Explore one of America’s most magical wilderness areas, finding connection and belonging with your crew as you canoe the lakes and waterways of the Boundary Waters in Minnesota.
On this Outward Bound expedition, you'll do far more than just learn to paddle as you explore and live comfortably in one of the most beautiful, remote environments on the planet. Learn to take calculated risks, practice critical thinking skills and develop self-reliance. Discover how serving the community and appreciating the diversity of your group is a transferable skill to be applied upon your return home. Together with your Instructors and crew, learn how to care for one another, work together and accomplish more than you ever thought possible.
Courses in the Boundary Waters have low student/staff ratios (seven or fewer students with two Instructors), allowing for more individualized attention and focus.
APPLY NOW This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
Sample Itinerary
22-Day Course
DAY1
Course start
DAY2-7
Canoe training expedition (introductory lessons in canoeing, portaging, camp-craft, cooking over a fire and navigation)
DAY8
Rock climbing
DAY9-12
Main canoeing expedition
DAY13-15
Solo
DAY16-18
Final canoeing expedition
DAY19-20
Community service project
DAY21-22
Personal Challenge Event and course end ceremonies
15-Day Course
DAY1
Course start
DAY2-4
Canoe training expedition (introductory lessons in canoeing, portaging, camp-craft, cooking over a fire and navigation)
DAY5
Rock climbing
DAY6-8
Main canoeing expedition
DAY9-10
Solo
DAY11-12
Final canoeing expedition
DAY13
Community service project
DAY14-15
Personal Challenge Event and course end ceremonies
10-Day Course
DAY1
Course start
DAY2-4
Canoe training expedition (Introductory lessons in canoeing, portaging, camp craft, cooking over a fire, and navigation)
DAY5
Solo
DAY6-8
Continued Canoe expedition (increased group responsibility over navigation travel & camp craft)
DAY10
Return to base for gear clean and course end ceremonies
8-Day Course
DAY1
Course start
DAY2-3
Canoe training expedition (introductory lessons in canoeing, portaging, camp-craft, cooking over a fire and navigation)
DAY4
Solo
DAY5-6
Continued canoeing expedition (increased group responsibility over navigation, travel and camp-craft)
DAY7-8
Return to base for gear clean and course end ceremonies
Never once would I have thought that I could emotionally have been able to challenge myself like I have on this course. Truly I appreciate the privilege of this. It has created an impact and prepared me for the real world. It has also helped me find my place with myself and learn how to really live to my full potential.
It’s time to make your own adventure. Outward Bound’s Classic expeditions for middle and high school students are built with you in mind. Make new friends, sleep under the stars, and learn skills like backcountry navigation and how to cook a delicious meal no matter where you are. You’ve got this! Whether you’re in a raft or on a mountainside, you’ll learn what you’re made of – and you’ll see first-hand how far teamwork can take you. Join us for an unforgettable challenge and discover a whole new way to get outside.
Build skills, form connections: Learn and practice wilderness, teamwork and leadership skills. Find connections with your crewmates based on support and respect (and fun too!), and in the thick of challenges, discover there is more in you than you know.
Value strengths and strengthen values: Uncover your unique character strengths, develop your leadership abilities and learn how to let compassion in to everyday life by pushing your own limits and working alongside your peers.
Demonstrate mastery: As you gain confidence in new skills, take on more decision-making responsibilities. Work together to achieve team goals, solve problems and succeed both as individuals and as a group.
What you’ll learn: Your connections matter – working together to navigate challenges will quickly turn your crewmates into friends. Together, you’ll find opportunities to carry more weight (literally and figuratively) and make impactful decisions with accompanying consequences. It’s all about confidence, communication, and independence.
After you come home, many of the character, leadership and service traits you uncovered on your expedition stay with you, helping you navigate your daily life with more resilience and success.
On this extended canoe expedition, students learn the art of paddling a canoe in a variety of conditions, as well as map and compass reading, route finding and Recreate Responsibly principles. Groups navigate a variety of waterways such as lakes, rivers and swamps. Students work as a team to carry packs and canoes over portage trails when transitioning from one lake to another or to get safely around challenging rapids. Traveling by canoe allows groups to go far past where motorboats operate. Once there, it is possible to quietly observe bald eagles, moose and peaceful sunsets on mirror-calm lakes.
