California Survival School
The Authority in California Survival Training
Survival Training with the nation’s largest wilderness survival school, trusted by the U.S. Military, Google, and National Geographic to field-train more students annually than any other program worldwide.
California’s Premier Hub for Wilderness Survival & Outdoor Education
California Survival School is California’s central authority for wilderness survival training, outdoor safety education, and emergency preparedness. As the largest and most established survival school operating in the state, we train more students each year than any other California-based program—setting the benchmark for professional instruction, risk management, and field-tested skills.
Our courses serve hikers, families, first responders, outdoor professionals, military veterans, and corporate teams seeking reliable, real-world survival training in California.
Why California Survival School Sets the Survival Training Standard
California Survival School operates as the recognized hub for survival education across California because our instruction is built on operational experience—not theory.
Expert Instructors with Proven Field Credibility
Train under nationally recognized survival professionals, including instructors featured by National Geographic, History Channel, Discovery Channel, and Good Morning America.
Our instructional team has included respected names such as Matt Graham, Dan Baird and Theresa Emmerich Kamper.
Trusted by Film, Television, and Industry
Our instructors serve as risk-mitigation and survival consultants for major productions including The Revenant, Cast Away, and Man vs. Wild.
Corporate and organizational clients include Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, who rely on our leadership, resilience, and decision-making training.
Know More. Carry Less.
Every program emphasizes judgment, environmental awareness, and adaptive thinking. Gear supports knowledge—never replaces it.
Survival Courses in California
Ideal For Anyone seeking practical wilderness survival skills in California.
Core Survival Skills Training
Our foundational, single-day survival course offered across Southern and Northern California.
Skills Covered
- Emergency shelter construction
- Water location and purification
- Fire starting (modern and primitive)
- Situational awareness and survival psychology
Required training for outdoor leaders, guides, and expedition staff.
Wilderness First-aid Certification
Hands-on medical training conducted in outdoor field environments.
Curriculum
- Patient assessment
- Wound and fracture management
- Environmental emergencies
- Evacuation decision-making
Realistic planning for the first 72 hours after a disaster—when emergency services are delayed and self-reliance matters most.
Urban Disaster Training and Emergency Preparedness
Training focused on real risks faced by California residents.
Topics Include
- 72-hour emergency planning
- Earthquake readiness
- Evacuation strategies
- Family communication systems
Training Locations Across California
California Survival School operates statewide to ensure access to survival training across diverse ecosystems.
- Northern California – Alpine and winter programs near Sacramento and Lake Tahoe
- Southern California – Courses near Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego County
- Bay Area – Instruction in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Livermore region
Past projects of note for our instructors have included work as primitive skills experts behind-the-scenes and on camera for Man v. Wild, Survivorman, Dual Survival, World-wide Extreme Survival (Japan), Good Morning America, and Castaway with Tom Hanks.
Begin Your Training
Thousands of students have built confidence, competence, and clarity through California Survival School programs. Whether your goal is outdoor safety, disaster readiness, or professional-level survival skills, your training begins here.
California Survival School
The authority for survival training in California.
Choose your training. Secure your spot. Build real preparedness.