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ADVENTURE - National Parks Road Trips

National Parks Road Trips

At various times of the year such as spring and fall breaks, winter term and summer term, ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Wilderness hosts four to eight road trips exploring five to seven national parks. In a one-week journey, you’ll tent camp your way across the western U.S. exploring the most epic landscapes on the planet. And it’s all-inclusive for all expenses—you just bring your clothes and a spirit of adventure, and everything else including gear, meals and permits are covered. Academic units are also available.

Capacity:

12 students

Cost:

$200–$800, depending on the trip

Sign Up:

Confirm availability and claim your spot by contacting Wilderness Studies Program Coordinator Ray Winter ASAP. It is first come, first served for a very limited number of participants. Once you’ve confirmed your spot and enrolled in any related units, pay your program fee here.

ADVENTURE: Fall Break—Joshua Tree National Park Backpacking

  • October 7–11, 2026—Fall Break
  • Cost: $300—an all-inclusive price. Just bring the clothes on the packing list and everything else is provided.
  • Balance due by Monday, September 21
  • Maximum of 10 students

This fall break, take a road trip five hours south into California’s most otherworldly desertscape—Joshua Tree National Park—and backpack through its unique rock formations, canyons, river washes and mountain ridges. Fall is the perfect season to engage this desertscape, avoiding the heat without compromising on the rugged and picturesque beauty of a land full of biodiversity, fossils, human history and epic night skies. In fact, October 10 is a new moon night, perfect for world-class stargazing while backpacking in Joshua Tree’s backcountry.

ADVENTURE: Winter Break—Yosemite National Park Snow Camping

  • December 14–17, 2026 (may be rescheduled or canceled in the case of extreme weather)
  • Cost: $200—an all-inclusive price. Just bring the clothes on the packing list and everything else is provided.
  • Balance due by Monday, November 23
  • Maximum of 12 students

Adventure into the pristine, snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountains on snowshoes this winter and enjoy views of Yosemite Valley as you’ve never seen them before. This backpacking trek will explore the south rim of the Yosemite Valley and the Glacier Point region, and venture to Ostrander Lake. Expect extreme beauty, extreme solitude from other human activity, and the spiritual and emotional rewards of doing the work to connect with creation in a setting rarely experienced by anyone.

ADVENTURE: Spring Break—Redwood National Park Hiking

  • March 8–13, 2027—Spring Break
  • Cost: $375
  • Maximum of 10 students

Journey to the seemingly prehistoric world of Northern California’s redwood forests and rugged coastline this spring break. We will explore countless hiking trails along the coastline and in the innermost fern-covered groves of the redwood giants. Expect multiple front-country campsites as the basecamp from where we will venture daily throughout Redwood NP and the surrounding state parks including Del Norte Coastal Redwoods, Jedediah Smith Redwoods, Prairie Creek Redwoods and parts of the Six Rivers National Forest. You’ll never feel so small, yet so filled with wonder as you walk among this ageless landscape.

ADVENTURE: Nepal—A Journey Through Culture, Climate and Conservation

  • May 13–30, 2027
  • Cost: approximately $3,999; scholarships and fundraising available
  • Deadlines:
    • January 31, 2027: $1,000 deposit
    • April 15, 2027: balance of the trip due
  • Maximum of 14 students
  • Course offerings: 
    • ICS 300: Orientation Study Abroad
    • WILD 100: Intro to Wilderness Studies
    • WILD 150: Wilderness Navigation
    • WILD 300: Wilderness and the Liberal Arts
    • PE 146: Backpacking

Engage in one of the most culturally, religiously and geographically immersive learning experiences of your life with a two-week course study in Nepal. Sitting in the middle of the mighty Himalayan Mountain Range that houses Mount Everest, Nepal is a country rich in biodiversity, religious diversity and a blending of cultures that rivals any other such place on earth. This trip will explore the sacred and ancient religious sites of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, as well as hike through small village communities and explore the lower (up to 14,900 feet) ranges of the Himalayan Range. It is difficult to experience a more immersive experience that will grow you in mind, body and spirit. For a detailed itinerary, reach out to Dr. Ray Winter or Dr. Darren Duerksen, the lead professors for the trip.