Outdoor Adventure Training and Retreats For Women

Vermont Outdoor Recreation Directory

"There's no better time than Vermont."

Vermont Outdoor professionals and organizations offer outdoor challenges, skill development and educational programs for women throughout the year.

This page includes our Women's Adventure Event Calendar and businesses that offer women specific programming. Choose from a variety of fun and educational opportunities and activities.

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Plans are under way to revive over 20+ years of annual Doe Camp Retreats along with supporting and promoting other outdoor programing for women.  Join Doe Camp Nation's private Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/doecampnation

"Dedicated to creating new friendships and adventures while learning new outdoor skills."

Firearms Safety for Women

Retreats and Outdoor Adventures

Women's Outdoor Programs

Women's Outdoor Event Calendar

Adventure Based Programs for Women

'October 5, 2024, Women’s & Femme’s Outdoor Rock Climbing Course
Bolton, VT - Our for-women-by-women climbing course is a great opportunity to learn and play in a comfortable and supportive environment. Spend a day rock climbing in Bolton with one of Petra Cliff's very own femme guides. Open to all abilities; from your first day out on rock to diving into more advanced technique, this course is tailored to meet the goals of everyone involved. Activies may also include rappelling, intro to anchors, and self-rescue, depending on group size and interest. Event by Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School https://www.facebook.com/events/1032555748247178/

October 19-20, 2024: Practical Fire Craft for Women
Monkton, VT - 9-7 Saturday, 9-5 Sunday - Fire is the “sexy” and “cool” survival skill that draws our attention.  “One channel, everyone watches!”  An extremely useful tool, fire is a skill that can be very difficult, especially if a survivor is hurt, inexperienced, or dealing with wet conditions.  In this two-day course we explore approaches for: finding and gathering various types of fuel; preparing fuels by breaking them down (or up!) into stages; the fire triangle and how to modify fire lays (how to put fuel/wood on a fire) to fit form to function; ignition styles and concepts; finding and preparing tinder in various environments and conditions; a multitude of different uses; and how to bank a fire (keeping a fire going overnight so you don't have to start from scratch in the morning).  Students will practice creating embers or flames using a variety of tools like: matches, lighters, flint and steel, ferro rods, and a magnifying lens among others. Class runs from 9 am-7 pm on Saturday and 9 am-5 pm on Sunday. Students may camp on property Saturday night. These classes are great for children 14 years old up to the elderly, and those with a variety of handicaps.  Just contact us if you have any questions or concerns! Class cost: $350, https://bookings.owlsskills.com/en/product/weekend-survival-course-in-vermont-2/configure/1

October 24, 2024, One Day Women's Survival Course
Monkton, VT - 9 - 5 pm - This “crash course” in basic outdoor survival principles is excellent for those who are short on time, yet want to feel more confident in the outdoors. This is the perfect course for an introduction to core concepts that will help keep you centered and making healthy decisions if things get hairy. It's mostly lecture-style with some hands-on training on topics such as staying warm, building fires, signaling for help, navigation concepts, knife sharpening, building emergency shelters, and more. Young, old, injured or otherwise are welcome! Class cost: $150.00. https://bookings.owlsskills.com/en/product/one-day-survival-principles-survival-skills-for-women-7/configure/1

October 25-27, 2024: Women's Weekend Core Survival Principles
Monkton, VT - Friday 4 pm to Sunday 4 pm - What do you do when things go wrong?  There is a lot of false information out there around wilderness survival skills, so come learn the real deal. Included is information on: the five basic needs of a survivor, knife selection and sharpening, finding and disinfecting water, signaling for rescue, basic knots and shelter building, fire concepts, scouting technique and basic compass use, survival kit building and design for all contingencies, and food principles. Clients practice and get feedback on many of the techniques demonstrated and discussed. We spend the entire weekend outdoors regardless of the weather.  Dinners are provided and cooked over an open fire.  This is an intense class where students often don’t hit the bag until 10 or 11 pm on Friday and Saturday night due to evening instruction after dinner.  We usually wake at 8 am and begin class at 9. If you’d like to go a little more in-depth and get more practice with the skills, this is the class for you!  This is a stand alone class in basic survival principles for women and non-binary folks that are comfortable in women-only spaces.  It is suitable for folks 12 and up (must be accompanied by a parent or guardian), and elderly or physically impaired folks that can walk on their own for at least a few hundred feet. This class is not a test of physical fitness, we are in a base camp learning and practicing skills, not hiking. We hope you can join us! Class cost: $520 https://bookings.owlsskills.com/en/product/weekend-survival-course-in-vermont-5/configure/1

November 16, 2024, Chainsaw Safety Workshop
Mendon, VT - Looking to boost your skills in small tasks like cutting up firewood, clearing trails, pruning or removing invasives? Join VWA and WOW on Saturday, November 16th for a women-led, hands-on chainsaw safety workshop. This workshop is perfect for beginners, as well as those looking to improve their technique and skills. Led by the experienced instructors of Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop®, L3C, you'll learn the essentials of chainsaw operation, maintenance, and safety practices. Hosted by Vermont Woodlands Association, in partnership with Women & Our Woods. Registration Fee: $175/person, (reduced $60/person from normal fee thanks to grant funding!) https://www.facebook.com/events/794498019390647/

