National Outdoor Leadership School Rocky Mountain
NOLS Rocky Mountain, the flagship base of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming, runs multi-day wilderness expeditions for teens in the Wind River Range. Summer courses for ages 14-17 include backpacking, rock climbing and mountaineering, ranging from two weeks to 30 days, and teach camping, navigation, Leave No Trace and leadership. These are residential backcountry trips, with some girls-only sessions.
Sessions & rates
| Session | Dates | Ages | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind River Wilderness - 16 and 17 onlyRegister → | Jun 7 – Jul 6, 2027 | 16–17 | $8120 | Open |
| Wind River Wilderness - 16 and 17 onlyRegister → | Jun 10 – Jul 9, 2027 | 16–17 | $8120 | Open |
| Wind River Wilderness - 16 and 17 onlyRegister → | Jun 17 – Jul 16, 2027 | 16–17 | $8120 | Open |
$8,020 to $8,120 (course tuition range as stated); this specific session listed at $8,120
Availability shown as of Aug 12, 2026.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact National Outdoor Leadership School Rocky Mountain directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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Google Reviews
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★DebGreat for younger people, NOT for people over 50. They will tell you anything to get you to sign up for expensive trips. I support their efforts for youth people, programs, and education. Caution advised!
★★★★Gear WebsitesI used to buy bulk food here for trips into the mountains in the early 1990s
★★★★Jerad W. H.I saw this & I just wanted to write & say how amazing I think an educational facility like this is. This is what most young adults should be doing to learn; as well as older people that have never done anything like this. I personally would love to just take a course here, just for the experience of doing it. That said, there are a couple things that I don’t agree with nor think they belong. The LG course & I only say those two, because those are the only ones I recognize. Also, the POC course. That is just ridiculous. Stop dividing people & putting the in a box to separate & fight against others. We are all just Hu-Man Beings. If you’re wise enough, you actually know we are just Sovereign Beings. Creating a box & labeling people for separation is a form of cattle herding. Are we saying people are cattle now? Stop separating & unit. We all have to learn to live together, whether you agree with one another or not. Bottom line, we still have to respect one another whether we agree with them or not. It’s good to have people you don’t agree with or who you can have debates with, that is how the mind grows, but separation of a course just for one group is completely wrong in moving forward in a society. Those are just my thoughts, please respect them.
★★★★★Greg EllsworthBulk food area was amazing. Staff was ready to help answer questions.
★Bobby McBobbertsonI heard great things about NOLS and wanted to take their Wilderness First Responder course. I’d had medical training before (as a member and eventual leader of a search and rescue team) and really enjoyed it, so I thought this would be a similar experience. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. On the first day of the course we were learning how to use a blood pressure cuff. For some reason, the instructor decided it was appropriate to list everyone’s blood pressure on the blackboard. High blood pressure runs in my family and I’ve had it since I was 18. My reading was the highest of the class, which was no surprise to me. Then the instructor took it a step further and got me in front of the class to take my pressure for herself. What’s going to happen when you get someone who is already embarrassed and put them in front of a class like a guinea pig?! That’s right- their pressure is going to increase! She didn’t seem to realize this, had no bedside manner to speak of, never bothered to ask me about my pertinent medical history, and she never once stopped to consider my privacy. If this were a college course I would have immediately dropped the class. Some instructors are good, others don’t practice what they preach. But, I tried to blow it off. That night after class we were doing more patient assessments and the instructor came over and told the group she was going to measure my blood pressure, in front of the class, again the following day. I asked her nicely not to do this. She was very stern in her reply, “No, I’m going to take your blood pressure in front of the class every day.” As you can imagine, this was more than a little off putting. Again, I asked her nicely not to do this and again she gave me the same reply, never once asking me about my medical history. A heated argument ensued. After our little altercating in front of the class, I had no desire to continue on. I asked NOLS for a partial refund (siting my reasons) which was denied. If you're like me and interested in wilderness medicine, I strongly suggest you take a WFR course. However, you should avoid NOLS and their egocentric instructors. I just took another WFR course with the University Of Utah and the experience was night and day- the instructors were professional, the class was fun, and the cost was about HALF what NOLS charges. Check it out.