9 Ways to Mentally Prepare for Summer Camp
Going away to summer camp is incredibly exciting! It can also be nerve racking. You might be imagining all the...
Learn About Overland
We Welcome Your Application to Join Us!
We build each of our groups with care, keeping the groups small (no more than twelve students), and paying close attention to age, grade, gender, and the mix of hometowns and schools. Our goal is to put together great groups — groups where nice kids thrive in a supportive, wholesome, and caring environment. Please note: availability as shown is based on students traveling without a friend; if your child is interested in traveling with a friend, please call our office for availability.
Important Information about Availability
Available
This departure of this trip has good availability. Apply as soon as possible since availability changes quickly.
Limited
This departure of this trip has limited availability. Apply as soon as possible, and on receipt of your application, if space is still available, we’ll confirm a spot for you. If all of the spots are taken, we’ll call you to discuss options.
Waitlist
This departure of this trip is currently full — please call us to discuss options.
How to Apply
Apply online using a credit card for the $795 deposit (your card will not be charged until we confirm a spot for you). Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received (we do not hold spots over the phone).
When to Apply
The flow of applications starts in July and peaks in January/February. Some groups fill by the December holidays, and others will have space into the late spring. Our advice? Apply as soon as possible — it only takes a few minutes — and we’ll get to work right away to find a great spot for you.
Questions?
Call (413.458.9672) or email (info@overlandsummers.com). We look forward to hearing from you.
Summer trips for
4th-12th Graders
Far more than simply a summer experience, Overland is a life experience with value and resonance that extends far beyond the boundaries of a single summer.
Carefully Crafted Trips
Every Overland trip offers friendship and fun, laughter and stories, adventure and exploration. With carefully planned itineraries, thoughtfully calibrated challenges, and clearly defined goals, our trips capture our students’ imaginations, stretch their abilities, and strengthen their bonds with one another.
A World Full of Promise
Optimism. Enthusiasm. Joy. That’s what you see and hear and feel at Overland. In everything we do, we seek to inspire our students to see for themselves the world’s beauty and promise.
More Than Just a Summer Experience
Whether it’s a lifelong friendship, a trove of joy-filled memories, or a spirit-sustaining love of the outdoors, Overland is more—much more—than just a moment in a young person’s life.
Please join us!
Why Overland
Our Leaders
Overland’s leaders are terrific role models for our students. Capable and caring, our leaders focus on creating supportive, wholesome environments where every student can flourish and grow.
Meet Our Leaders
Our Small Groups
Our groups are limited to 12 students — we pay attention to age, grade, gender, the mix of hometowns and schools, and we limit friend pairs to no more than two per group.
Why Small Is Better
Our High Standards
We expect a lot of our students — from playing by the rules to including everyone and helping out. At Overland, we value a positive attitude, enthusiasm, and consideration for others.
High Standards MatterStay up to Date
Preparing for Adventure: Training Tips for Your Hiking Trip
Embarking on a hiking trip is an exhilarating and rewarding adventure. Whether you're about to tackle a day hike or...
What gear do I need for a multi-day backpacking trip?
So, you've planned a multi-day backpacking trip and you're gearing up to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. With...
Adventure Travel, Explained: 7 Major Benefits and Helpful Guidance for Travelers
Stepping out of our comfort zone takes guts. But it has its benefits, too. Adventure travel – whether it is...
Best Reasons to Become an Overland Summers Trip Leader
Spending a summer as a Trip Leader with Overland may just be the most fun job on the planet. Getting...
The Top Three Things Overland Summers Looks for in a Summer Trip Leader, And How to Win the Job
Spending the summer outdoors with kids and teens on a hiking or backpacking trip is a dream job for many...
Guide to Planning a Summer Hiking Adventure for Kids and Teens in the Swiss Alps
Here at Overland, we find that the only thing that beats the excitement of sharing a summer hiking adventure with...
How to Book the Best Flights for Your Teen’s Summer Hiking Trip
The prospect of having a minor fly on their own can be intimidating, and nerve-wracking, for parents and children alike....
How to Choose the Right Summer Hiking Trip for Your Child
Here in the Overland Office, the wintertime is our busy enrollment season! That means phones are ringing and lots of...
Good Food and Plenty of It!