January 9 - March 6, 2025, Women’s Mid-Week Alpine Clinics
Mad River Glen - The Women’s Mid-Week clinics are for women and taught by women using positive attitude, tactics and techniques to help you achieve your skiing goals. This eight-week program meets for 2-hour sessions on Thursday mornings. https://www.madriverglen.com/calendar/womens-mid-week-alpine-clinic-2/2025-02-27/

Women’s Ski & Ride Programs
Smugglers’ Notch - Ladies, it’s your turn! Experience the ultimate personalized coaching with our women’s programs. Feel the difference that a season filled with laughter and learning can make! Led by expert female coaches, our 6-week program offers fun and confidence-boosting sessions, packed with skiing and riding tips, tricks, and terrain tactics that cater specifically to how women move on snow. Whether you’re building basic skills or fine-tuning advanced techniques, our small groups are designed to be playful and supportive and take full advantage of the terrain offered by Smugglers’ three big mountains.
Winter 2025 Sessions:
Saturday Snowboard & Alpine Sessions: 1/25/25, 2/1/25, 2/8/25, 2/22/25, 3/1/25, 3/8/25
Sunday Alpine Sessions: 1/26/25, 2/2/25, 2/9/25, 2/23/25, 3/2/25, 3/9/25
Wednesday Alpine Sessions: 1/22/25, 1/29/25, 2/5/25, 2/12/25, 2/26/25, 3/5/25
https://www.smuggs.com/activities/womens-ski-ride-program/

February 4 - 5, 2025, 2-day Women's Ski & Snowboard Camp
Stratton, VT - The Women on Snow Camp is the getaway you've been waiting for. Cruise Stratton in style during this camaraderie driven ski or snowboard camp designed for women. During this Tuesday and Wednesday two-day camp, you'll be split up into small groups designated by pace, desired terrain, and goals for the camp. You'll begin each morning at 8am with a group meet-up, coffee and a continental breakfast. At the morning meeting the group will discuss the day's plan and mountain conditions, stretch and boot up, then hit the snow. Stratton Mountain Sports School's incredible female instructors will lead groups on the snow from 9am- 3pm on what could be the best two days of skiing and riding of the season. When the day is over, look forward to discounts at First Run, the Stratton Training and Fitness Center, fitness classes, and much more. https://www.stratton.com/things-to-do/events/women-on-snow-feb

February 6 - 7, 2025, Women's Alpine Adventure - Ski, Snowboard
Okemo - Women's Alpine Adventures participants take part in a program designed exclusively for women, by women. Led by some of the best female instructors in the business, we provide a supportive and social environment where participants quickly overcome fear, boost their confidence and gain skills. Whether you join the intensive two-day program or immerse yourself in the three-day program, you will come away with a sense of accomplishment. https://www.okemo.com/plan-your-trip/ski-and-ride-lessons/category/womens-alpine-adventure.aspx

March 6 - 7, 2025, Women's Alpine Adventure - Ski, Snowboard
Okemo - Women's Alpine Adventures participants take part in a program designed exclusively for women, by women. Led by some of the best female instructors in the business, we provide a supportive and social environment where participants quickly overcome fear, boost their confidence and gain skills. Whether you join the intensive two-day program or immerse yourself in the three-day program, you will come away with a sense of accomplishment. https://www.okemo.com/plan-your-trip/ski-and-ride-lessons/category/womens-alpine-adventure.aspx

September 7-12, 2025, Women's Quest Vermont Adventure Retreat
Word has it that our best retreats are in Vermont . . . so exotic destinations, move over! Our greenest state is proof that some of the prettiest playgrounds don’t require a passport. We’ll stay at the exclusive Trout Club, a historic, private fishing club nestled in the Green Mountains, with world-class cuisine and acclaimed hospitality, not to mention Vermont’s best hiking and biking trails right outside your door, including the famous 256-mile Long Trail. Tucked beside a private lake at the end of a long road, the Trout Club is a true hideaway, a place you won’t be able to find on the internet. There is no doubt you will love Vermont. https://womensquest.com/womens-adventure-retreats/vermont/

September 12 - 14, 2025, Fall Doe Camp at Jackson's Lodge
Canaan, VT - Doe Camp Nation Inc is sponsoring an outdoor education retreat for adventurous women 18 years and older at Jackson's Lodge & Log Cabins in Canaan, Vermont on September 12 - 14, 2025.  Fall Doe Camp will offer three days of classes to be held in the woods, in the lodge, on the lake and on the sandy beach as foliage season begins in the Northeast Kingdom of VT. The lakeside log cabins at Jackson's Lodge have been a favorite destination of savvy vacationers for decades. The weekend offers 4 sessions with over 30 classes to choose from. Classes are taught by our all volunteer, experienced and professional instructors. Campers can choose from a list of popular classes that include: Tree ID and Medicine, Shotgun & Clay Target Shooting Intro, Deer Hunting Basics, Fishing, Fire Skills, Whittling/Walking Sticks, Canoeing/Kayaking, Basic hiking first aid, Turkey Hunting Seminar, Baskets, Shelter Building, Trapping, Wild Medicine/Edible Plants, Chainsaw Skills, Self Defense, Handgun, Muzzleloader, Rifle, Archery Intro and Surviving Menopause. Visit our website for information and to register!! www.doecamp.org

Connect with like minded adventurous women by joining our private Doe Camp Nation group page on Facebook.

