Policies

Last updated: January 2025

About Wilder Walks

“Wilder Walks” is an experience of Wilder Pursuits, LLC. Locally owned in San Francisco, CA and licensed to operate throughout California. Wilder Pursuits, LLC operates under special use permits and commercial use authorizations from Point Reyes National Seashore, Stanislaus National Forest, and Yosemite National Park. Contact us if you have any questions regarding these policies.

Participation Policy

Although a deposit is all that’s needed to reserve your spot on a trip, your participation is not guaranteed until we have reviewed your signed Participant Agreement and completed Health History, and have approved you. We’re committed to helping you select the trip that best fits your capabilities and to helping prepare you for any trip we offer. However, if we deem you unable to participate after reviewing your Health History form, you will receive a full refund. Forms will be due within one week of your booking and failure to provide completed forms will be treated as a cancellation according to our Cancellation and Refund Policy.

We want everyone to feel confident in their ability to participate fully on each trip. So we expect all participants to have carefully read and feel comfortable with the descriptions of the trip, the route, and the trip difficulty before booking. We also expect you to arrive at the trailhead with the essential personal gear needed based on the conditions of each trip. Don’t worry, we’ll tell you exactly what to bring.

Our trips are meant to be educational and participatory. So we expect all participants to commit to a positive learning environment while on trail. This includes committing to follow Leave No Trace ethics that minimize our impact on the land. We also expect all participants to pack, carry, set up, and care for their portion of gear and food supplies.

We reserve the right to remove a participant from an ongoing trip if the guide feels that their continued participation poses a danger or otherwise negatively impacts the experience of other participants. If that happens, no refund will be given.

Payment Policy

Trip cost includes all taxes and fees, but does not include National Park entrance fees (only applicable to Yosemite National Park trips).

Trip Deposits

  • For trips open to the public:

    • A non-refundable $300 deposit is due at the time of booking and is required to secure your spot on a trip. Deposits are accepted online 24/7 until trips are full.

  • For private and custom trips:

    • A non-refundable 50% deposit is due at the time of booking and is required to secure your trip dates. You will be issued an invoice for the deposit amount, which can be paid via credit, debit, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, or ACH bank payments.

Gear Damage Deposits

A $500 gear damage deposit will be charged to each participant and will be due with final payments.

This deposit will be refunded less the cost of any gear repair or replacement due to participant negligence. Any refunded deposit will be initiated within 10 business days of the trip end date.

Please read the Gear Damage Policy for more details.

Final Payments

  • For trips open to the public:

    • Full payment is due 60 days prior to your trip start date.

  • For private and custom trips:

    • Full payment is due 90 days prior to your trip start date.

You will be issued an invoice for the final payment amount, which can be paid via credit, debit, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, or ACH bank payments.

Please contact us if you would like to arrange for a different payment method or to split your payment into chunks. Additional fees may apply.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Our trips are popular and demand often exceeds supply. Additionally, trip planning and preparation requires significant time and expense. We will always try to work with you to find an equitable solution no matter what happens. But to be fair to us and to other people who may wish to sign up, we’ve implemented the following cancellation policy:

For trips open to the public:

If you cancel, or fail to complete required forms for any reason:

  • More than 60 days from your trip start date: You will be refunded all payments minus your $300 deposit. The trip deposit is non-refundable.

  • Within 30-60 days of your trip start date: You will be issued a credit equal to 50% of your paid trip cost that you can apply to a different trip within 12 months from your original trip start date. No cash refund will be provided.

  • Less than 30 days before your trip start date or after your trip has started: No cash refund will be provided.

For private or custom trips:

If you cancel, or fail to complete required forms for any reason:

  • More than 90 days from your trip start date: You will be refunded all payments minus your 50% deposit. The trip deposit is non-refundable.

  • Within or less than 90 days before your trip start date or after your trip has started: No cash refund will be provided.

