At Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center, we design programs to ensure there's an opportunity for everyone to have a transformative experience in nature. Though it will be some time before we can host you again in the Opal Creek Wilderness, below you'll find an up-to-date list of current offerings and programs in development:

Outdoor School

We are thrilled to offer day and overnight outdoor school!

Because nature is the best classroom. Our outdoor school program focuses on cultivating an awareness and connection to nature. We know that when young people are given the opportunity to explore independently and ask questions about what they see, they become more invested in learning and caring for the natural world. We teach science by doing science. Field studies and hands-on labs bring students into contact with an astonishing variety of plants, fungi, lichen, macro-invertebrates, and amphibians.

Backpacking Expeditions

We are pleased to offer backcountry expeditions for youth and adults!

Through our small-group backcountry expeditions, we bring youth and adults face-to-face with the outdoor places that make Oregon great—pristine mountain streams, uncut vistas, and old-growth forests. With offerings for all ages and abilities, Opal Creek Expeditions traverse miles of backcountry trail, summit ridgelines and peaks, and visit sub-alpine lakes and streams, for a unique and rewarding backcountry experience. As each participant learns the ins and outs of backpacking, their confidence grows—in their skills and in themselves.

Other ideas?

Should you be interested in Opal Creek's educational programming but your group does not fit neatly into outdoor school or backpacking expeditions, we want to hear from you! Please contact our program team at programs@opalcreek.org or 503-892-2782, ext. 1 or 2.

Prior Programs

NOLS Wilderness Medicine Certifications

We are currently unable to host NOLS Wilderness Medicine courses at Opal Creek.

Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center and NOLS Wilderness Medicine regularly team up to bring you three of the most highly regarded wilderness medicine courses in the industry - taught in the heart of the ancient forest. Seasoned NOLS instructors often refer to Opal Creek as one of the premiere places to teach and practice wilderness medicine. Opal Creek's location offers a true backcountry setting, giving participants a chance to learn new skills and brush-up on old ones in an environment similar to where these skills would be needed in real-life wilderness medical emergencies.

Cabin Rentals

We are currently unable to host cabin rentals at Opal Creek.

The cabins at Jawbone Flats were located 3 miles deep in the Opal Creek Wilderness. Our guests walked in along the North Fork of the Santiam River, beneath the ancient firs and past rusting reminders of the canyon's mining history. Off-the-grid and disconnected, our guests spent their time with us hiking, swimming, relaxing, and fully immersed in wilderness.