Testimonials

Wilderness Adventures is hands down the best teen adventure program in the country. I was a student on a 4 week Rocky Mountain trip back in 1988, I was a guide for WA from 1994 – 2000, and my daughter just completed her first WA trip, a 5 week Great Northwest Trip this past summer (2023) and can’t wait to do another trip this coming summer of 2024.

Part of the “secret sauce” of a WA experience is pulling teenagers from across the country vs. filling a trip with students from the same part of the country. As a former leader, watching the students from a variety of backgrounds, belief systems, etc., from across the country is where the real personal growth happens.

Coming together as a group, the group leadership skills learned from how to work with a diverse group is one of the “life skills” that every student will walk away with. Is there anything more important or applicable to the real world than this? Group Leadership skills, group living skills, how to plan your own trip, how to plan meals, shop and cook are things most students have never done before. How to do your own laundry, how to safely travel in the backcountry, etc., are just some of the skills that your child will come away with.

Wilderness Adventures is the safe and obvious choice and I’m really glad that my 15 yr old daughter wanted to go on a WA Trip and was NOT surprised that it was a trip of a lifetime. They still talk weekly as a group and are actively planning a trip reunion in the near future.

I felt completely comfortable putting my child into the hands of WA. They provide a well-rounded experience that teaches many necessary life skills. Not only do they teach outdoor skills, they teach skills like food shopping, menu planning, and cooking, as well as communication and group dynamic skills.

The entire experience as a parent was very smooth, from the timely and clear email communication, easy to complete paperwork, personal phone call from one of the leaders, to the awesome APP that allowed me to see pictures from the trip while it was happening. The APP was one of the best parts, because I loved seeing how happy my daughter looked in the pictures; this gave me a sense of ease to know she was having such a great time!

From the first time flying on a plane in my life to me pitching a tent and sleeping outside, all of this was new. I’ve always taught leadership skills at my school to students but this brought out a new hat of leadership to my life. The camp leaders were engaging, wonderful, and encouraging. I can always play back memories in my mind of my experience – being detached from my phone and taking everything in. It’s a different feeling you get when you’re on these trips.

I keep coming back to Wilderness Adventures because I love being a part of a community that places so much value on joy and presence. It is so special to watch students’ confidence grow through settling into the moment & allowing themselves to be fully invested in the trip experience.

WA is a community of open-minded individuals who are invested in common goals and are passionate about working in the outdoors with youth! I have made lifelong friends through working for WA because of the kind, hard-working, and down-to-earth people that make up this community.

My son has traveled with Wilderness Adventures on 2 different trips, one in the US and one in Europe. It is a truly spectacular program that positively impacts the kids in their sense of self, builds community, encourages responsible risk taking through the lens of outdoor education, and fosters resilience. They have excellent pre-departure support, well trained staff that make it both fun and educational for the kids, and a leadership team that is always accessible for input. My son stays in touch with both of his Wilderness Adventures groups and looks forward to his next summer adventure. I highly and wholeheartedly recommend Wilderness Adventures.

My Wilderness Adventures Gap Semester trip absolutely changed my life. Everyone I met quickly became friends and it wasn’t long until they became family. I learned more about myself than I’ve ever learned in a classroom. The environment is positive and growth oriented. Wilderness Adventures creates an experience that fosters a transition from being a kid, to being a kid with a wise approach to every aspect of life. I strongly recommend this to anyone taking a year off.

Wilderness Adventures is a terrific program! I have done three of their trips and they have been the best three summers of my life! I previously went to an ordinary summer camp which I also love before turning to Wilderness Adventures, but only one week into my first trip I already loved Wilderness Adventures more! The experience of being with a smaller group of kids for 3 weeks brings you really close. You bond over doing the coolest outdoor activities there are as well. I was very hesitant going into my first trip, nervous about if I would like the kids and nervous about backpacking, but I loved it. I would highly recommend WA to anyone and everyone. It has brought me some of the best experiences of my life. Their trip leaders are some of the coolest people I have ever met and their office staff are super nice and easily accessed. Overall they run a phenomenal company and you should definitely adventure with them!

I had the pleasure of working with WA for six summers between 2013-2019. I led trips across the world and was fortunate to have a supportive leadership team that helped support and develop me as a leader. However, the best opportunity was working with diverse students in the outdoors.

Each WA trip provides a safe, supportive, and fun atmosphere where students can develop their leadership skills and enjoy the outdoors. While the programs are outdoor-based, there is a large emphasis on developing leadership skills for the 21st century. Students will learn how to work on a team, communicate openly and honestly, develop personal responsibility, and more.

My son fell completely in love with nature, became much more authentic, has now done two more semester long programs that continue to broaden him, and he is leaving for Mexico to work at an ecological center for 6 months. This was a kid who had zero interest in doing anything like this before – truly miraculous. Thank you WA!!!!!!!!!