WILD // Summer 2026
wild courses
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WILD Adventure is the 7-day trip for rising 8th and 9th graders. This trip is designed to support participants in that pivotal life moment around the transitioning from middle school to high school.
As with every WILD trip, we'll hike, play games, swim in beautiful water, get real around the fire, and have plenty of free time to enjoy the beauty of the Sierras.
In addition to the core elements of Back to Earth's training - gratitude and mindfulness practices, nature observation, and wilderness skills - participants on a 7-day trip will become proficient in the use of their backpacking gear.
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WILD Quest is the 10-day course designed for older teens, rising 10th grade and up. This trip offers a comprehensive introduction to a wide range of wilderness, leadership and personal development practices. We start from the WILD foundation: hiking, hanging out in beautiful water, getting real around the fire, and taking free time to enjoy the beauty of the Sierras.
Building on the core elements of Back to Earth's training - gratitude and mindfulness practices, nature observation, and wilderness skills - participants on a 10-day course will leave with the knowledge and confidence to start planning their own excursions with friends and family.
This trip is designed for teens who are ready to grow into the next, more mature versions of themselves. What really sets this trip apart is the solo ceremony - a time to be alone, to reflect on one's life, and to call in a vision for one's future.
This trip is appropriate for alumni. Every trip is different, and we are different every year, with new thing to discover about ourselves and our relationship to the world around us.
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The alumni quest is ideal for participants who have done the QUEST trip and completed the solo ceremony. This epic journey will take us deeper and higher into the mountains. The itinerary will include high mountain passes, an alpine summit attempt, more opportunity for leadership training and a solo ceremony.
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WILD’s Summer Bridge program consists of private adventures for cohorts of students from partner schools and organizations. Please inquire about sending your students on a trip together!
| Dates | Program | Grade | Tuition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/7-13 | Esperanza Summer Bridge | - | - | *By Invitation Only |
| 6/8-17 | QUEST | 10th & up | $2,700 | At Capacity |
| 6/15-21 | ADVENTURE | 8th & 9th | $1,960 | At Capacity |
| 6/15-24 | QUEST | 10th & up | $2,700 | At Capacity |
| 6/22-28 | Youth Alive Summer Bridge | - | - | *By Invitation Only |
| 6/24-7/3 | ALUMNI QUEST | 10th & up | $2,700 | At Capacity |
| 7/6-7/15 | QUEST | 10th & up | $2,700 | One Spot Left! |
| 7/6-7/12 | ADVENTURE | 8th & 9th | $1,960 | Two Spots Left! |
| 7/13-7/19 | ADVENTURE | 8th & 9th | $1,960 | Two Spots Left! |
| 7/13-7/22 | QUEST | 10th & up | $2,700 | At Capacity |
| 7/27-8/2 | ADVENTURE | 8th & 9th | $1,960 | At Capacity |
keep exploring
field notes:
what we’re reading and writing
Our version of a blog - original thoughts and reposted content, on reconnecting to what is sacred and wild in ourselves and our world.
expanding equity & access in wilderness education
The WILD Scholars Program is a wraparound mentoring and scholarship program for Bay Area high school students from communities who have been historically underrepresented in wilderness education.
meet the back to earth guide and mentor community
We are mentors, climbers, builders, farmers, writers, poets, singers, medics, leaders, teachers, healers, learners, lovers of earth and sky …