During climbing days, students learn about general rock climbing equipment, safety and etiquette. Students have many opportunities to climb, belay and rappel while learning and employing safety systems that are compliant with national standards. The rock climbing sites provide a number of different route options including cracks, sheer faces and chimneys. Regardless of a student’s rock climbing background, they are sure to find a route that will encourage them to expand their comfort zone and accomplish their goals.
Please Note: Due to the short nature of 8- and 10-day courses, rock climbing will only take place on 15- and 22-day courses.
The incredible ropes course is located 30 feet in the air and looks out over the top of the boreal forest. Students swing from Tarzan ropes, walk on tightrope wires and climb a cargo net before jumping on the zip line for an exhilarating ride back to solid ground. This opportunity creates space for students to individually challenge themselves while being supported by their team at the end of their expedition experience.
Service to the environment and to others is one of the core values of Outward Bound. Students are encouraged to practice service to the environment; leaving campsites cleaner than they found them and practicing Recreate Responsibly ethics. Designated service projects are coordinated with land managers, like the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service, to collaborate on land restoration projects. Other projects may be based in the local community. Students develop a value of service, seeing the impact of their actions firsthand, and transfer this desire to serve to their communities back home.
Please Note: Due to the short nature of 8- and 10-day courses, service activities will only take place on 15- and 22-day courses.
The Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. With all the food, skills and supplies they need, students are given a secluded spot to reflect alone, and are monitored by staff throughout the experience to maintain safety. The duration of Solo depends on the course length and type, as well as the competency and preparedness of the student group.
Many students use this reflection time to make decisions about their future, journal and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings unencumbered by the constant external stimulation of modern life. Students find that Solo provokes profound and powerful learning in a short period of time and often becomes one of the most memorable parts of their Outward Bound experience.
High school students will experience a sense of accomplishment as they learn about perseverance (or grit), risk taking, self-identity and self-reliance. Students will learn to trust themselves and push themselves harder as they own their choices and advance toward mastery in their skill development. Group adversity will teach each student critical thinking skills, collaboration and decision-making. They will experience leadership in action as they see their potential become reality while practicing empathy and compassion towards others.
Canoeing and wilderness navigation techniques are great practice for the essential skills and habits that help prepare them for new challenges at work, home and in the community. Outward Bound expeditions encourage students to:
Remain engaged and present, giving every challenge their best effort, even when the goal seems beyond reach.
Form a team and focus on the team effort.
Share responsibilities, communicate and lead. Leadership roles are shared within the group, and responsibilities rotate each day.
Find reserves of tenacity and compassion. Outward Bound courses are designed to expand and stretch student limits so that every expedition is a true accomplishment and a memorable journey.
Established in 1978, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is a labyrinth of lakes and rocks that has been specifically protected as a true American wilderness. No roads, power lines, or motorized craft may enter its borders; therefore, the Boundary Waters wilderness has changed little since its unveiling when the glaciers melted 10,000 years ago.
Over one million acres in size, the BWCAW extends nearly 150 miles along the Canadian border. With over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, nearly 2,200 designated campsites and more than 1,000 lakes and streams, the BWCAW is an amazing place to experience the wilderness. The BWCAW contains portage-linked lakes and streams, interspersed with islands, forests and crags. It has no piped water, prepared shelters or signs to point the way. The Boundary Waters' 1,200 miles of paddling routes offer outstanding opportunities for solitude, remoteness, teamwork, adventure and challenge. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) nations.
Course Stories
It has created an impact and prepared me for the real world.
Never once would I have thought that I could emotionally have been able to challenge myself like I have on this course. Truly I appreciate the privilege of this. It has created an impact and prepared me for the real world. It has also helped me find my place with myself and learn how to really live to my full potential.
— JRVoyageur Outward Bound School Alum
It was an amazing experience that enabled me to push my mental and physical limits.
It was an amazing experience that enabled me to push my mental and physical limits. Through this journey I was able to identify my needs for the future ahead. I also pushed myself to show vulnerability to my peers by opening up to them about my past struggles.
— AddieVoyageur Outward Bound School Alum
This experience has been incredibly uplifting and life-changing.
I have learned that both my mood and body can do so much more than I gave them credit for. The mantra of one of my Instructors motivated me to try everything despite fearing failure and I will continue to keep it in mind my whole life: "your body can do anything if your mind lets it." As I fought through fear towards success, my completion of these challenges meant so much more than if they had come easily. Ultimately, this experience has been incredibly uplifting and life-changing. I believe everyone has the potential to succeed on an Outward Bound expedition, and I hope that everyone willing to gets a chance.
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.