Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)

Over 10,000 years ago, continental-sized glaciers scraped their way across much of Ontario and northern Minnesota leaving deep ruts, ravines, and holes in their tracks. Eventually, as the glaciers melted, these ravines filled with water, creating a seemingly endless interconnected web of lakes and rivers.

In 1978, the United States designated over 1-million acres of this Northern Minnesota landscape as a protected wilderness area called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Because no roads, power lines, or motorized craft may enter its borders, the BWCAW has remained relatively unchanged since the glaciers receded. The BWCAW extends nearly 150 miles along the Canadian border and encompasses more than 1,000 lakes and rivers. Over 1,200 miles of navigable routes lead to over 2,200 campsites and provide an unparalleled opportunity to travel by canoe and dogsled.

In the winter, the BWCAW transforms into an even more severe and remote wilderness. While more difficult, winter enthusiasts’ travel over frozen lakes and rivers by dogsled, cross-country ski and snowshoe. Winter in the Boundary Waters is mesmerizing, peaceful, and exhilarating. It is a place of spectacular extremes, trackless snow, bracing cold air, glowing warm embers, and powerful silence.

Homeplace, Voyageur Outward Bound School Basecamp, Minnesota

Voyageur Outward Bound's basecamp, Homeplace, is located at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. Situated where the Kawishiwi River meets Birch Lake, you will sleep in bunks in one of our cozy cabins heated by a wood stove. Our Sauna is mere feet away from the Kawsihiwi River where you can relax your muscles after a fun day adventuring in the wilderness. The surrounding boreal forest also makes Homeplace a great location for spotting moose, deer, woodpeckers, chickadees, and eagles. If you're lucky, you may even hear wolves howling as you gaze at the star-studded night sky after you sauna.

Dogsledding, Skiing, and Sauna - The small town of Ely, Minnesota, where the Voyageur Outward Bound School is located, is known as the dogsledding capital of the lower 48 states for good reason. Our base camp, affectionately referred to as Homeplace, is located in the Superior National Forest on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This area is one of the most historically significant and remote wilderness areas in North America; as temperatures drop, winter transforms the wilderness into beautiful, snow-covered environments ideal for winter adventures.  As you immerse in a winter experience, you'll travel through diverse forests and on frozen lakes and rivers while learning how to manage teams of huskies, cross-country ski, navigate with a map and compass, check ice-conditions, and generally stay comfortable in potentially sub-zero temperatures. The group will consist of a maximum of 10 students and 2 Instructors. Mushing is not a passenger sport and, depending on the snow conditions, often requires mushers to run and walk along with the dogs.  Backcountry cross-country skiing involves making a trail through untracked snow; as you glide along learning new skills, you have opportunities to observe tracks of the smaller and larger animals who call this winter wonderland their home. In the evenings, you'll return to a rustic, cozy cabin on the Kawishiwi River. You'll enjoy filling, home-cooked meals and in the evening you'll have the opportunity to partake in the age-old tradition of a wood-heated sauna. After sitting in the sauna's heat, take a polar dip into the frozen river through a hole cut in the ice. The nearby Boundary Waters is a designated dark-sky destination; you'll have the opportunity to stand on the ice in the deep quiet of winter and gaze at the Milky Way and night sky.

In addition to winter outdoor activities and all the associated skills and learning, Outward Bound’s time-tested curriculum includes education on the many aspects of personal growth and learning that can be found in each activity you undertake. You will engage four important Outward Bound Core Values:

• Compassion
• Integrity
• Excellence
• Inclusion and Diversity

You may find that the most important lessons you take home are learning about yourself and your community while acquiring winter skills and having an adventure. You’ll learn to protect and appreciate the unique, unspoiled Northwoods winter environment.

Successful completion of your course includes learning new skills, trust, fitness, confidence, tenacity, leadership, initiative and compassion. The promotion of these qualities and the discovery of what’s in you is the purpose of Outward Bound.

Minnesota’s weather can be unpredictable with a wide range of temperatures.  Between December and March Minnesota temperatures can range from -40 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but -20 to 20 degree nights and days are the most common. Days are typically very sunny with bright blue skies. Wind and snow are common.

Weather is always a factor when traveling in the wilderness and it adds an exciting element of challenge to each course. Learning to handle varying weather conditions is essential to a successful wilderness course. 

Click here for more information about Preventing Illness on Your Expedition 

While you are not sleeping outside and traveling expedition-style, you will be physically active every day. For that reason, we recommend you prepare for the experience. Please utilize the resources below to physically and mentally prepare for your course. The more preparation you do, the better your experience will be! 

VOBS Course Preparation Guide

Winter Course Life - A Student's Perspective

Physically Preparing for a Dog Sledding Course - A Staff Perspective

Your full tuition payment is due by the deadline in your applicant portal. Please make your payment by that deadline.

We hope you look forward to your Outward Bound course! Now let us help you protect your investment. We partner with InsureMyTrip to offer our students a travel insurance option that will help protect your course from several different disruptions. Together Outward Bound and InsureMyTrip will be here for you before, during, and after your trip. We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance to protect your investment in your course. Voyageur Outward Bound School tuition is non-refundable. 

You may choose to purchase trip related insurance through InsureMyTrip or a different insurance provider.  In either case, the amount and type of coverage you choose is your responsibility and must be discussed directly with the provider.

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE A FREE QUOTE FROM INSURE MY TRIP

You can find additional information about InsureMyTrip in the cancellation policies.  

During this course you will sleep in a cozy dry cabin at our basecamp. You will stay in a bunk room style room with electricity and electric heat. A shared washhouse is nearby with water, bathrooms, and showers. 

VOBS will supply sleeping bags for each participant. Feel free to bring a pillow or extra bedding if you'd like. 

You'll cook your meals in the Pieh building with the other participants. VOBS will provide all food and snacks for the course. You are welcome to bring your own snacks if you'd like. Please plan to keep all snacks in the Pieh building and not in your cabin to prevent mice. 

As part of the basecamp community you'll participate in chore rotations during the course, like dishes, simple cleaning, and caring for the dogs.