No previous rafting experience is required on this six-day expedition, which provides veterans with the opportunity to develop leadership, community and personal strength alongside fellow service members.
As you venture into some of the best whitewater in the West, you'll learn both the basics and the fine points of managing a paddle raft. Skilled Instructors teach and guide participants so that they can fully embrace the awe-inspiring river landscapes and tackle exhilarating mental and physical challenges. This expedition is all about learning to paddle a raft, taking in exquisite natural beauty, and stopping often to explore unforgettable viewpoints – not to mention camping beneath the pristine night skies of Southern Utah.
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.
River Navigation, Service, Whitewater Rafting, Rafting
Skills
Technical
Basic Paddle Strokes
Campcraft
Food Preparation and Cooking
Knots
Map and Compass
Navigation
River Reading
Sheltering Strategies
Interpersonal
Camaraderie
Character
Communication
Empathy
Leadership
Positive Risk Taking
Self Confidence
Sense of Social Connection
Service
UPCOMING COURSES
This course is not currently accepting enrollments. Please check back frequently, as this is subject to
change.
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.
Outward Bound Veterans expeditions build on camaraderie and the challenge of the natural world as a pathway to healing. These expeditions encourage participants to connect with existing strengths and bond with fellow veterans in a safe, positive, mission-driven environment. As they harness the power of wartime experiences like carrying heavy packs, moving fatigued muscles and sleeping outside, these courses help build the self-confidence and sense of purpose veterans need to continue serving as leaders in their families, communities and the nation.
Build core skills: Veterans receive hands-on training on expedition and personal skills. As part of an inclusive, supportive crew, they gain communication skills, establish trust and validate experiences among other veterans.
Practice Outward Bound values: Instructors focus on Outward Bound core values like compassion, integrity, excellence, inclusion and diversity to help veterans reflect, share insights and live in the present moment.
Process and Reflect: Journaling, one-on-one and group discussions help veterans understand how Outward Bound experiences might translate to coping skills back home.
What participants learn: Veterans return home inspired, ready to tap into rediscovered strengths and eager to find new ways to contribute to society.
Please note: Outward Bound expeditions for Veterans are designed for individuals (who do not already know each other) to come together to form an inclusive crew, work together to overcome adversity, and use the environment they’re in to learn as a team. If you have a group of 3 or more Veterans who already know each other, we have a different experience for that: please contact our National Admissions Office at 866-467-7651 to talk about custom group programs or fill out Custom Programs Form.
Each day on the river is spent learning to recognize and navigate various obstacles and hazards in the river, and how to anticipate the forces of the current from far enough upstream. Participants will work to become a team, coordinating spacing and paddle strokes. They will have an opportunity to be the captain of their raft and practice new skills as they maneuver through adrenaline-filled rapids and flat-water sections.
In places, the canyon rims rise hundreds of feet above, enclosing participants in a remote world of rushing water, delicate ecosystems and unbelievable beauty. Most courses get the opportunity to take day hikes away from the river and up to the canyon rim. These hikes provide amazing views, a change of pace and often the chance to see petroglyphs, pictographs and strange but beautiful geological formations.
Depending on permits and river conditions, the course takes place in one of the following regions:
Cataract Canyon - Colorado River, Utah
One of the most rugged and beautiful canyons in the West, Cataract Canyon takes participants through the heart of Canyonlands National Park. Participants learn how to guide a whitewater raft as they float past natural wonders and ancient ruins to the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Pueblos, and Diné nations.
Gates of Lodore – Green River, Colorado and Utah
Whitewater on the Green River begins at the course start, where the river enters the imposing Gates of Lodore Canyon. Red sandstone escarpments rise up 2,000 feet above the river as it carves a 45-mile course of placid flat-water and raging rapids through three dramatic canyons—Lodore, Whirlpool and Split Mountain. This section of river is enclosed within Dinosaur National Monument, and participants are privileged to witness the towering cliffs as well as rock art from the Fremont Indians, who called these canyons home over 1000 years ago. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) nation.
Yampa River – Colorado and Utah
There are few instances in the United States or the world where a river runs free and wild without dams, highways, railroads, or other manmade creations for its entire length. The Yampa is a symbol of wild rivers around the world, and it is the only major tributary of the Colorado River system without a dam controlling its flow. Participants paddle through deep sandstone gorges and class II-IV rapids with their crewmates. The Yampa is one of the most sought after rivers on any river-runner’s life-list due to the exhilarating whitewater, rich Native American history from over one thousand years ago, storied recent political history, and riverside wildlife. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) nation.