Yosemite Backpacking for Adults
Explore the legendary Yosemite National Park wilderness with Outward Bound.
Backpack through old growth forests in the iconic Yosemite National park. Have a new adventure away from work, cell phones and schedules. This disconnection creates an opening for rediscovery and growth.
Yosemite National Park receives 4 million visitors every year, yet this course will take place in treasured areas away from the crowds in order to slow down the pace of life and welcome adventure in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
NOTE: Outward Bound strongly recommends that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 and up to date as defined by the CDC prior to arriving to their course start. For all open enrollment courses beginning on or after April 15, 2023, Outward Bound will no longer require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For questions regarding this policy please see this page or call us at 866-467-7651.
UPCOMING COURSES
This course is closed for the season.
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.
The Outward Bound staff were incredibly supportive, ready to answer any questions, and address concerns with kindness and compassion. Course instructors were caring, knowledgeable and fun! They taught us to navigate the great outdoors, provided interesting nature lessons (I never knew that a Jeffrey Pine Tree smells just like vanilla!) and encouraged us to work as a team, embrace challenges and grow as individuals. As for my teammates, we were strangers. Now, we are forever bonded by our incredible experience, we will be friends for life. My Outward Bound adventure changed my life in unexpected ways. The experience of standing atop a large rock at the completion of a challenging hike, and saying, with arms raised and pure joy in my heart, “I DID IT!” helped me realize with perseverance, patience, faith in our abilities and a good belly laugh now and again, we can accomplish anything.
This backpacking expedition will take participants high up into the less-traversed sections of this legendary park. Participants will learn the basics of backpacking, Leave No Trace camping and travel skills, outdoor cooking techniques, map and compass use, route finding and expedition living. They will spend time hiking in forested areas and in the alpine environment above tree line, often camping next to deep blue alpine lakes that offer the opportunity to swim and rinse off after a long day.
As our lives are a constant work in progress, this course is dedicated to a simpler life, if only for a short time, to facilitate a place for reflection. Participants will stretch their boundaries, work hard together, and achieve heights either for the first time or revisit a past passion for outdoor exploration.
Outward Bound believes in order for profound learning to take place, there must be time to reflect on the experience. Within course, the solo is that opportunity. It is a chance to experience solitude in the wilderness without distraction while also taking a break from the physical rigors of course. Students are separated from their group for a period of time which depends on course length and Instructor assessment of group capability. Solo sites are chosen to provide solitude. Participants have all necessary equipment, food and water. Solos range in length from 12 hours to 72 hours.
Outward Bound courses vary in length from four (4) to 85 days. On shorter courses, participants will receive an introduction to leadership skills, strength of character and a desire to serve while activities fill most of the time and the pace is quick. With longer courses, the same outcomes and benefits are achieved with the opportunity to reach a more profound level of mastery as there are more chances to develop technical skills, receive and implement feedback and further personal development. However many days the expedition lasts, the strength and impact of the experience lasts a lifetime.
Backpacking and wilderness navigation techniques are great practice for the essential skills and habits that help prepare for new challenges at work, home and in the community. Outward Bound expeditions encourage students:
- to remain engaged and present, giving every challenge the best effort, even when the goal seems beyond reach.
- to form a team and focus on the team effort.
- to share responsibilities, communicate and lead. Leadership roles are shared within the group, and responsibilities rotate each day.
- to find reserves of tenacity and compassion. Outward Bound courses are designed to expand and stretch your limits so that every expedition is a true accomplishment and a memorable journey.
Yosemite National Park, located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, is famous for breathtaking views of waterfalls, massive granite domes and peaceful alpine meadows. Yosemite is home to some of the world’s most treasured landmarks. While this course steers clear of the crowded tourist attractions of the valley, dramatic alpine scenery can be seen in the horizon including peaks rising from the valley to elevations above 12,000 feet. On occasion, relocating a course to another location in the High Sierra (not in Yosemite) is the best way we can maintain our high safety standards. A relocation is possible in the case of inclement weather, environmental disaster such as wildfires or smoke, or other uncontrollable interruptions.
The Sierra Nevada offers fairly stable and beautiful weather. Spring can bring snow and cold temperatures. As summer advances, temperatures tend to become more moderate. Summer temperatures are in the 70s and 80s during the day and 30s to 50s in the evening. Outward Bound’s course area has some of the most famous, though often underutilized, alpine climbing and backpacking routes for participants to experience.
These regions are the ancestral lands of the Northern Paiute, Western Mono/Monache, Me-Wuk (Central Sierra Miwok), and Me-Wuk (Southern Sierra Miwuk) nations. We acknowledge them as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land, and also pay respect to their elders, both past and present. We recognize and continually support and advocate for the sovereignty of the Native nations of this territory and beyond. By offering this land acknowledgment we affirm tribal sovereignty, commit to working to support these tribes, and commit to holding Outward Bound California accountable to this work.
Course Stories
The Outward Bound staff were incredibly supportive, ready to answer any questions, and address concerns with kindness and compassion. Course instructors were caring, knowledgeable and fun! They taught us to navigate the great outdoors, provided interesting nature lessons (I never knew that a Jeffrey Pine Tree smells just like vanilla!) and encouraged us to work as a team, embrace challenges and grow as individuals. As for my teammates, we were strangers. Now, we are forever bonded by our incredible experience, we will be friends for life. My Outward Bound adventure changed my life in unexpected ways. The experience of standing atop a large rock at the completion of a challenging hike, and saying, with arms raised and pure joy in my heart, “I DID IT!” helped me realize with perseverance, patience, faith in our abilities and a good belly laugh now and again, we can accomplish anything.
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Getting Started
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.