W.I.L.D. (Wilderness Immersion and Leadership Development): Summer backpacking adventures for teenage boys
WILD is an outdoor adventure, leadership development, backpacking program for teens and young adults. We offer 7-day, and 10-day trips for boys and male-identified youth ages 13-19 in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Trips run throughout the summer from mid-June through early August.
These immersive wilderness experiences help young people find purpose, confidence, and a deep connection to nature. For more than a decade, we’ve watched countless teens return from our programs with newfound resilience, gratitude, and a stronger sense of self.
See the full summer schedule here.
WILD guides are a highly-skilled, thoughtful, accepting, talented bunch, here to lead your boys safely through some of the most epic places in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, while inviting them to step towards the next, more mature version of themselves.
Want to learn more, see if it's a good fit? Schedule a no pressure, free 30 minute info call with Back to Earth Director Eli Marienthal here.
Transportation to and from the mountains is provided from a drop off and pick up location in the the East Bay.
Highlights:
- Get off the screens
- Make new friends
- Learn to backpack
- Experience the grandeur of the High Sierras
- Long term mentoring
- So much fun!
Back to Earth is a non-profit labor of love, dedicated to uplifting young people, expanding equity and access in outdoor education, and nurturing the arts of peacemaking and thanksgiving.
Stay informed by joining our mailing list here.
What Parents Say
“Back to Earth saved us! I was desperately looking for something for my teenage son to do during the lockdown of summer of 2020. I happened upon WILD on a parents site and immediately signed him up for the 10-day backpacking trip. He had a blast; I had a break; but, even more importantly, he developed new skills and a renewed sense of being capable and connected."
“Back to Earth has provided my son with a sense of belonging and connection to himself and others through exposure to nature and an acceptance of self which has provided him with a deeper sense of wellbeing. WILD has helped to provide my son with the tools and skills to self-soothe, take perspective, and develop a deeper sense of self.”
“Back to Earth has been a life-changer for our family. I am forever grateful for the opportunities they have provided for my son to explore his fears, his strengths, and his identity as a young man growing up in this crazy world.”