Montana Wilderness Conservation

The third largest wilderness area in the lower 48, the Bob Marshall Wilderness consists of 1.5 million acres of mountains, rivers, and lakes just south of its much more trafficked neighbor, Glacier National Park. Students on this trip will work with local trail masters and guides to restore and maintain trails, remove invasive plant species, and participate in wildfire mitigation projects. When not working to help preserve this pristine area, students will engage in team building and leadership skills activities, fishing, hiking, and enjoying breathtaking scenery. All meals are provided, trip members are required to bring their own camping equipment including a tent, sleeping bag, pack etc. After six nights and seven days in the wilderness, the Glacier Institute will lead a daylong workshop where students will learn about Glacier Park and go on a guided hike, or afternoon fishing trip. The last group activity will be a visit to some local hot springs to help restore our bodies and experience a bit of true Montana lifestyle.

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Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana

Dates

10 Day Trips
June to August

Group Size

10-20 Student
2-4 Trip Leaders/Chaperones
Max 8:1 Student/Adult

Tuition

$2595

(Not Including Airfare)

Early Bird & Group

Discounts Available

THE TRIP AT A GLANCE

Flathead Indian Reservation

The first and last nights of this trip are spent on the lands of the Flathead Indian Reservation. Home to the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Oreille Nations, our first night in Montana will be in the Jocko Valley, a traditional central site of various spiritual rituals, gatherings, and rites of the Salish People. In addition to learning about wilderness and conservation topics, we will learn about the history of the indigenous inhabitants, efforts to maintain and promote their unique culture and language, and the legislation, attacks, and processes involved in the transformation and loss of their lands.

Bob Marshall Wilderness

One of the largest wilderness areas in the lower 48, “The Bob” as it’s known, is over a million acres of rugged western Montana beauty. It hosts glaciated peaks, forested mountains, grand valleys, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, all in a roadless massive expanse of pristine nature. Managed by the US Forest Service, the limited number of annual visitors enter the wilderness by foot or horseback with no motorized vehicles permitted in the area. To assist the forest service, there has been a recent push to organize and increase the number of volunteer crews to help with trail maintenance, removal of invasive plant species, fire mitigation, and animal research and monitoring. One of the last truly wild places in America, The Bob leaves an indelible impression on all who enter it.

Glacier National Park

First inhabited by various indigenous peoples, Glacier Park, one of America’s premier national parks, is now a protected area of one million acres. Home to over 100 turquoise blue glacier lakes, more than 1,000 species of plants, snow covered peaks, and rivers, Glacier Park is one of the last wonderlands of nature. Due to increased year round temperatures from climate change, many of its namesake glaciers are disappearing fast. On our summer service trips to Montana, trip members will be led on educational hikes to lakes and mountain passes by the experts at the Glacier Institute.

Missoula, Montana

This northwest Montana town is home to over 70,000 people and the University of Montana. Its quintessential Montana, vibrant, outdoorsy vibe has been celebrated in many books and films. At the beginning and end of trips, students will have the chance to explore the many restaurants, shops, river walks and maybe an outdoor concert or two, of this fun gem of the west.

Wilderness Conservation

Ever since the movement to protect public lands and wild places beginning in the early 20th century, there have been efforts and various philosophies on how to conserve and preserve these lands. On this trip, students engage in projects to both promote responsible and sustainable human interactions in the wilderness, and mitigating negative impacts caused by invasive species and climate change.

Backpacking And Camping

While every trip Padma organizes includes elements of leadership training and team building activities, it is the wilderness, through education and engagement in backpacking deep into nature, that tends to be the best teacher. Preparing a pack with everything you need for trip into the woods, and learning to get by with little more than what you can handle on your back nurtures a sense of independence and resiliency unique to those daring enough to venture into unknown mountains.

FAQ

We get a lot of little questions from parents and students throughout the year, especially leading up to trips. Here you can find answers to the questions we see most often. If you can't find what you need here, feel free to reach out to us by email or phone.

Trip Tuition:

$2,395 (Early Bird & Group Discounts Available)

Trip Tuition Covers:

• Accommodations
• Most Meals (We occasionally encourage trip members to explore local restaurants)

• Local transportation

• Project planning, materials, and management
• Adventure Activities
• Travelers medical, emergency and evacuation insurance
• Local and International trip leaders

Trip Tuition Does not Cover:
• International airfare (trip leaders can help select and arrange airfare for groups)
• Local shopping
• Additional sightseeing activities

Accommodations:
The first night of the trip will be spent in a hotel in Great Falls, Montana. Trip members will then camp for six nights 5-7 miles from the Benchmark Trailhead outside Augusta, Montana. Depending on project progress, we may change basecamps halfway through the wilderness portion of the trip. For the last two days of the trip, we will stay in Dupuyer, Montana within 1hr of the east entrance of Glacier National Park.

Electronics:
We will have little time for playing on phones and computers. That being said, be sure to have a camera or phone to take pictures throughout the trip. There will be no cell service or wifi for most of the trip. Trip leaders will have satellite phones or satellite text messaging devices in case of emergency.

Meals & Water
Most meals in town are eaten together at reputable restaurants, or prepared by chefs at our accommodations. With abundant activity, mountain sun, and the often warm temperatures of this trip, it is important to drink a lot of water to avoid dehydration. Padma's partners pack water, food and cooking supplies, and cook meals for the group while camping. Although we strive to provide ample food, many trip members also bring snacks from home.

