Chances are good that you’ve had to take at least one course in English composition that required you to write a 500-word essay entitled, “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.” Most teens talk about their vacation or their summer job, but you can talk about leadership activities for teens.
Perhaps you had the best summer ever and found yourself struggling to limit your prose to a paltry 500 words. However, most students have trouble finding enough verbosity to attain the required verbiage.
Don’t let that happen to you. You can make this summer the one you’ll never forget!
Explore the outdoors while building your technical outdoor skills on a Teen Leadership Expedition this summer with us here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE).
For 2025, we are offering several 14-day summer camp courses designed specifically as teen leadership activities. Based in Alaska, North Carolina, and the Pacific Northwest, these guided expeditions offer the perfect blend of outdoor adventure, hands-on experiential education, camaraderie, and fun in some of the most awesome wilderness settings in the United States!
Our 14-day teen expeditions feature a ton of adventure, with exciting outdoor activities that include backpacking, mountaineering, trekking, and rock climbing — not to mention paddling activities like canoeing, kayaking, or whitewater rafting.
Here’s what you should know about each destination and course, starting with our two-week Alaska Teen Leadership Expedition.
Alaska
Our 14-day Alaska Teen Leadership Expedition gives teens a chance to discover Alaska’s unrivaled majestic landscapes. After arrival in Anchorage, we take you to our basecamp outside of the city. After spending a few days learning the basics of outdoor travel, your group will head into the Alaskan Wilderness of the Chucagh or Wrangell-St. Elias ranges for a multi-day backpacking trek.
Using a map and compass to navigate, you will explore glacial lakes, mountain peaks, and more. During your expedition, you will have the opportunity to sharpen your backpacking, camping, and other outdoor skills, including river crossing navigation, stove use and backcountry cooking, and more. At the end of the course, you’ll return to a basecamp near Palmer, Alaska, for a brief period of rest and relaxation before heading home.
For additional details, including location, itinerary, course dates, and tuition, please see our Teen Leadership Expedition — Alaska Backpacking page.
Pacific Northwest
While participating in our 14-day Pacific Northwest Teen Leadership Expedition, you’ll explore some of Oregon’s finest backcountry areas. This trip starts in Portland, Oregon, and, after introductions and a brief orientation, your group will head east to explore the Cascades, including Three Sisters Wilderness. You will travel through alpine meadows and past cascading waterfalls, and camp near pristine lakes on a multi-day backpacking expedition while developing or honoring your technical outdoor skills.
This course offers you opportunities to learn backcountry navigation, advanced backpacking skills, stove use, and more. After completing the backpacking leg of your trip, you’ll head to the wild and scenic Deschutes River for several days, to enjoy all that Oregon’s whitewater has to offer. You’ll even get the chance to learn how to kayak and guide a raft on the water. Finally, your group will return to the Portland area to complete the trip.
For additional details, including location, itinerary, course dates, and tuition, please see our Teen Leadership Expedition — Pacific Northwest, Backpacking & Whitewater page.
North Carolina
Think of the North Carolina Teen Leadership Expedition as a “mountains to the sea” course. Your adventure begins at our headquarters in Wilmington, North Carolina, where you’ll spend some time preparing for the course with other campers. Then, you’ll head west to the Appalachian Mountains.
Once there, you’ll participate in a multi-day backpacking trip in Pisgah National Forest, where you’ll travel along cool mountain streams, discover hidden swimming holes, enjoy beautiful mountain views, and more. Following completion of your wilderness program for teens, you and your course mates will head to the water for a multi-day paddling and camping trip, during which you’ll develop paddling skills, learn camp craft, and more. Finally, you’ll return to the coast for a fun day at the beach before heading home.
For additional details, including location, itinerary, course dates, and tuition, check out our Teen Leadership Expedition — North Carolina, Backpacking & Whitewater page.
For more information about any of our 2025 expeditions for teens, please see our list of expeditions online or give our office a call at (910) 399-8090.
TALK TO US
Have any further questions about our courses, what you’ll learn, or what else to expect? Contact us, we’re here to help!
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