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’ll enjoy a campfire on our sandy beach of Lake Superior that night.

The next morning, we drive you out to the islands and the adventure begins! Each day we’ll paddle together from island to island, singing songs to keep paddling in time together. We’ll set up a new campsite together each afternoon. There is time to swim, explore, and play before cooking dinner over the fire. You’ll end each evening with a intentional and meaningful community conversation around the fire. After four nights camping among the islands, we’ll pick you up and bring you back to Amnicon.

We look forward to sharing this adventure with you! 

Amnicon as an organization does have connections to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Network. However, many groups that come on Amnicon trips require that there be no mention of Christianity to their campers. This trip will include thankfulness to the Creator, and discussions of each person’s experience with spirituality, but will not have an emphasis on the Christian worldview.

What to Expect:

• There will be moments of thankfulness before each meal. Thankfulness is directed toward the Creator, the earth, and the people who helped prepare the meal.
• Each day will begin and end with an intentional community conversation that will be focused on helping the trip participants build strong friendships with each other and an appreciation for the natural world. These conversations may draw on stories or poems from around the world, and campers will be invited to share stories from their own lives as well.
• Amnicon’s staff will not use the Christian Bible as a basis for any discussions or prayers during the week.
• Amnicon’s staff will not initiate any conversations about Christianity.
• If a camper initiates a conversation about God, staff will be respectful of whatever the camper’s views are.
• Amnicon staff will never attempt to change a camper’s beliefs or worldview. They will NOT attempt to “convert” anyone to Christianity.

If you have any other questions about what to expect on the trip, feel free to contact camp by emailing info@amnicon.org or calling 715-364-2602.

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, a love of nature, 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. 

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 an acute or chronic medical condition, Camp may require that you provide verification from a licensed medical provider that you are healthy enough to engage in camp activities. 

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

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.

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!

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.

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.