Voyageur Canoeing in the Apostle Islands
Open Enroll TripDATES: July 14-19, 2024
AGES: 14+
COST: $0-860/person (pay what you can!)
An Unrivaled Experience
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a group of 22 islands on Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake. It is heralded for its awe-inspiring beauty, rich history, and amazing opportunities for exploration and adventure.
And we can take you there like no one else… in a 34′ Montreal Canoe.
During this incredible week in the wild, you’ll paddle from island to island, exploring light houses, sea caves, and stunning beaches along the way. You’ll dig deep into life with your fellow travelers, experiencing God’s awesome presence in real ways, and discover that you are capable of so much more than you gave yourself credit.
At the end of the week, you’ll feel proud of your accomplishments, closer to God, more connected to nature, and have strong friendships that you get to continue when you get back home. Don’t miss this!
Click through the images above to see what it’s like!
sign up today
1. Register with Amnicon
You’ll need to create an account
and enter the Group Reg Code:
24OPENAPI
to see & sign up for this trip.
2. Make a Payment
Tiered pricing is available for this trip. Choose whichever tier works best for you!
Tier 1 (Full Price): $860/person. This is about how much is costs Amnicon for each person to come.
Tier 2 (Standard Price): $500/person. This is what most people will choose to pay.
Tier 3 (Discounted Price): $250/person.
Tier 4 (Free!): $0/person. We still want you to come, even if you can’t pay anything at all.
3. Get a doctor's signature
All trip participants must be seen by a licensed medical practitioner within 1 year prior to the trip. EITHER get a doctor to sign the form below, OR get a copy of an after visit summary from your health care provider. Forms may be uploaded here or brought to camp.
prepare for your trip
Paperwork
DOWNLOADS
UPLOAD HEALTH FORM
This trip’s Group Reg Code is: 24OPENAPI
how to pack for your trip
frequently asked questions
What is a schedule for the week?
On the first day, you’ll come to Amnicon’s base camp to meet your guides and learn everything you need to know to be prepared for a safe and fun experience. We do a big campfire on our sandy beach of Lake Superior that night.
The next morning, we drive you out to the Apostle Islands and the adventure begins! Each day you’ll paddle from island to island, singing songs and playing games to keep paddling in time together. There is usually time to swim, explore, and relax before cooking dinner over the fire. You’ll end each evening with a intentional and meaningful community conversation around the fire. After three nights camping on Lake Superior, we’ll pick you up and bring you back to Amnicon.
The trip culminates in a campfire and closing ceremony back at our sandy Lake Superior beach. With a sky full of stars above you, the biggest lake in the world beside you, and your new-found-friends in front of you, it is plain to see the wonder of creation and the Grace of God.
You don’t want to miss this!
Who can come on this trip?
Trip participants must be:
- At least 14 years old on the first day of the trip,
- In reasonably good health,
- Able to lift and carry 50 pounds over a short distance,
- Able to swim 25 yards and tread water for 30 seconds while wearing a USCG certified Personal Floatation Device (life jacket)
- Able to walk half a mile over uneven terrain without assistance, AND
- Have a licensed medical practitioner sign a health form certifying that they are healthy enough to engage in the kinds of activities we’ll do on this trip.
Anyone with a chronic medical condition must:
- Be able to manage their own care without assistance,
- Bring all their own medications and supplies,
- Be willing and able to communicate with Amnicon staff if they’re not doing well,
- Have experience managing their condition during prolonged periods of increased stress & activity, AND
- Have not had any medical emergencies within the last year.
If you have questions about whether this trip will be a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to contact us! Call 715-364-2602 or email info@amnicon.org
What if I’ve never been camping before?
That’s TOTALLY FINE! Lots of people who come on Amnicon trips are new to the whole wilderness, canoeing, and camping thing. Your guides will make sure that you have what you need and know what you need to know. You are in good hands.
What are the guides like?
Our wilderness guides are amazing, and you’ll love them. We send two highly trained individuals with each group. They will be at least 19 years old, and have been chosen because they have demonstrated an impressive level of maturity, care of creation, and a desire to connect with and serve our campers. We do our best to hire a diverse staff every year, and often hire staff from overseas! Amnicon does not discriminate in our hiring based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, country of origin, or religious affiliation.
What is the Bible study like?
We’ll start and end every day with a brief devotion we like to call First & Last Words. First Word usually consists of 15-20 minutes of reading a short story or poem, and then discussing it as a a group. Last Word is a little bit longer, as we gather around the campfire in the evening. Everyone in the group will have the opportunity to share a story from their own life, and hear and discuss a story from the Bible.
All spiritual elements of this trip are designed to bring people closer to each other and closer to God. Do you have doubts, struggles, questions? Good! This is a safe place to share those and talk about them openly. Have you walked with God for a long time? Good! Please share that experience too, and be ready to learn from the life experiences of the other people on the trip.
Are the bugs bad?
The answer…maybe. How many bugs there are depends on a LOT of different factors. We’ll bring bug spray, and you’re welcome to bring your own as well.
We’ve found that the one thing that makes the biggest difference with the bugs is your attitude. If you decide at the beginning of the trips that the bugs aren’t important enough to ruin your whole experience, then they won’t be that bad!
How is the food?
Good food is a high priority at Amnicon! We have a trail menu that adapts lots of the foods you are used to at home: pancakes, pasta, brats and lots more. There are plenty of snacks, too! If you have specific dietary needs please let us know so we can be prepared with good food for you, too.
Can I bring my cell phone?
One of the ways we are going to challenge ourselves this week is by leaving our cell phones behind. Yes, even the adults will leave their phones behind too. Cell phones will only distract from the experience we’re trying to have together, and are highly prone to getting lost & damaged. Every year, we have campers (and adults!) tell us how freeing it was to not have a phone for the week, and how valuable it was to take a break from technology. This is a unique experience that’s hard to do in everyday life, but we get to do it together at camp.
That said…we REALLY value getting good photos from the trips. Amnicon will send along one (or two) cameras with each group. Campers ARE allowed to bring their own cameras as well if they’d like. We’ll share the photos from the week in a Google Photos album, and on social media after you get back home.
What are the toilets like on this trip?
All the campsites & boat landings have outhouses.
Wondering something else?
current weather in the Apostle Islands
- Oct 16, 2024 scattered clouds 37° F
- Oct 17, 2024 broken clouds 46° F
- Oct 18, 2024 clear sky 53° F
- Oct 19, 2024 overcast clouds 55° F
- Oct 20, 2024 scattered clouds 57° F
Meet your directors
Brad Damon
Director - Programs & Facilities
Hannah Damon
Director - Outreach & Administration
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Answers to all the funny & awkward questions you're wondering about but are too nervous to ask!
What kind of underwear should I bring? Pooping in the woods? PERIODS?!?! It’s totally normal to feel nervous if you’ve never done this before. Click the image to learn the answers to all those questions!
10 Things Youth Learn in the Wilderness
Freedom from technology, connecting deeply, discovering their strengths. Our campers learn so much on trail! Click the image to see what they had to say about their experiences with Amnicon.