Discover Personal Growth through Wilderness Experiences
At Wilderness Trails, our Six Principle Philosophy—nature connection, nature conservation, self-sufficiency, personal development, empowerment, and conscious awareness—guides everything we do.
In this newsletter, we want to share how Personal Development will be part of your experience with us:
Everyone who joins us fills in our Wilderness Readiness Survey to identify whether our experiences match your personal interests and goals. Once you have identified those, you will be clear on your purpose for your experience and now what areas you want to develop your skills and knowledge. Every adventure is hands-on and an opportunity to learn something new. Whether you learn at home with the pre-trip online course, or at the Ranch, how to saddle your own horse, how to split wood and improve your problem-solving skills as you overcome challenges. By the end of your journey, you’ll leave with new confidence and practical abilities you can use wherever life takes you.
Wilderness Lifestyle Experience
Are you looking for a wilderness adventure that will inspire you to live a more meaningful life?
Do you want to break your routines and embark on a journey with a purpose?
Your personal development is the priority of your Wilderness Lifestyle Experience. Here, you will have the opportunity to reach your full potential and realize your goals as you learn to live a self-sufficient lifestyle, from daily ranch chores, carpentry, mechanics, to packing and shoeing horses, harvesting wild edibles and contributing to conservation projects. Build your own schedule that combines your personal development interests in alignment with the opportunities available. Learn more.
Conservation Horse Pack Trip
Discover real personal growth on our wildlife tracking and conservation horse pack trip. Learn practical wilderness skills like saddling and packing horses, tracking grizzly bears and mountain goats, contributing to conservation and participating in daily reflections on your experiences during the trip. Every challenge that you meet here with responsibility, commitment, ownership, initiative and a positive attitude becomes a stepping stone toward greater resilience, confidence and personal growth. Reflect on your experiences and leave with a stronger sense of purpose and self.
Learn more.
Want to develop your photography skills?
Explore a photographer’s paradise with endless wilderness, striking scenery and Canadian wildlife. Learn about the wild plants and wildlife, their habitats and how to find them. Build skills and confidence that you can apply on your own adventures. Riding horseback allows you to get closer to the action, keeps you immersed in nature and provides endless photography opportunities.
Contact us to discuss your photography interests, wilderness skills and the best opportunities.
Fishing Adventure
Whether you are an experienced angler or looking for a new skill to learn together as a family or with friends, our fishing adventures will provide you with the wilderness experience you are looking for.
As an experienced angler, discover new locations as you embark on a horseback pack trip to access remote lakes or stay at our ranch and fish a different lake or river each day.
As a beginner, join us for a family ranch stay and add on fishing to one of the many activities you can do on our family guest ranch.
Each experience will immerse you in the wilderness to the extent you are comfortable with.
Learn more about Canadian Wildlife, from watching bald eagles catch fish or beavers swimming in the lakes. Record your wildlife sightings and the fish you see to contribute to improved wildlife numbers and improved management practices.
Contact us to create the fishing experience you are looking for.
Are you looking for a way to identify your interests, goals and purpose?
Kickstart your personal development journey at home
Listen to our Music
Discover our latest album, Wildheart – Heartfelt songs about the journeys leading towards an authentic, empowered life, confidence and meaning found through wilderness experiences. It highlights the power of the wilderness for growth, describing experiences like living close to the land, confronting wildfires, standing up for conservation and reconnecting to nature and the self.
Personal Development Online Courses
Take initiative with our pre-trip online course to prepare yourself at home or learn about yourself with our Personal Development online course. All of our programs and courses with our training partner the Institute for Human Potential are self-directed providing you with information, inspiration and self-reflection prompts for you to put into action. Sign up here
Read our Philosophy – Personal Development Book
These short stories explore various aspects of investing in personal development through a wilderness lifestyle. These include learning to be a guide in the guide school program, learning from horses, learning how to live the wilderness lifestyle, becoming an English as a Second Language teacher and developing leadership roles.
Get the ebook on our partner’s website Fortress Books.
Partnership for Conservation
Together with the Chilcotin Ark Institute, we contribute towards conservation and stewardship efforts in the Chilcotin Ark.
All of our guests and students want to make their contribution to the conservation of the wilderness they are immersed in. That’s why they get involved in hands-on conservation projects and 5% of every trip and training program goes towards stewardship in the Chilcotin Ark.
Donate Towards Conservation
Donate here
University Practicum Opportunities
We believe a Practicum should be more than just a line item on your resume – it should be a life-changing experience profoundly expanding your vision of who you can be and what you can accomplish. Learn more on our website.
Stay up to date with what’s going on by checking out new podcasts and blog stories on our partner page Trails to Empowerment or by following Trails to Empowerment on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Are you ready to experience a transformational wilderness adventure? Fill in our Wilderness Readiness Survey.
We look forward to sharing a Six Principle wilderness experience with you,
Your Wilderness Trails community