For detailed planning information please read the 2023 Advisors Guide
Okpik Program
Located at Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base, Okpik is the premier winter camping program in the Boy Scouts of America. The Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base is the site of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Cold Weather Camping Development Center.
All trips are fully outfitted and provisioned, including almost all of the personal gear necessary to stay warm in the winter. A highly trained staff member, called an Interpreter, accompanies all crews on their trek.
In the 2022-23 Okpik Season, you will see an updated registration process and simplified trip selection.
Northern Tier Okpik - Frequently Asked Questions
You can choose to have a large crew, 9-11 participants or small crew, 6-8 participants for all of our standard Okpik programs. Dog Sled program crews are limited to 6-7 participants.
You can register as many crews as your unit feels comfortable. There is a limit each day to the total crews available. You can find the base schedules, capacities and fees here:
The fee structure is built for a crew and is not determined by total people but by crew size.
Each participant attending Northern Tier must be a minimum of 14 years of age at the time of their trip OR age 13 and currently be enrolled in 8th grade. Each crew must meet Youth Protection Guidelines and have 2 adults age 21 and over on trip.
Okpik does offer a Cabin Stay option allowing for younger Scouts to participate. Any Scout participating in Cabin Stay must be a registered member of Scouts BSA or Venturing. We would encourage groups made of mostly 11 and 12 year olds, to consider bringing a few extra adults.
Northern Tier does not charge a per person fee for trips. Each trip fee is set up for the crew. It is up to the unit to determine each persons share of the fee. The fee does not change regardless of the number of people within that crew. You can find 2022 fee information here:
In 2022, Northern Tier has changed its trek scheduling. You can find a full schedule of treks here:
You will be required to pay a $250 registration fee at the time of reservation. A deposit/1st payment will be due 30 days after reservation. A full payment schedule can be found here: 2022 Fees and Payment Schedule
No. Scouts BSA program integrity requires single gender units. Scouts BSA male troops and Scouts BSA female troops cannot combine Scouts and adult leadership into a single troop or National High Adventure Base “crew”. They must register separately and provide separate two deep leadership as required by Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse.
Yes. Venturing is a co-ed program.