WILDERNESS GUIDES COUNCIL

We are a global network of guides and supporters whose passion is offering contemporary wilderness rites of passage to people, community, and culture.

Welcome to Our Community!

The Wilderness Guides Council is a vibrant and diverse group of people who are dedicated to reintroducing meaningful, earth-based rites of passage and related programs in the context of our modern culture. 

If you’re looking for a program or would like to learn more about rites of passage, this website will guide you.

If you are a guide or aspiring guide, please join our network

You can also support our mission through a donation or by becoming a Friend Member.

Find a Program

Use our global map and database to find a program that is right for you.

Guide Directory

We are a network of guides around the globe! Search our directory to find a guide in your area.

Join our Newsletter

What Our Members Say

The minute you join the Wilderness Guides Council, you belong. Whether you've been guiding wilderness rites of passage programs for decades or now wish to begin doing so, you join a group of people like you — people who know that the Earth has great wisdom to teach us and who are dedicated to exploring ways of deepening their own receptivity to that wisdom and sharing it with others.
Trebbe Johnson
Founder and Director, Radical Joy for Hard Times Ithaca, NY and Guide Member since 1997
This community has been an ongoing source of inspiration, guidance, friendship and more for myself and other guides from around the country and the world. We are also a community of several generations, and as an elder now I am most inspired by the next generations who are stepping in to carry these earth based practices forward. We welcome any and all who would like to continue to grow and deepen together in these times of great need.
Anne Stine
Guide Member since 1989
I warmly recall the first WGC gathering at Saline Hot Springs, winter 1988 — the whole group immersed in the largest of the Prankster pools, beneath the palms, all of us astonished to be together at last and re-membering what it is to become human in relationship with the Others. The camaraderie, dedication, and mystery of that moment is fully alive still, radiating out from the hearts and souls of this Council’s inspired guides.
Bill Plotkin
Founder, Animas Valley Institute, Organizational Member

Join Our Community

A Place of Belonging

We have found that being part of a community network is not only a source of great practical support in all aspects of guiding and networking, but also deeply inspiring and nourishing.

The Wilderness Guides Council is a dynamic and fun-loving group of people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. We embrace differences in who we are and how we guide, while supporting one another in a shared intention. We are guides, friends, organizations, and partners dedicated to re-introducing rites of passage and nature connections to all. 

Please consider joining our membership, we would love to share in your journey!

Our Guide Network

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Membership Offerings

Friend Membership

$ 35 - 75 Sliding Scale
  • Access resources, publications & our online community
  • Be an integral supporter of the organization & our vision
  • Join members-only calls and events
  • Enjoy a discount to the annual gathering

Solo Guide Membership

$ 75 - 150 Sliding Scale
  • List your bio, company, programs and publications
  • Mentorship and networking with fellow guides
  • Access publications, resources and trainings designed for members
  • Enjoy a discount to the annual gathering

Organization Membership

$ 200 - 700 Sliding Scale
  • List your organization's logo on our website
  • Provide up to 10 memberships for your staff and guides
  • Enjoy all of the solo guide membership benefits including program listing
  • Participate in councils for organizational leaders

Organizational Membership

We Value Our Relationships

The spirit of the WGC is rooted in collaboration. We invite organizations offering rites of passage and other nature-based programs to become a member of the WGC. Our organizational members bring a bounty of experience and support to the Wilderness Guides Council. We will help promote your programs, network your guides, and connect you in collaborative partnership with the community.