Adventures in Leadership 2025 Sessions

Registration for AIL 2025 opens March 1st! Please visit the link below to register:

Session 1: Backpacking
June 22-27 | $350.00
Capacity: 16 Spots

Participants on Session 3 will meet at Elon before heading off to Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina for a week of backpacking. We use our time on campus to introduce you to Elon and teach you the skills you’ll need while on the trail. We will spend 3 days and nights backpacking and camping on the Art Loeb trail before returning to campus. No backpacking experience necessary–we’ll teach you everything! You can expect about 5-7 miles of hiking per day on this very active session.

Session 2: Camp and Kayak on the Outer Banks
July 6-11 | $450.00
Capacity: 28 Spots

Participants on Session 2 will travel to eastern North Carolina and explore NC’s beautiful beaches. You’ll meet on campus and spend time getting to know Elon before heading off to the coast. Once there, you’ll  kayak, surf, spend time on the beach, camp, and experience all the local town has to offer. No camping or paddling experience necessary–we’ll teach you everything! You can expect about 3-4 miles of hiking or paddling per day on this moderately active session.

Session 3: Camp, Zipline, and Explore Western North Carolina
July 13-18 | $450.00
Capacity: 28 Spots

Participants on Session 1 will travel to western North Carolina and explore Nantahala National Forest. You’ll meet on campus and spend a day getting to know Elon before heading off to the mountains. We’ll spend a day ziplining through the canopy, getting a bird’s eye view of the trees. Then we’ll spend a few days hiking and exploring one-of-a-kind lakes and trails around Western North Carolina. Each night, we’ll camp in Nantahala. No ziplining or camping experience necessary–we’ll teach you everything! You can expect about 3-4 miles of hiking per day on this active session.

Session 4: Camping, Whitewater Rafting, and Rock Climbing
July 20-25 | $500.00
Capacity: 28 Spots

Participants on Session 4 will travel to western North Carolina and explore beautiful Pisgah National Forest. You’ll meet on campus and spend a day getting to know Elon before heading to Pisgah. We’ll spend a day on the river, learning how to whitewater raft and practicing skills. Then we’ll spend a day rock climbing and canyoneering in one of the best climbing spots in the Southeast before hiking and exploring waterfalls around western North Carolina. No camping, rafting, or climbing experience necessary–we’ll teach you everything! You can expect about 4-5 miles of hiking per day on this active session.

 

Adventures in Leadership has been the best experience I’ve had at Elon. It opened my eyes to new ways of learning. It has opened the door to countless opportunities for me at Elon, including my minor, and most importantly it brought me to my best friends and helped me create lasting relationships with students and faculty members. AIL is the reason that I love Elon, and I will be forever grateful to this program for molding me into my best self, and fostering my love of the outdoors.

-Nicole Roberts ’20