Women in Wilderness
Aug 14-16, 2026
Empowering women through wilderness stewardship
Women in Wilderness is an annual multi-day gathering hosted by the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation. The event is designed to bring women from different backgrounds and skill levels together to learn and grow in a safe and supportive environment. Though our curriculum is geared toward beginners, women of all skill levels are welcome to join us to refresh their skills and their expertise.
To be notified when registration for Women in Wilderness 2026 opens, sign up for the ABWF newsletter.
Why Women in Wilderness Exists
Though many women express wanting to spend more time in the backcountry, they often report feeling unsure about how and where to start.
Women in Wilderness exists to help women feel capable, prepared, and welcome in the backcountry. By creating a supportive, women-led learning environment where participants practice backcountry skills, ask questions without judgement, and build connections with others, Women in Wilderness cultivates the confidence and experience needed to safely explore, enjoy, and steward the wilderness.
Whether you are a brand new beginner, an experienced camper or hiker looking to get farther afield, or a seasoned outdoorswoman looking for a refresher on the fundamentals, Women in Wilderness has something for you.
How the Experience Works
Women in Wilderness is typically based on the grounds of a beautiful wilderness-adjacent ranch, which allows us to learn backcountry skills in a front-country, nature-based setting. We pitch tents in a nearby meadow, spend our days learning in small groups, and share meals and stories around a common campfire.
Over the course of a long weekend, participants learn from an all-women team of outdoor educators, wilderness professionals, stewardship leaders, and mentors who bring both technical expertise and lived experience.
Learning happens through demonstrations, hands-on clinics, and group discussion, and culminates in a half-day stewardship project designed to give back to the wilderness we love.
What Participants Learn
Program content varies from year to year, but typically includes topics such as:
Backcountry trip planning
Selecting gear and packing a backpack
Navigation and route-finding
Campsite selection and setup
Food handling and water filtration
Campfire management
Backcountry hygiene
Bear awareness and bear spray handling
Responsible, low-impact recreation
Preventing and addressing common wilderness emergencies
Stewardship skills and public lands service projects
Women in Wilderness 2025
Our first annual Women in Wilderness session took place in June 2025 along the beautiful Stillwater River in south central Montana. This empowering weekend was designed to build confidence, self-reliance, and community for women and girls (ages 16 and over) interested in adventuring and working in a wilderness setting. Our all-female instructor team included experts in fields of outdoor leadership, natural resources, wilderness stewardship, and search and rescue. Over the course of three days, participants gained practical skills in backcountry trip planning, navigation, bear safety, campsite setup, responsible recreation principles, and wilderness stewardship. Participants received additional instruction in trail maintenance skills, such as using a crosscut saw and digging drainage ditches, which culminated in a half-day stewardship trip where the group tackled a handful of vital projects at and around the Woodbine Falls Trailhead.
Want to join us?
Whether you are new to outdoor exploration, looking to refresh your skills, or seeking a community of like-minded women, this immersive experience will provide you with essential backcountry skills, mentorship, and hands-on stewardship opportunities.
No previous experience is necessary—just a desire to learn, engage, and be part of an incredible community of women in the outdoors!
Women in Wilderness is made possible with support from these partners:
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