Rooted in Adventure, Rooted in Appalachia
Appalachian Expeditions (APEX) is founded on the belief that connection to nature is an essential part of being human. As humanity has moved away from its roots in the natural world, we find ourselves in a challenging time. We believe sustainability starts when people connect with the natural world. Through our adventure-based expeditions, we help re-establish that connection.
At Our Core
Adventure
Adventure is inherently exciting and often involves leadership, risk management, and consequential decision making. Each adventure on which we embark helps us develop an innate sense of confidence and self-awareness that can be applied to all facets of life.
Outdoor adventures are complex and dynamic situations that allow us to examine ourselves and our place in the natural world. Our programs encourage the development of these crucial skills while helping participants discover what adventures best align with their personalities and individual goals.
Community
Developing a sense of community forms the foundation for sustainable living. Whether you’re part of a local community or a global network, we can accomplish more when we band together to achieve a common goal.
We help participants develop community engagement skills through our curriculum that focuses on communication, conflict resolution, and leadership.
Sustainability
Sustainability can mean different things to different people. At APEX, sustainability means:
- Reducing our impact on the natural environment and its resources so they may be preserved for future generations.
- Educating people about sustainability concepts and how they can be incorporated into daily life.
- Promoting strong environmental ethics.
We reduce our impact on the planet by adventuring close to home. We offset our footprint by planting trees, composting food, and diminishing waste via refusing and reducing our use of new materials. We reuse, repair, repurpose, and recycle as many products and resources as possible.
Nature Connection
We are an institute whose beliefs are rooted in the concept of Deep Ecology. Meaning, we recognize that humanity is a key component to the natural functioning ecosystem of the planet, but does not have more or less value than any other organisms in the ecosystem. Many of our programs, either explicitly or implicitly, attempt to help participants find their ecological identity in this world. This eco-philosophy (among others) permeates our program beyond just the ideas that we teach; we use it as a model to organize our systems, staff, and schedule.
Start Exploring
Summer 2023 Youth Expeditions
Cheat River Watershed Expedition
Cheat River Watershed Expedition
Two full weeks of boating and backpacking adventure while exploring the majestic Cheat River watershed (ages 15-17).
Learn More WV Highlands Adventure
WV Highlands Adventure
Nine days of backpacking and canoeing in the Allegheny Mountains (ages 13-15).
Learn More Tucker Community Backpacking Trip
Tucker Community Backpacking Trip
A five day experience for local youth to get outside and explore a backcountry wilderness area in the Monongahela National Forest.
Learn More Mountaineer Backpacking Trip
Mountaineer Backpacking Trip
Join us for a backpacking expedition in wild and wonderful West Virginia! This is an introduction to backpacking for youth ages 10-12.
Learn More APEX Adventure Day Camp
APEX Adventure Day Camp
Four days of big adventures: hiking, biking, canoeing, and caving (ages 9-11).
Learn More Advanced (ages 11-13): Five days of adventures including whitewater rafting.
APEX Wild Day Camp
APEX Wild Daycamp
Four days of fun and adventure where we’ll explore nature through a new and unique lens each day (ages 5-8).
Learn More Wild Water Expedition
New for 2023!
Wild Water Expedition
New for 2023! Appalachian Expeditions will collaborate with Friends of the Cheat and Blackwater Outdoor Adventures to put on our first ever Wild Water Expedition. (ages 15-17).
Learn More Summer 2023 Adult Expeditions
Women’s Adventure Days
Women’s Adventure Days
Let’s go play! On these full day adventures, try new things and explore with a supportive group of women.
Learn More Women’s Backpacking Trip
Women’s Backpacking Trip
Four days of backpacking, yoga, connection, and fun with women who want to expand their wilderness skills.
Learn More Co-Created Expeditions
Our co-created expeditions offer an opportunity to customize your Appalachian Expeditions experience. Our highly qualified instructors are extremely knowledgeable of the area and have a diverse range of skills and strengths. We offer backpacking, boating, and biking trips and can work with third parties if there is a different activity that you are interested in pursuing.