ADVENTURE RACING
Odyssey Adventure Racing Academy
SALEM, VIRGINIA
Run, swim, rappel, bike, and orienteer at the country's longest-running adventure-racing school. Six days, $1,750; oarevents.com
ALPINE SKIING
All Mountain Ski Pros
LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA
Owner Eric DesLauriers has starred in 22 ski movies and is recognized as one of the top 100 instructors in North America. Group lessons from $90 per person; allmountainskipros.com
AVALANCHE SAFETY
San Juan Field School
TELLURIDE, COLORADO
Study with professional avy forecasters in the San Juan Mountains, home to the most slide-prone snowpack in the U.S. Three-day clinic, $210; tellurideadventures.com
BACKPACKING
National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
ALASKA, ARIZONA, IDAHO, WASHINGTON, WYOMING
Spend two weeks in Wyoming's Wind River Range with a school that has taught 85,000 students over the past 42 years. $3,005; nols.edu
CANOEING
Nantahala Outdoor Center
WESSER, NORTH CAROLINA
Learn whitewater basics with instructors like former freestyle world champion Eli Helbert. Four days, $925; noc.com
CANYONEERING
American Canyoneering Association
UTAH, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA
Take beginner to advanced courses with the group that sets the guiding and accreditation standards for the sport. $100 per day; canyoneering.net
CAVE DIVING
Lloyd Bailey's Scuba & Water Sports
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
Get certified in the limestone caves of north Florida. Two-day intro course, $275; lloydbaileysscuba.com
DOGSLEDDING
Paws for Adventure
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA
Mush with the largest dogsledding-tour operator in Fairbanks. Overnight clinic, $700; pawsforadventure.com
EXTREME SKIING
Steep and Deep Camp
JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING
Drop into extreme terrain with top instructors and guests like resident Olympian Tommy Moe. Four days, $730; jacksonhole.com
FLY-FISHING
Orvis Clinic at Dogwood Canyon
LAMPE, MISSOURI
Lay it lightly at the 10,000-acre Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, home to some of the biggest rainbows in the lower 48.
Two days, $470; dogwoodcanyon.com/orvis
HANG GLIDING
Kitty Hawk Kites
NAGS HEAD, NORTH CAROLINA
The world's largest hang-gliding school includes beginner training on the wipeout-friendly dunes of North Carolina's Outer Banks. From $69; kittyhawk.com
KITEBOARDING
REAL Kiteboarding
CAPE HATTERAS, NORTH CAROLINA
Two dozen full-time coaches will teach you to rip in the gusty shallows of Cape Hatteras, kiteboarding's best classroom. Three days, $1,095; realkiteboarding.com
MOUNTAINEERING
American Alpine Institute
WASHINGTON, ALASKA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, NEVADA
Begin with a six-day intro to alpinism in the North Cascades, then carry on to Ama Dablam whenever you're ready. Introductory course, $1,025; aai.cc
PARAGLIDING
Torrey Pines Gliderport
SAN DIEGO
Become a certified pilot in two weeks with the country's largest paragliding outfit. Certification course, $1,625; flytorrey.com
ROCK CLIMBING
Vertical Adventures
JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA
Climb in Joshua Tree National Park with veteran American Mountain Guides Association–certified instructors.
From $105 per day; verticaladventures.com
SAILING
Annapolis Sailing School
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
Become a skipper in two days in America's sailing capital, at the country's oldest adult school. From $375; annapolissailing.com
SANDBOARDING
Sand Master Park
FLORENCE, OREGON
Four-time world champ Josh Tenge is the resident instructor at this sandboarding shrine. Group lessons from $10 per person; sandmasterpark.com
SCUBA DIVING
Pro Dive International
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
The first PADI five-star dive center in the U.S. trains more instructors than anyone in the world. From $295; prodiveusa.com
SEA KAYAKING
Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures
CAPE COD AND WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS
Paddle with one of the four outfits rated as a "pro school" by the American Canoe Association. Half days from $65; ospreyseakayak.com
SKIMBOARDING
Solag Skim School
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Practice in the California skimboarding mecca of Laguna Beach with top pro Paulo Prietto. Four-day camp, $240; solagskimschool.com
SNOWBOARDING
Ross Powers Snowboard Camp
NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT
Two-time Olympic halfpipe medalist Powers leads a posse of top instructors. From $329 for two days; mtsunapee.com, okemo.com
SURFING
Paskowitz Surf Camp
SAN DIEGO
The longest-running surf camp in the U.S. has offered custom lessons since 1972. Six days, $1,250; paskowitz.com
SURVIVAL
Boulder Outdoor Survival School
BOULDER, COLORADO
BOSS has been teaching wilderness survival in places like the Utah backcountry for 40 years. Seven-day course, $1,095;
boss-inc.com
TRAIL RUNNING
Beyond Running
CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, WASHINGTON
Private lessons with Scott Jurek, seven-time winner of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, cover training, technique, and nutrition. Weekend camps from $300; beyond-running.com
WAKEBOARDING
Lavelle Train Station
POMPANO BEACH, FLORIDA
Four-time wakeboarding world champ Dean Lavelle teaches beginners to backflippers. $160 per hour; wakeboard-school.com
WHITEWATER KAYAKING
DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking
CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, IDAHO, OREGON
Top American Canoe Association instructors take you from wet-exit newbie to Class IV stud. $270 a day; adventurekayaking.com
WINDSURFING
ABK Boardsports
NATIONWIDE
Learn basic to advanced skills with the sport's oldest professional traveling school. From $350 for three days; abkboardsports.com
