One of the things that makes Wyoming Catholic College stand out among Catholic liberal arts colleges is how we make direct encounters with God's creation part of the academic program.  Our outdoor and equestrian courses are ordered to the beginner, so no special experience camping or riding is necessary, only a desire to learn!  For those who come to us with lots of experience, we'll show you new ways to refine what you already know.

The environs of Lander, Wyoming, appealed greatly to our founders in choosing Lander as the home of Wyoming Catholic College.  Lander is a charming town nestled against the foothills of the mountains on the banks of the Popo Agie River, which flows out of the southwestern edge of the beautiful Wind River Mountain Range.  This range is part of the Shoshone National Forest, which also encompasses the Absaroka and Beartooth Ranges.  The Wind River Range is full of cathedral shaped peaks carved out of the soaring granite Rocky Mountains.  Dotted with numerous glacier lakes, the mountain forests are filled with lodge pole pine, spruce, and aspen.  Fishermen delight in the abundance of golden, brown, rainbow, grayling and cutthrout trout.  Bighorn sheep, moose, deer, elk, marmots, fox, and antelope roam the forest and prairie land.

Lander and its surrounding area provide the perfect location where WCC students can participate in outdoor adventures that immerse them in the reality and beauty of nature that will inspire and nourish their souls so they can return to their everyday lives refreshed and filled with the “grandeur of God,” as the poet says.  

There are two general kinds of outdoor adventures at WCC, formal and informal.  The formal outdoor adventure is the College’s unique Freshmen Orientation Program.  While other schools may spend two or three days familiarizing students with their campus facilities, WCC spends almost a month over the course of the freshman year teaching students how to comfortably and responsibly participate in the beauty of the wilderness around them.  And to handle such a task it turned to the world renowned National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) headquartered in Lander. 

With the help of NOLS, WCC has developed a customized Orientation Program for WCC freshmen aimed at teaching its students how to thrive in the wilderness so they may enjoy the wonderful land around the college all year long. This Orientation Program is divided into two parts, the fall and the winter programs.  The fall program is conducted by NOLS and taught by NOLS instructors, who are some of the best in the business.  It takes place in the wilderness areas and national forests near to Lander and consists in 21 days of wilderness safety and leadership training. Many of the instructors have been working at NOLS for decades.  The WCC winter program is conducted by our field science and math instructor, Mr. Matt McGee, himself a trained and seasoned NOLS graduate and avid backpacker and rock climber.  This program is designed to equip students to encounter and enjoy the outdoors during the winter months.

Wyoming Catholic College students will also have the opportunity to participate in sports activities while attending the College. Intramural sports such as basketball, softball, volleyball, and soccer will be available, as well as tennis and golfing.  Students will also be able, free of charge, to exercise at Elemental Fitness, a a full-service gym and climbing training facility within easy walking distance of the College site.