NOLS Alaska Backpacking (16 and 17 Only)

Enjoy the long daylight hours of a northern summer as you hike across the tundra. As you travel, keep your eye out for Dall sheep, moose, caribou, and wolves.

Whether this is your first time backpacking or you’re an experienced outdoors person, expect to learn something new each day. Start with the basics, like pitching a tent, cooking on a camp stove, and navigating off trail. As you gain confidence, take on more responsibility for route finding and decision making.

Along the way, expand your leadership skills. Practice effective communication and risk management as you work with your team to cross a glacier-fed river. Learn to lead in uncertainty as you encounter new challenges, like navigating a boulder field or finding your way up a steep slope. Return with the confidence to lead at school, on a team, and in your community.