Joshua Tree Backpacking for Women Veterans
« Back to SearchNavigate the rugged and unique Mojave Desert with fellow female veterans on a 6 day long desert backpacking expedition.
On this week-long veterans course, you’ll find challenge, purpose and camaraderie while developing skills and confidence that you’ll bring home to your communities, careers and families. This course is designed for all levels of backpacking experience as you explore some of the most iconic desert wilderness in the United States and backpack through the vast expanses of the Mojave Desert. The ruggedly beautiful Joshua Tree National Park receives more than a million visitors each year, but only a handful of those venture more than a mile from the parking lot. With this up-close view, you’ll travel through the rich ecosystem of birds and animals beside the parks’ namesake Joshua Tree, cholla cactus and palms. As a female-identifying team, you’ll take time to reflect, relate and support one another as you work together to navigate the course area, cook backcountry meals and set up camp under the bright starry night sky of Joshua Tree.
This course is intended as an affinity space and is open to female-identifying, non-binary, trans-women and gender expansive identifying veterans who are looking for this type of gender composition on their course. We strive to create an inclusive experience for all of our students and welcome you to talk with one of our course advisors if you have questions about which course is the best fit for you.
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
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Course # XJVB-324
Age 18 and up
Days 6
Cost $0
Dates 11.9.23 - 11.14.23
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.
This course is designed for those either new to backpacking, or who have some experience and are interested in exploring the desert environment. The wildly beautiful Joshua Tree National Park receives more than a million visitors each year, but only a handful of those venture beyond the parking lot. With this up-close view, participants will see the rich ecosystem of birds and animals beside the parks’ namesake, the Joshua Tree, cactus and palms.
Participants will learn basic backcountry skills such as navigation and how to assess and adapt to varying weather conditions. As Outward Bound courses are not guided trips, participants share the weight of food and gear carried in backpacks, and divide camp chores like cooking, cleaning, and tarp setup.
Service to others and to the environment are core values of Outward Bound and they are integrated into each course. Participants follow Leave No Trace ethics as part of their service to the environment. Veterans students enhance their already ingrained appreciation of service with multiple small acts of service with and for their crewmates while leading and supporting each other throughout the journey.
Joshua Tree is in a high desert, where rugged mountains and desert plateaus were sculpted by wind and rain. Three distinct ecosystems come together to form this land of extremes: the dark, cold, starry nights and warm, sandy and boulder-filled days. Participants will travel through granite monoliths and through narrow canyons that have attracted travelers from around the world long before the national park was established in 1936.
The Mojave Desert’s sunny fall weather is generally dry and rainfall is sparse, though unpredictable thunderstorms do occur. Temperatures can vary, averaging 50-80 degrees during the day to a cool 30 at night.
Travel in the desert takes careful planning to ensure an ample water supply. Logistics staff place water and food caches around the park to enable extended backcountry travel in this unique wilderness.
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