Betsy Winston
Get ready for a fun-filled, 30-day backpacking journey through the wilds of Alaska! This is the ultimate adventure where you’ll trek through mountain passes and along glacier-fed rivers, all while picking up essential skills that’ll serve you in the wild—and beyond.
Whether hiking through the towering Talkeetna Mountains, crossing glacier-fed rivers, or spotting wildlife like Dall sheep, moose, and even bears, this course will reshape how you view the wilderness—and yourself.
Photo credit: Mauricio Clauzet
This course is designed to teach a wide range of technical and interpersonal skills, empowering you to navigate, thrive, and lead in remote wilderness environments.
Here are the core skills you will develop during your Alaska backpacking adventure:
Backpacking & Wilderness Navigation: Develop the skills needed to travel off-trail, read maps, use a compass, and plan your route in challenging terrain
Camping and Cooking in Remote Environments: Learn how to set up camp, cook nutritious meals, and keep your gear in top condition in ever-changing conditions.
Leadership & Teamwork: Throughout the course, you will gain valuable leadership experience as you take on more responsibility, culminating in a student-led expedition.
Risk Management: Develop strategies for managing risks in wilderness settings, including handling unexpected weather, crossing hazardous terrain, and preparing for wildlife encounters.
Photo credit: Prasad Gadgil
This course will take you through several learning and exploration phases, ensuring you gain both the technical and leadership skills required for self-sufficiency in the wilderness.
Day 1-3: Arrive at the NOLS Alaska campus. Meet your instructors, review gear, and pack rations for your course.
Day 4-14: Begin your backpacking journey, traversing Alaska’s beautiful landscape. You’ll learn the fundamentals of backpacking, navigation, and cooking while gradually taking on more responsibility in your team.
Day 15-25: Increase your leadership role as you begin student-led expedition segments. You and your team will make key decisions about route planning, group management, and problem-solving while continuing to learn and apply wilderness skills.
Day 26-30: Culminate your journey with an independent student-led expedition, where you’ll demonstrate your ability to navigate, manage risks, and lead your team through the wilderness. Return to campus for a final debrief and course graduation.
Photo credit: Mauricio Clauzet
Be prepared for surprises! Alaska’s wilderness is known for its ever-changing weather, shifting from sunshine to snowstorms in the blink of an eye. Embracing these surprises will help you grow stronger, learn to adapt, and become more confident in making thoughtful decisions in the moment.
Challenging Terrain: Alaska’s rugged terrain includes glaciers, bogs, steep slopes, and glacier-fed rivers.
Wildlife Encounters: As you trek through bear country, you'll practice bear risk management techniques, including proper food storage and maintaining a clean camp. You'll also learn about Alaska’s rich wildlife, from moose to wolves.
Remote Wilderness: You’ll be far from civilization without roads or easy access. This remoteness means you’ll have to rely on your skills, team, and instructors to navigate the challenges that arise. It’s also a rare opportunity to disconnect from technology.
Photo credit: Mauricio Clauzet
By completing this Alaska backpacking course, you’ll join the global network of NOLS alumni—a community of leaders, adventurers, and innovators who have applied their NOLS experience to transform their careers and personal lives. Whether you pursue a career in the outdoors or simply seek a deeper connection to nature, the lessons learned in Alaska will last a lifetime.
Ready to take the next step? Embrace the adventure of a lifetime and become the leader you were always meant to be. Sign up today and start your transformative journey through Alaska’s untamed wilderness!
7 courses
“NOLS helped me see the value leaders hold, and the multiple ways one can be more than just a designated leader. I found the importance of being a peer leader and having active followership, roles that are sometimes belittled, the most useful. The greatest reward I got from the entire NOLS course was the idea of positive thinking....Learning to not let myself get into [a negative] mindset during a difficult, long day or even noticing others’ attitude change and helping them steer away from this, is something that I am grateful for and will use outside this trip.”