Meals at Overland At Overland, we make sure that each trip, all over the world, has good food and plenty...
Summer 2023: Admissions Update #2
Summer is just around the corner! We cannot believe that summer is just around the corner— only 5 months away!...
Summer 2023: Admissions Update #1
2023 is off to an exciting start! Here in Williamstown, we’ve been enjoying the buzz in the Overland office as...
Overland’s January Slideshows
We’re thrilled to connect with Overland prospective and alumni students at presentations across the country in 16 states, and 55...
Leader Recruitment: Meaningful Moments on the Road
Our Leader Hiring team spent their fall season on the road recruiting new Overland leaders from around the country. Campus...
Scouting Report: The Sierras
To wrap up our scouting reports series, we will take a look out west to the Sierras! We had the...
Scouting Report: The Alps
Welcome to our third update on our scouting trip series! Our scouting team was back in the familiar mountains of...
Scouting Report: Spain
Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here. We’re excited to share a multi-part series with you that touches on some of...
Scouting Report: Norway Explorer
For the second edition of our Fall Scouting series, we sat down with our Norway Explorer scouting team, Annie Duryea...
Summer 2022: Admissions Update #3
Here in Williamstown, we’ve been enjoying the buzz in the Overland office as we work with families to find trips...
Leading in the Sierras
“I love middle schoolers! They are so goofy, energetic, and eager to learn.” Overland leader Tiana took a break from...
Summer 2022: Admissions Update #2
2022 is off to an exciting start here at Overland! January is typically the busiest month for the Overland Admissions...
Summer 2022: Admissions Update #1
Over the past few years, we’ve been tremendously grateful for the outpouring of support from the Overland Community. This year...
The Eyes Up Ride
I started thinking about riding cross-country in January of 2021. I had been a member of the Overland year-round team...
Flying To An Overland Trip
December 1st, 2021 While backyard adventures are fun, sometimes it takes a flight across the country, or around the world,...
A Message to the Overland Community
Overland’s mission is rooted in respect for others. We are committed to a world in which every person is seen,...
Eight Summers with Overland
At Overland, we have always known that it is the people who make this community so special. In recent days,...
Dessert Circle (Continued)
Last week, our Founder and Director Tom Costley shared his reflections on the Overland tradition of Dessert Circle. Overwhelmed by...
Dessert Circle Origins and Reflections
Dessert circle likely evolved naturally as a way for groups to come together before bed and look back on the day. Highs-Lows-Cheers. Everyone gets a chance to speak. Everyone listens.
Take Time to Get Outside
Last week, those of us in our Williamstown office made the adjustment to... not being in the office. On Monday,...
The Certainty of Each Other
Meg Pritchard, a member of our year 'round team, shares some reflections on Overland in these unprecedented times. At Overland,...
Challenge, Community, & Camaraderie
Writing & Hiking and Language & Hiking trips have the same essential Overland group experience within the context of building confidence in the classroom.
The Benefit of a New Group Every Summer
Overland is a bit different than traditional summer camp. Instead of returning to the same place with the same people...
Iceland Explorer
The Land of Fire and Ice! Travel to the southern coast to hike past thundering waterfalls and raft the Gullfoss Canyon.
Introductory Trips
Learn more about our trips for our youngest students, grades 4-7.
A Day on the Alpine Challenge
Follow one of our Alpine Challenge groups as they hike from one campsite in Stechelberg, Switzerland to a hut in the Alps.
Our Story
Since Overland's first (and only) trip in 1985, we have expanded across the globe, but our core values have never wavered.
Spotlight: Amy Selinger — Overland Student, Leader & Parent
When the Selingers invited Overland founder Tom Costley to give a slideshow back in 1984, they probably didn’t think their...
Dessert Circle
Every evening, on every Overland trip, students and leaders sit down (with a sweet treat, of course) to recap the...
There’s Beauty Out There
It can be easy to forget how much beauty there is out there. Social media, breaking news, name-calling, and an...
The Joy is in the Challenge
Sleeping in a tent for the first time. Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Ordering food at a...
How to Prepare For A Teen Adventure Trip
As any Overland student knows, preparing for an outdoor adventure trip can be a bit nerve wracking. Whether you’re embarking...