Horses and Pathfinders
Moretown, VT
Women’s Lead-Herd-Ship Sessions - Designed for women who are ready to declare transformation, our Women’s Lead-Herd-Ship Inner Circle will explore true leadership for yourself, your vision, your work and every relationship in your life. All learning is in-person, grounded, and safe. Each week we take our time and space. This a non-riding program and prior horse experience is not required.

OGGI BE Yoga Therapy & Rewilding
South Burlington, VT and beyond
Rewilding is a pathway to rediscover your deep connection to nature and the more-than-human world.  It rekindles your bond and reminds you, you belong to an expansive, beautiful, powerful community of beings.  Rewilding reignites your primal vitality, your senses, and awareness. Some of the teachings, research, and practices that form this unique rewilding practice are forest bathing (shinrin yoku), nature meditation and observation, nature therapy, yoga, Ayurveda, animal and plant knowledge and connection, wilderness skills, group facilitation, and council practice.  Your rewilding guide is also a master of environmental studies, a Vermont Master Naturalist, and a yoga therapist.  Release stress, breathe fresh air, get moving, calm the mind, soothe the spirit, and regain your sense of curiosity and adventure.

O.W.L.S. Skills: Outdoorsy Women Learning Survival Skills
Jessie Krebs started this school with the dream of women working together and supporting each other in a safe and challenging way. Women are survivors without training. We simply push on…or we don’t make it. Survival is about a lot more than physical skills, and survival takes many forms depending on the environment. Humans have been passing down wilderness skills for years, but women were often excluded. This is obvious when we look at most survival schools today. At OWLSSkills, women support and nourish each other to express and grow via training. With the physical skills of making a fire, tying up a shelter, or leading an off-trail hike, come the non-tangible skills of empowerment and confidence. We are stronger together. Come join us in being wilder women. Watch Jessie Krebs on MasterClass.

Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School
Burlington, VT - We love offering climbing space and experiences in collaboration with The Ladies Climbing Coalition, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The LCC mission is to connect and empower all women and non-binary people who are comfortable in spaces that center the experiences of women through climbing. They are dedicated to breaking down barriers to entry – access, opportunity, cost. They strive to build community and foster positivity, inspiration, motivation, and growth-- very much in line with the Petra Cliffs mission.

Quimby Country
Northeast Kingdom
Biking, Birding, Moose & Nature Watching, Canoeing & Kayaking, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Fishing, Hunting,
Averill, VT
Quimby’s 3-night women’s retreat offers flexibility, allowing participants to design their own experience and embrace all the amenities Quimby’s has to offer, while taking advantage of professional instructors and staff. We have designed a perfect getaway retreat for you and your friends, and we look forward to sharing Quimby’s with you!

Vermont Adventure Tours
Southern, Central - Vermont
Hiking, Canoeing, Kayaking, Orienteering, Mountain Biking, Mountaineering, Winter Camping,  Women's Challenges, Youth Programs, Winter Activities
Rutland, VT
Imagine doing an adventure tour through Vermont and New England that is perfectly blended to match your needs for adrenaline and serenity. Mix and match elements to create a special custom tour package suited to your unique tastes. Experience spectacular mountains, crisp fresh air, lush forests, wildlife and an abundance of adventure on an adventure holiday designed to fit your specific time frame, budget and interests.

Archery Classes

Please Support Our Sponsors

Outdoorsy Women Learning Survival Skills - To educate and empower women and other underrepresented demographics in the skills of surviving emergencies in global wilderness environments.

Jackson’s Lodge and Log Cabin Village is a destination of going-back-in-time to a Vermont lakeside resort built in the 1920s.

Women Training Women - Providing education and training of women who are interested in learning about firearms, firearm safety and the fun of shooting.

Say good-bye to harmful petrochemical ingredients in your soap, and hello to natural materials.

Outdoor pants designed so everyone can answer nature’s call.

We’re dedicated to creating the world’s best socks, and prove it by standing behind them unconditionally.

R & L Archery, Barre VT. Gear for Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Kayaking, Geocaching, Paintballing

Find everything you need for the outdoors, including fishing gear, archery equipment, firearms, and outdoor clothing at Vermont Field Sports

Rack N' Reel is a store specializing in sporting goods, archery, guns, ammunition, outdoors, work and technical apparel, camping, kayaking and other outdoor ventures. Rack N' Reel 5343 Ethan Allen Highway, New Haven, VT.

VASA is the statewide association of ATV clubs dedicated to developing, promoting and conserving responsible, family friendly ATV recreation throughout the state.