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.

Adventure Travel, Explained: 7 Major Benefits and Helpful Guidance for Travelers

Independence & Self-Reliance

Stepping out of our comfort zone takes guts. But it has its benefits, too. Adventure travel – whether it is a hiking trip, backpacking expedition, or a bikepacking tour – is often far outside of our comfort zone, but the benefits are equally as dramatic.

Through my own travels around the world, and a professional career focused on creating programs for Overland students to do the same, I love the opportunities and experiences created by adventure travel.

What have I learned in the course of sending 6,000 students and leaders into the field? Read on to learn about my 7 main takeaways.

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Kayaking on the Snake River builds excitement and confidence

Seven Core Values of Adventure Travel

  1. Broadened horizons. The world unfolds in front of you – brimming with new experiences and bursting with promise.
  2. Screen-free environments. Leave your phone in your pocket or backpack — no need for calling or texting or posting. For the time that you’re outdoors, you’re fully engaged with your environment, your peers, and your trip.
  3. Discovery and inspiration. There’s nothing more stimulating than immersing yourself in a world beyond your day-to-day. Let yourself be amazed by the places you explore.
  4. Relationship to the natural world. You’ll never dismiss the value of wilderness again once you’ve stood on the edge of the tundra, or on the banks of a rushing river.
  5. Lifelong connections. The people you travel with – and those you meet along the way – will forever be imprinted in your memory, and you in theirs. Those relationships capture a specific time and place.
  6. Self-reliance and independence. Adventure travel requires you to be resourceful and creative in solving problems that arise along the way. 
  7. Engaged living. Proximity matters, and when you push yourself out into the world, you’ll feel a closer connection to the people you share that space with, and the experiences are more vibrant than ever before.
Luke Costley experiencing the benefits of adventure travel on his High Sierra Explorer trip in 2009

These are tangible benefits that I’ve experienced firsthand as well.

When I arrived in Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time in 2008, I was all of thirteen years old, far from home, and brand new to the world of adventure travel. Fifteen years later, I’ve learned a lot.

As a member of the Admissions team here at Overland, I spend my days working with our families, trying to find a great summer adventure for their children. As I speak with families, I hear over and over about the values and growth at the core of their child’s adventure travel experience.

There are lots of ways to experience the benefits of adventure travel and there’s something for everyone. In my personal time, I scheme about the next route I want to ride on Bikepacking.com. But maybe you’re looking for something a bit more straightforward. Here are three easy ways to get started.

Three Primary Types of Adventure Travel

  • The classic backpacking adventure.
  • Community service work, in the United States or abroad.
    • Engage with a local community, and contribute to a meaningful service project. Some, like our Service and Hiking New England trip, are based here in the United States and have long-standing relationships with local organizations.
    • Some service projects are based abroad. Some of these projects are really great opportunities to lend a hand in a place that values your contribution. Other service projects may not be as closely connected to the community they serve. Carefully research the service partner organizations, as you’ll want to avoid voluntourism, or “volunteer tourism”, a kind of travel that has been criticized as harmful and self-serving.
  • Language immersion and study.
    • What could be more exciting than learning a new language? There are a slew of cultural- and language-immersion opportunities around the world. On Overland’s Language and Hiking France trip, our students embed themselves in France’s Chamonix. From there they are directly exposed to the language and culture of this famous mountain town, and leave their three week adventure with language skills born out of language study both inside and outside the classroom.
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FREE DOWNLOAD

How to Choose a Summer Adventure for your child!

“Okay, I’m sold. What’s next?”

Great! I’m glad you’re excited. But preparation is key. Here at Overland we spend 10 months out of the year preparing our adventure travel programs. There’s a lot to consider, from your packing list to how to pick a route. If you’d eager to reap the benefits of adventure travel, browse our full catalog of adventures or keep exploring below!


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