The Green Mountain Club offers a variety of programs and workshops to help you or your group travel safely and confidently in Vermont’s backcountry and have fun while doing it. Most workshops are hosted at GMC’s Visitor Center in Waterbury Center, VT, but some are out in the field all over the state. We offer programming in Leave No Trace, Wilderness First Aid through SOLO Schools, Map and Compass, Winter Trekking, Vermont Ecology, Women’s Backpacking, Yoga and Hiking, Adirondack Pack Basket Making, Trail Maintenance, and more! Please contact us with any questions.
If you’re interested in a GMC educator hosting a program with your work, school, or volunteer group, please contact us. We can work with you to put on a great program that meets your needs!
Women’s Intro to Backpacking Weekend
Dates: Saturday, June 23rd – Sunday, June 24th
Location: The Long Trail, north of Johnson, VT. Exact location TBA. Full itinerary will be sent to participants two weeks in advance.
Want to try backpacking, but don’t want to go it alone? This overnight course will provide a solid foundation of backcountry skills in a relaxed, supportive environment, while having fun with other adventurous women. This trip is open to all people who identify as women.
Before we depart, we will meet at the GMC’s headquarters to go over our gear and itinerary before carpooling to the trailhead. Instructors will provide a suggested gear list two weeks in advance. Participants are responsible for their own snacks and lunches, but Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast will be provided.
Instructor: GMC Staff
Limit: 8
Fee: $150 Non-member, $120 GMC Member
Please register at least two weeks in advance.
FULL. Please contact GMC to be added to the waitlist.
Wheeler Pond Yoga and Hiking Retreat
Dates: Friday, July 13th (5 PM) – Sunday, July 15th, 2018
Location: Wheeler Pond, Barton VT
Join Lori Flower of Karmic Connection Yoga for a Weekend of Hiking and Yoga in the beautiful Northeast Kingdom. Awaken your senses and relax while mindfully moving through the forest. Savor restorative evenings, stretching out by the fire at your shared rustic cabin or camp out solo under the stars. Lori’s gentle, holistic approach to yoga and bodywork makes this a wonderful opportunity for individuals new to yoga or those wishing bring depth to their existing practice.
Instructor: Lori Flower
Limit: 8
Fee: $250 Non-member, $200 GMC Member
Please register at least two weeks in advance.
Price includes rustic, shared lodging, and breakfast and dinner during your stay. Participants are responsible for providing lunches and snacks as well as personal gear. Suggested gear list and itinerary will be sent to participants two weeks before the retreat. Please contact for more information.
SOLO Wilderness First Aid
Dates: June 30th – July 1st, 2018 9 AM – 5 PM
GMC Visitor Center, Waterbury Center
Sign up early—this course fills fast! This sixteen-hour, hands-on course will prepare you for backcountry medical emergencies. Its focus is on the prevention, recognition, and treatment of injuries and illnesses. Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification or Wilderness First Responder (WFR) recertification is provided upon completion.
Instructor: SOLO
Limit: 24
Fee: $190 Non-member, $170 GMC Member. Please note on your registration form if you need WFR recertification and/or CPR (additional fees apply).
Age Limit: 14 and up
Please register at least two weeks in advance.
FULL. Please contact GMC to be added to the waitlist.
Hunting Wild Mushrooms
Date: Saturday, August 4th, 9 AM – 12:30 PM
GMC Visitor Center
Waterbury Center, VT
Are you intrigued by wild mushrooms? Join Ari Rockland-Miller of The Mushroom Forager on a tour of summer’s wild tastes and tonics. In August, the forests of Vermont are packed with edible mushrooms, such as chanterelles, black trumpets, porcini and chicken of the woods. This workshop will introduce wildcrafting safety, strategy, ethics and sustainability, followed by an exploration of the woods around the Green Mountain Club Visitor Center for the culinary and medicinal treasures of summer. Stick around for an optional cooking and tasting after the hunt!
Instructor: Ari Rockland-Miller
Limit: 20
Fee: $40 Non-Member, $32 GMC Member
Please register at least one week in advance.
Map and Compass 101
Date: Saturday, August 18th, 12 PM – 4 PM
GMC Visitor Center
Waterbury Center, VT
Do you like to get out and explore, but worry about the skills needed to find your way back? Join us and learn how to read and understand maps and use a compass correctly. Topics covered in this four-hour workshop include reading map symbols and contour lines, matching the terrain to the map, taking and using bearings, orienting map and compass, declination, determining your location and planning your route. Part of the workshop will be spent outdoors practicing skills learned in the classroom on GMC’s orienteering course. At the end of this course participants should feel more comfortable with their abilities to plan routes and make it out of the backcountry safely.
Instructor: David Hathaway
Limit: 12
Fee: $30 Non-Member, $24 GMC Member
Please register at least one week in advance.
Cancellation Policy: Refunds will be provided for cancellations made at least a week before workshop start date. No refunds for reservations cancelled less than seven days before the workshop start date. Workshop dates and venues are subject to change. GMC reserves the right to cancel a program at any time, in which case the club will notify registrants via email and a full refund will be provided.
