Explore The Wilderness
Northern Tier is the premier high adventure for wilderness canoeing and winter camping offered by Scouting America, providing a unique experience in the rugged wilderness of the Great North American Canoe Country. Our programs are renowned for their challenging and rewarding wilderness canoeing and winter camping expeditions.
Crew & Individual Treks Available
Northern Tier offers both crew and individual during the summer. Crew treks are group-oriented, providing a shared experience for Scouts from the same or different troops. Individual treks offer more independence, as Scouts are matched with existing crews that align with their interests and experience level. Both types of treks provide opportunities for Scouts to experience the wilderness, develop skills, and create lasting memories.
Canoeing
Wilderness Exploration
Camping
Winter Adventure Treks
Crew & Individual Treks Available
Northern Tier winter treks offer a unique and challenging experience for Scouts. These treks involve winter camping in extreme temperatures, and learning the skills to do so safely while having fun. With a focus on learning skills for winter environments, scouts learn to thrive in the cold and take advantage of all the fun winter opportunities.
Cross-Country Ski
Snowshoe
Ice Fish
Secure your spot on one of our unforgettable wilderness adventures. Whether you’re seeking a summer canoeing expedition or a winter camping experience, Northern Tier offers a unique and challenging opportunity for Scouts of all ages.
2026
2025
Northern Tier High Adventure is available at 2 different locations
Discover the heart of Northern Tier at our Ely and Atikokan bases. From the historic Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base in Ely, Minnesota, embark on unforgettable adventures in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park. Or, venture north to the Donald Rogert Canoe Base in Atikokan, Ontario, for pristine paddling experiences in the Canadian wilderness. Choose your base and experience the ultimate wilderness adventure!
Ely, Minnesota
Located twenty miles outside of the town of Ely, MN, our Ely base outfits over 4,000 Scouts each year on wilderness canoe trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in Minnesota and the Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario.
Atikokan, Ontario
Located an 80-mile paddle North of the Ely base, the Atikokan Base outfits 1500 scouts each year for expeditions into the Northern regions of the Quetico Provincial Park as well as into the Canadian Crown Lands, including the Turtle River – White Otter Lake Provincial Park.
We hire hundreds of staff each year to provide wilderness adventures and to work our base camps. Looking for a job with an adventure? Consider applying to work in the great northwoods!
Come to Northern Tier for a whole new level of adventure, up north! From incredible canoe journeys to wild winter wilderness camping, Northern Tier promises the Scouting adventure of a lifetime in the Great North Woods of northern Minnesota and Canada.
The mission of Scouting America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.