NOLS Alaska Campus

Come join us at NOLS Alaska for an adventure in the Land of the Midnight Sun. At our campus, a 40-acre former dairy farm, you’ll enjoy open hay fields, the community orchard, as well as breathtaking views of the Talkeetna and Chugach mountain ranges. In the field, you’ll learn one or more technical skills—backpacking, mountaineering, or sea kayaking—in the famed Alaska backcountry. Whether you’re paddling a sea kayak in Prince William Sound alongside massive glaciers, hiking across the vast tundra above the Arctic Circle, or mountaineering in the Chugach Range, you’ll marvel at the enormity of the Alaskan wilderness. On a sea kayaking course, highlights of your trip may include spotting a humpback whale, observing a calving glacier, or catching wild salmon for dinner. On an expedition in the mountains, you’ll cheer when a bush plane suddenly materializes from behind a snow-capped mountain for a re-ration, carrying a fresh supply of food staples—including chocolate malt balls. On every course, expect a flexible schedule: with almost 20 hours of daylight at summer’s peak, backcountry travel is never truly limited by darkness. In fact, you might even complete a midnight peak ascent! As you explore Alaska, you’ll recalibrate not only your sense of scale, but also your self-confidence and competence in the outdoors.