
Embrace experiential learning in the wilderness. Earn academic credit while getting to know a new culture.
Semester Program
A full semester learning and living in a wilderness classroom. Earn college credit across new landscapes.
Adult Expeditions
NOLS teaches real skills in wild places so you can adventure for a lifetime, no matter your age or experience.
For teens
Teen Adventure courses (ages 12-15)
Designed for teens, Adventure courses are a fun way to get started learning leadership and outdoor skills. With the guidance of NOLS instructors, you'll learn to live in and travel through the world's most stunning wilderness areas.
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Find your NOLS expedition
100+ courses across five continents. Backpacking, mountaineering, climbing, paddling, sailing, find the wilderness that matches you.
