Experiential Learning & Outdoor Education
Hero
More Than Fun in the Outdoors
For over 60 years, our location in the heart of the Vail Valley has made the outdoors a natural extension of the classroom. Our students don’t just play outside — they learn to respect it, care for it, and draw lessons that stay with them for life.
In Lower School, students begin with orientation days filled with hikes, team-building, and lessons in outdoor etiquette.
By 4th Grade, they pack their first big backpacks and head out on their first overnight Hut Trip, learning to push through challenges and support each other.
In 5th Grade, they tackle their first Winter Hut Trip, building resilience and camaraderie that deepen each year.
As students move into Middle and Upper School, outdoor adventures continue through class trips, winter hut experiences, and our cherished Ski Days — all woven into academic life.
Experiential Education at VMS is woven into our curriculum through:
Service Learning: Partnering with local nonprofits, students engage in meaningful community service, learning the value of civic engagement and compassion.
Project-Based Learning: Across all divisions, students tackle real-world problems through hands-on projects in science, social studies, and the arts.
Student-Led Research: Independent studies and senior capstone projects empower students to dive deep into topics they care about — and share their findings with peers, faculty, and the community.
Innovation: In our Makerspace, students design, build, and test solutions — combining creativity, technology, and teamwork.
Arts & Performance: Students gain real experience performing their work to audiences through music ensembles, theater productions, and art displays
Global Connections: Through programs like Intraterm, students work with other communities worldwide, combining travel with ethical service and cultural exchange.
The Experiential Learning Cycle
VMS experiential education is a cycle of intentional challenge, reflection and application. We engage in place-based and purposeful learning on our interconnected K-12 campus and outside our building on adjacent public lands. We collaborate with local partners to cultivate a deep appreciation of the community and environment.
- Prepare — learning context, skills, and purpose
- Actively Engage — engaging fully in real-world challenges
- Reflect — pausing to gain insights and deepen understanding
- Conceptualize — connecting new ideas and lessons
- Apply — bringing knowledge back to the classroom and life
Through this cycle, they grow as thinkers, problem-solvers, and citizens. Our students learn to ask questions that matter, analyze critically, and reflect deeply — building the neural pathways and metacognitive skills that lead to lifelong learning.
And they experience the joy of discovery: the freedom to explore, the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles, and the wonder that comes from connecting with each other and the world around them.
Key Programs by Division
Lower School
K-5: Fall Orientation Hiking Day Trips
K-5: Walking Mountains Field Trips
4th: Fall Hiking Hut Trip Overnight
5th: Winter Hut Trip Overnight
5th: Celebration of Lower School Denver Trip
Middle School
6th: Booth Falls hike and BOEC ropes course Orientation Trip
6th: Winter Hut Trip Overnight (check out our video below!)
7th: Rock Climbing in Buena Vista Orientation Trip
7th: Winter Hut Trip Overnight
8th: Fall Overnight Rafting Trip on the Colorado River
8th: Snow Science and Backcountry Safety 2-night Winter Hut Trip
8th: Celebration of Middle School Class Trip
Upper School
9th - 12th: 3-day Wilderness Orientation Trips
9th - 12th: Week-long Intraterm
9th: 9th Grade Getaway Overnight in Buena Vista
11th: Field Study in San Luis Valley’s Penitente Canyon
12th: Rivers in Literature River Trip
9th-12th: Optional Overnight Hut Trip
12th: New York City Trip
6th Grade Hut Trip
Land Acknowledgement
Vail Mountain School Outdoor Education programs take place on the traditional and present land of the Ute tribes (Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱). We are visitors to this place and we gratefully acknowledge the Native Peoples on whose ancestral homelands we recreate. Through education, we intend to bring a sense of gratitude and respect to the Ute tribe for allowing us to learn and gather on the lands they make their home today. This land acknowledgement is one small act in recognizing the importance of continuing to care for the land and acknowledge the complex history of the creation of public lands in the United States.
VMS operates under a special use permit for outfitting and guiding within the Eagle Holy Cross Ranger District of the White River National Forest.