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For more than 75 years, Camp Nebagamon has emphasized wilderness tripping as an important part of its program. Indeed, for many campers, one of the highlights of coming to Nebagamon is the chance to paddle, hike, and cycle throughout the Northwoods. Our location in northwest Wisconsin allows us easy access to some remarkable wilderness locales, and we have a specialized staff of 20 men and women whose sole job it is to plan and lead over 90 different trips every summer. All of our trip staff are certified lifeguards and certified Wilderness First Responders.
For all except our youngest campers, participation in the tripping program is entirely optional. Nevertheless, most summers more than 90 percent of our campers take at least one trip. Depending on their ages and interests, a wide variety of tripping opportunities are available to Nebagamon's campers. The following is a brief summary of our tripping program:
3rd and 4th Graders
Each session, every camper in the Swamper Village takes a three-day, two-night trip with his cabinmates, counselors, and a member of the trip staff. These cabin trips travel to the Chequamegon National Forest in northern Wisconsin and campers are able to hike, fish, and swim, as well as enjoy the use of rowboats. For younger campers who express an interest, we also offer an overnight canoeing trip across Lake Nebagamon.
5th Graders
Beginning in the 5th grade, the tripping program becomes entirely elective, and campers have the opportunity to sign up for hiking and/or canoeing trips. Hiking trips usually travel on the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota. Canoe trips paddle on the pristine Sylvania Lakes in Michigan's upper peninsula, or on the highly regarded Brule River in northwestern Wisconsin.
6th-9th Graders
As campers grow older, the scope and breadth of Nebagamon's tripping program increases to meet their needs. Campers choose between canoeing, river canoeing, hiking, and cycling trips. We also offer a sailing trip and a sea kayaking trip through the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Lake Superior.
Canoeing trips for Nebagamon's older boys travel exclusively to either the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota or the Quetico Provincial Park on the Canadian side of the border. Together these two parks comprise some of the best canoe country anywhere in the world. The shortest canoeing trip for sixth graders lasts four days, while our ninth graders can opt to take a 14-day "Big Trip" through the Quetico.
Our river canoeing trips take us to some of the most beautiful and fun stretches of river in the area. Campers choose from trips down the Brule, Namekagon, and St. Croix rivers. Trips range from overnighters to five day trips that follow rivers from source to mouth.
Nebagamon's hiking trips cover ground from the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan all the way to the Superior Hiking and Border Route Trails in the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. Hiking trips generally last anywhere from four to seven days, although eight-week eighth graders are eligible for a 14-day "Big Trip" to Isle Royale National Park.
Cycling trips of three to five days cover the backroads of northwestern Wisconsin and the southern shore of Lake Superior. As with all of our trips, we emphasize safety and teaching, and we provide campers with skills they can utilize throughout a lifetime of enjoying the wilderness.
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