If we reschedule or cancel your trip for any reason:

We will always make every reasonable effort to deliver the trip you signed up for. However, we reserve the right to reschedule or cancel your trip for any reason. If we do, you have options:

  • Transfer your payment to another trip within 12 months, subject to availability and our discretion. If the trip you transfer to costs more, you will be expected to pay the difference. If it costs less, we will refund the difference to you.

  • Receive a full refund, unless the trip has already begun. If the trip is shortened or canceled on or after the start date, then you will receive a prorated credit for your trip cost that you can apply to another trip within 12 months.

If we refuse to allow your participation according to our Participation Policy:

After a review of your required forms: You will be refunded in full.

After the first preparation session or after the start of a trip: No refund will be given.

Transfer Policy

If you would like to transfer to a different trip or trip date more than 90 days from your original trip start date, no fees will apply. If you would like to transfer less than 90 days from your original trip start date, the Cancellation and Refund Policy will apply.

In lieu of cancellation, you can transfer your trip to a friend or family member without fees or penalties, subject to our approval.

Weather, Conditions, Unsafe Acts of Nature

Your trip will continue regardless of expected or unexpected conditions so long as your guide determines that it is safe to do so. The route may be modified due to weather, trail conditions, or in order to prioritize participant safety. Do not expect a cancellation or postponement due to inclement weather or conditions.

When venturing into the wild, unknown trail conditions, unpredictable acts of nature, and weather of all types are possible and should be expected. Your guide is trained in risk management and minimization and will always prioritize the group’s safety above all else.

Due to climate change, the risk of high-intensity forest fires and unhealthy air quality is increasing. We will never start or continue a trip that would be unsafe due to a nearby active fire. However, trips will still run even if the air quality is diminished unless the air quality index (AQI) at a nearby monitoring station averages 150+ for the week prior to the trip AND the conditions are not expected to improve based on known projections or forecasts.

If weather, trail conditions, or unsafe acts of nature necessitate modification, your guide will make every reasonable effort to maintain the quality of your experience after ensuring the safety of the entire group.

If we shorten, postpone, or cancel for any reason, then our Cancellation and Refund Policy will apply.

Gear Damage Policy

The gear provided by Wilder Walks is high quality and often prioritizes low weight over durability. This means that the provided gear may be more susceptible to damage if treated with negligence. Normal wear and tear is to be expected. We may even have opportunities to teach gear repair, and some of the gear we use may have been previously repaired.

However, any damage to any gear due to participant negligence may incur additional charges up to the cost of total gear replacement. These repair or replacement costs will be deducted from your Gear Damage Deposit and any cost in addition to your deposit will be billed to you separately.

COVID Policy

As with all other aspects of our trip design, policies, and execution, the safety of our participants and guides is the first priority. Backpacking with COVID, or any illness, can be unsafe for you and other participants on the trip. If you are sick at the start date of your trip, you shouldn’t come on the trip and should file a travel insurance claim.

COVID testing:

Any participant, including guides, will be required to take a test on the first day of their trip if they are symptomatic. If a participant or guide tests positive, they will not be allowed to participate and it will be treated according to our Cancellation and Refund Policy.

Travel Insurance

Stuff happens that we can’t always anticipate. That’s why they make insurance. If you’re uncomfortable with the financial risk of these policies or just want peace of mind, we highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance as soon as you book a trip.

Privacy Policy

We will never sell any of your personal information. If you opt-in to receive updates from us, we may use your personal information to communicate with you. If you complete a post-trip evaluation, we will use the information you share to improve our offerings. If you give us consent to use a testimonial or review, we may use it for marketing purposes. The information you provide on your Health History form will only be shared with your guide for your safety and it may also be shared with other medical personnel in the event of an incident.

Wilder Walks may take photographs and/or videos of participants while on trips. As outlined in the required Participant Agreement, Wilder Walks may use these photographs and/or videos for promotional or commercial use without compensation to any participant.