Alcohol & Drugs
Padma maintains a zero tolerance policy on illicit drug use, and it will not be tolerated. Depending on the severity of the incident, trip members may be immediately expelled from the trip at their family's expense. In many countries and areas we travel, trip members are legally allowed to drink alcohol. On such trips, trip members are allowed to drink alcohol responsibly unless parents/guardians inform us otherwise. No drunkenness, inappropriate, or disrespectful behavior is allowed and if it occurs, trip members may lose privileges or be sent home if Padma trip leaders conclude the situation warrants expulsion.

Disciplinary Policy:
Padma Organization reserves the right to expel any trip participant from the trip at Padma trip leaders' discretion. This trip is not a party. Padma trips are intended as an opportunity for students to serve others while representing themselves, their school, Padma, and the United States as cultural ambassadors. Any behavior that disrupts this purpose, brings danger to themselves, or other trip members, along with any illegal activity are not allowed. The family of any student expelled from the trip is responsible for all costs to bring their student home. A first warning and removal of privileges will be given for minor offences, while larger incidents may result in immediate trip expulsion.

The itinerary below is a sample. Each trip itinerary may look a little different depending on variables such as the the cost and arrival date of flights at the time of purchase. Itinerary may also change or be adjusted based on group interest and themes. Trip members will receive an itinerary specific to their trip after flights have been booked.

Day 1: Travel with the group to the airport and fly to Great Falls, Montana arriving at Great Falls International Airport where Padma trip leaders will meet you. After settling into our Great Falls hotel for the night, we will participate in a presentation offered by the Iron Shield Collective, a non-profit that teaches and leads workshops related to indigenous issues, and history of the lands of Montana.

Day 2: The day starts early with breakfast then we head to Benchmark Trailhead 2 hours due west of Great Falls at the base of the Rocky Mountains. The fun begins with orientation, equipment checks, and important trainings for our week in the wilderness led by the experts at Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation (BMWF). After a quick lunch, we hike into the mountains to basecamp on the Sun River deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. After some activities to settle into our new environment and a team building game or two, we’ll enjoy dinner followed by our first campfire.

Day 3-6: Each morning we gather to go over project details and work schedules along with some warmup exercises. After breakfast we’ll collect our tools and head to work on trail maintenance, invasive plant species removal, and clearing fallen and burnt trees. For those interested, afternoons can be spent exploring your surroundings. On Day 5, we’ll have a slower paced morning. After lunch we’ll likely break camp and hike the couple miles to basecamp 2.

Day 7: Our final full day of work in the woods concludes with some afternoon fun on the river, and maybe a game of capture the flag or two. Our final campfire is sure to be filled with stories from our time in The Bob.

Day 8: After breakfast and packing our gear, we’ll head back down the trail to Benchmark Trailhead. Driving north to Dupuyer, we’ll spend the last two nights of the trip at Buffalo Wallow Motel, a classic lodging center on the way to Glacier National Park. After a few hours to rest, we’ll enjoy the best pizza for hours around.

Day 9: In the morning, we head an hour north to the east entrance of Glacier National Park, where we’ll spend the day with guides from the Glacier Institute learning about, and exploring Glacier Park. Our final evening together includes a final feast and some debriefing activities to wrap up the trip in a spirit of camaraderie and gratitude.

Day 10: Share one last group breakfast, then head back to Great Falls to catch a flight home with too many stories to tell.

Medical Considerations

Medical staff are part of every trip. Based on the medical forms submitted as part of each trip member's application, a Padma medical staff member will contact every participant who may require an individualized medical plan. Each student is provided travelers medical, emergency, and evacuation insurance. Any medical, psychological or physical conditions that might impact a student's trip participation must be communicated to your Padma trip leadership before your trip. Prescription medications must be brought with you as availability is not guaranteed during trips. Trip members must be capable of administering their own prescriptions/medication without the help or supervision of Padma staff or other adults. If you wish to purchase international medical insurance to cover any additional costs in the event of an emergency, contact your Padma trip leader for recommendations. Here are a few:

World Nomads
Allianz
AIG Travel Guard

Vaccinations:

There are currently no required vaccines to travel to Montana and it is up to parents and students to decide what vaccines to get. We recommend consulting the CDC website for suggestions on vaccines and details on additional travel information on Untied States. Here is a link to the CDC's US travel information: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/unitedstates

Recommended for all trip members:

To be up-to-date on COVID vaccinations and routine vaccines such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.

Trip members can cancel for any reason up to sixty (60) days before their trip, and receive a 50% refund of all paid tuition, less the $200 non-refundable deposit. Cancellations made less than 60 days prior to the trip cannot be guaranteed a refund. In case trip members are unable to join a trip due to medical or emergency related reasons, a full refund may be considered at the discretion of Padma staff. If trips must be canceled due to unexpected travel restrictions, or for any reason such as a natural disaster, social unrest, etc., full refunds will be offered, pending refunds from trip partner companies and organizations, contractors, and third party vendors.

Water Safety:

During your trip, there may be opportunities or swim in rivers and lakes. Currents, sudden depth changes, and cold temperatures (hypothermia) are some of the inherent risks we will face. Trip participants are never to swim alone and careful consideration of individual swimming ability and experience must always be considered.

Minimum Eligibility Criteria:

Padma’s Montana Wilderness Conservation trip includes outdoor and/or physically strenuous activities in various environments such as hiking, manual labor, and carrying or using heaving tools or equipment. Following instruction, trip members must be able to work independently for up to four hours a day and be capable of completing or participating in the specific activities of this trip.