On the river and in red rock canyons, take time to unplug and connect with yourself, your crew, and the natural world.
Experience the vast diversity of the awe-inspiring ecosystems of southeastern Utah. Feel the exhilaration of rushing waves as you paddle through whitewater rapids in steep, red rock canyons. Camp along sandy shores and search for shooting stars. Spot ancient dwellings and rock art and pictographs tucked within the canyon walls. Scramble through hidden slot canyons and across vibrant slickrock near Canyonlands National Park. Then trade your river shoes for hiking boots to traverse over high passes in the southern region of the Rocky Mountains. Starry skies and alpine lakes will be your classroom as your Instructors teach you to load a backpack, cook on a camp stove, and navigate the backcountry. By the end of your expedition, you and your crewmates will be the expedition leaders and you’ll work together to attempt to summit a high mountain peak. At the end of it all, you’ll emerge a confident and resilient leader with the tools to be your best self in nature and at home.
APPLY NOW This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
Sample Itinerary
DAY1
Course start
DAY2-9
Alpine Backpacking: learn camp craft, backpacking and alpine navigation skills. Attempt to summit a peak. Opportunity for Solo experience.
DAY10-15
Canyoneering and Backpacking: learn to travel through slot canyons and across slickrock. Practice off-trail navigation and leadership.
DAY16-21
Rafting: learn to navigate whitewater rapids and captain a six-person paddle raft. Potential day hikes to see ancient sites and rock art. Group final challenge event.
DAY22
Course end ceremonies and transportation home.
I have met some intriguing and intellectual individuals from all around the country who have pushed me to think differently about ongoing issues. We slept under the star-laden skies, paddled our hearts out on the Colorado River and worked as a team to accomplish this course.
It’s time to make your own adventure. Outward Bound’s Classic expeditions for middle and high school students are built with you in mind. Make new friends, sleep under the stars, and learn skills like backcountry navigation and how to cook a delicious meal no matter where you are. You’ve got this! Whether you’re in a raft or on a mountainside, you’ll learn what you’re made of – and you’ll see first-hand how far teamwork can take you. Join us for an unforgettable challenge and discover a whole new way to get outside.
Build skills, form connections: Learn and practice wilderness, teamwork and leadership skills. Find connections with your crewmates based on support and respect (and fun too!), and in the thick of challenges, discover there is more in you than you know.
Value strengths and strengthen values: Uncover your unique character strengths, develop your leadership abilities and learn how to let compassion in to everyday life by pushing your own limits and working alongside your peers.
Demonstrate mastery: As you gain confidence in new skills, take on more decision-making responsibilities. Work together to achieve team goals, solve problems and succeed both as individuals and as a group.
What you’ll learn: Your connections matter – working together to navigate challenges will quickly turn your crewmates into friends. Together, you’ll find opportunities to carry more weight (literally and figuratively) and make impactful decisions with accompanying consequences. It’s all about confidence, communication, and independence.
After you come home, many of the character, leadership and service traits you uncovered on your expedition stay with you, helping you navigate your daily life with more resilience and success.
Backpackers carry everything they need - food, shelter, clothing and gear – allowing them to go deep into nature where few people go. Students feel a sense of freedom from the stresses of modern life and technology. The simplicity of hiking gives students the opportunity to focus internally on their own thoughts. They also grow to be more present, connecting deeply with nature and their crewmates as they talk, sing and spend time together without distraction.
The course begins with lessons in basic packing and hiking techniques. Along the way, students learn Leave No Trace techniques, map and compass navigation, and outdoor cooking. As students explore remote regions of the Rocky Mountains, they get to sleep under the stars, feel the sunshine on their face, and watch the sun set over rugged mountain peaks. By the end of course, most crews will have the chance to attempt to summit a high mountain peak.
Canyoneering is like playing in the most exciting adventure course imaginable. Each obstacle occurs naturally – formed by thousands of years of wind and water eroding the vibrant layers of rock. A combination of scrambling, hiking, wading through water, and rappelling may be involved during course. As students travel deeper through narrow and winding canyons, sunlight bounces off the walls causing the rock to glow red and orange. Hidden waterfalls and pools can be found, offering an oasis for both students and wildlife. Instructors will teach students how to travel safely and efficiently over rocks and across desert ecosystems. Crews work together, problem-solving and supporting each other as they navigate this dynamic and continuously changing environment.
