Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes
A wilderness expedition in Minnesota's Boundary Waters, focusing on canoeing, portaging, and high ropes challenges.
▌ Editor's read Outward Bound USA is a well-established nonprofit organization, founded by Kurt Hahn, with over 60 years of experience in wilderness education. The organization is ACA accredited, with its accreditation expiring in 2025, indicating adherence to recognized safety and program quality standards. Their website explicitly states that all staff undergo background checks, demonstrating a commitment to participant safety. The Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes course is an overnight program designed for teens, emphasizing outdoor skills and personal development. Outward Bound's mission is centered on experiential learning, fostering self-discovery and compassion through challenging expeditions.
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ACA-accredited~300 standards audited
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Since 196660+ years operating
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Nonprofit operator501(c)(3) tax-exempt
Who thrives here Ages 16–18
Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes serves high-school campers, which means the program is competing against summer jobs, college visits, internships, and residential overnight options. The case for a day camp at this age is usually a CIT (counselor-in-training) track, deep specialization in outdoors/nature, or a portfolio item parents and kids both value. Programs that don't articulate one of those three usually lose this age band by 9th grade.
Facts & Credentials
- Program type
- Overnight camp
- ACA accredited
- Yes
- Established
- 1966 (60 years)
- Operator
- Nonprofit organization
- Staff-to-camper ratio
- Not listed
Details
- Category: Outdoors/Nature
- Ages: 16–18
- Address: 11240 N. Outward Bound Rd, Long Lake, MN 55609
- Phone: 866-467-7651
- Email: [email protected]
- Cost notes: $2,845 for 8 days, $4,070 for 15 days
↗ What parents like
- Develops leadership skills
- Builds resilience
↘ Watch for
- Physically demanding
Logistics
- Lunch provided: Yes
- Transportation: Yes
- Financial aid: No
- Setting: outdoor
Frequently asked about Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes
- What ages does Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes accept?
- Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes is open to children ages 16–18. Camps publish their own age cutoffs, and some run mixed-age groups internally; check the registration page for that summer's grouping if your child sits at a boundary.
- How much does Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes cost?
- Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes publishes $2,035/week for the standard session. $2,845 for 8 days, $4,070 for 15 days Final cost depends on session length, sibling discounts, and whether extended care is added on.
- Is Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes accredited?
- Yes — Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA) and has been operating for 60 years. ACA accreditation means the camp has been audited against ~300 health, safety, and program-quality standards covering staffing, supervision ratios, emergency response, and program design.
- Who runs Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes?
- Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes is operated by a nonprofit organization, with 60 years of operating history. The operator type matters for tuition policy (refunds, financial aid eligibility) and for what kind of staff training pipeline the camp uses.
- Does Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes provide lunch?
- Yes — Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes includes lunch in the program. Confirm whether it's a hot lunch, cold lunch, or a snack-plus-bring-your-own setup, and ask about allergy accommodations if relevant.
- Does Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes offer transportation?
- Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes provides transportation. Coverage zones and bus stops vary; ask for the route map for the summer you're enrolling in. Some camps fold bus fees into tuition, others bill separately.
- How does Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes compare to other outdoors/nature camps in Long Lake?
- Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes is one of 19 outdoors/nature camps in Long Lake that overlap its age range. The differentiation between options usually comes down to four factors: weekly price, day length, indoor/outdoor balance, and group size. Browse same-city alternatives in the directory to compare side by side.
Planning guides
Editorial checklists to use before you compare Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes with other camps.
- How to choose a summer camp · Use the decision checklist before you compare finalists.
- Financial aid and scholarship camps · Compare aid policies, discounts, and application timing.
- Summer camp pricing in 2026 · Benchmark weekly cost before you commit a deposit.
- Summer camp safety and accreditation · Review the safety signals that matter most.
Camps near here
Same city, with age-overlapping options first. Other camps to consider alongside Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes.
- Boundary Waters Intercept – Canoe · Ages 14–17 · $2,002/week
- Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes · Ages 16–18 · $2,035/week
- Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes · Ages 14–16 · $2,900/week
- Boundary Waters Canoe & High Ropes for Young Adults · Ages 18–25 · $1,750/week
- Boundary Waters Canoe & Rock Climb · Ages 14–16 · $2,450/week
- Boundary Waters Intercept Canoe · Ages 14–17
- Boundary Waters Pathfinder Dog Sled & Cross Country Ski · Ages 14–17 · $1,883/week
- Boundary Waters Canoe & Rock Climb · Ages 14–16 · $1,750/week