While rafting, each day is spent practicing paddle strokes and learning to read the water – all while taking in the beauty of the canyon. Crewmates will become a team, coordinating their paddling and taking turns as boat captains. Between rapids are flat water sections where students can swim, relax and enjoy the view. Time in a raft is ideal for getting to know each other, laughing and singing throughout the day. Afternoons can bring strong winds, leading to challenge and adventure as crews paddle hard to reach camping destinations. The canyon rims can rise hundreds of feet above the river, enclosing participants in a remote world of rushing water and delicate ecosystems. Most courses get the opportunity to take day hikes away from the river. These hikes provide stunning views and often the chance to see archaeological sites, petroglyphs, pictographs and remarkable geological formations.
The course ends with a Final Expedition, during which the crew heads back into the field to put all of their newly acquired skills into practice. Depending on the team’s ability levels, instructors step back during this section and allow the crew to take over decision-making responsibilities for navigation, time schedules, communication and general leadership.
Our expeditions help students grow into the best version of themselves. We use challenge in the outdoors to allow students to discover their strengths and build authentic connections with their peers. Compassion for oneself and others is foundational to our educational approach. As students realize that they are stronger than they know, they develop confidence and resilience that will last a lifetime. Social and emotional learning outcomes include:
Belonging – students form deep connections founded upon respect, inclusion, and compassion
Reflection – students learn self-awareness and practice empathy towards others
Physical Engagement – students develop awareness and confidence in their bodies
Courage – students develop the confidence to speak up for themselves and persevere through challenges
Service is a pillar of the Outward Bound experience. On each course, Students learn to practice intentional service to themselves, to others and to the environment. This may look like practicing self-care or supporting a crewmate who is having a hard day. Participants also learn to Leave No Trace ethics, practicing service to the environment by preserving and respecting the fragile ecosystems they encounter. Students experience firsthand the social and emotional benefits of acts of service. They are encouraged to bring this ethic of care to their life back home.
In order for profound learning to take place, there must be time to reflect on the experience. Weather and time permitting, Solo provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. Many students use this reflection time to make decisions about their future, journal and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings unencumbered by the constant external stimulation of modern life. Solo is that opportunity, and that time can range anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours or more, depending on the length of the course as well as the competency and preparedness of the student group.
With all the food, skills and supplies they need, participants are given a secluded spot to reflect alone and are monitored by Instructors at regular intervals, as safety is always a top priority. Students find that Solo provokes profound and powerful learning in a short period of time and often becomes one of the most memorable parts of their Outward Bound experience.
The La Sal Mountains rise dramatically out of the desert, towering 9,000 ft. above the surrounding canyonlands. These majestic mountains are known for their groves of aspen, rich amount of wildlife, high summits, and incredible views overlooking Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Hidden lakes and fields of wildflowers dot the landscape. Students may also spot wildlife like elk, mountain goats, marmots and eagles. Most courses will also get the opportunity to attempt to summit a mountain peak. Peaks in the La Sals range from ten thousand to just under thirteen thousand feet and include the highest mountains in Southern Utah. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux, Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Pueblos Nations.
Canyon Country, Utah
The most spectacular aspects of the Utah landscape are the hidden treasures found within its vast canyon networks, formed by millennia of wind and water. The canyons are composed of a spell-binding labyrinth of towering walls, arches, and slot canyons just waiting to be explored. On course, these vibrant formations are a geological playground for scrambling and teamwork. Canyoneering courses venture into narrower, deeper chasms sometimes as narrow as two feet wide with walls rising several hundred feet on each side. The desert ecosystem is characterized by aromatic plants like sagebrush and juniper and birds soaring high above canyon walls. The days can be hot in the summertime, but it always cools down in the evenings. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux, Eastern Shoshone, Jicarilla Apache, and Pueblos Nations.
The Colorado River
Students will get to raft down one of the largest and most significant rivers in the Southwest. Better yet, they’ll paddle through Cataract Canyon, a world-renown whitewater rafting destination that cuts through the heart of Canyonlands National Park. Archaeological sites and petroglyphs can be spotted along the way. The river boasts 31 iconic rapids that are comparable to those of the Grand Canyon in power, difficulty and beauty. Students may have the chance to encounter some of the most famous of these rapids including the Mile Long Rapids and “The Big Drops.” Slower sections of the river offer time for relaxing, bonding, and sometimes even swimming. Sandy shores offer perfect spots for camping. This section of the Colorado River is the ancestral lands of the Ute, Pueblos, and Navajo Nations.
Course Stories
Slept under the star-laden skies
I have met some intriguing and intellectual individuals from all around the country who have pushed me to think differently about ongoing issues. We slept under the star-laden skies, paddled our hearts out on the Colorado River and worked as a team to accomplish this course.
— BenjaminOutward Bound alumnus
I am excited for my future
I was surrounded by the best educators who have inspired me in so many ways and I want to follow in their footsteps in my own unique way. My group has taught me so much about myself and the world around me. I am excited for my future and to use the life skills Outward Bound has provided me
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.