Youth must be at least 12 years old or have finished 6th grade to participate in on of our regular trips. We can accommodate day visits to the canoe base for younger Girl Scouts (you can learn more here). Younger girl scouts may also want to consider other summer camps with the council: https://www.girlscoutslp.org 

Yes, parents and troop leaders are welcome to accompany their troop. We also occasionally offer an all-adult trip (find out more here)

Yes, fathers and troop leaders are welcome to accompany their troop on a canoe trip.

Our program requires that all youth be registered as Girl Scouts to participate. For those unable to register or uncomfortable being a Girl Scout, we recommend looking into Boundary Waters trips with the Boy Scouts' Charles L Sommers Canoe Base or YMCA's Camp Widjiwagan. 

While our program often emphasizes the empowerment of women and girls, we are proud to say that empowerment and community extends to all participants, staff, and alumni, including those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. 

You don't need to be a Girl Scout to sign up for a canoe trip. If you are not already a Girl Scout, you will register when you sign up. That means paying the annual membership fee ($45 for youth and $30 for adults in 2025). All participants in our trips must be registered Girl Scouts during the trip.

It's important that Girl Scout canoe trips are affordable and accessible for as many as possible. See current prices here. Our canoe trip costs are all-inclusive. You only need to provide the personal equipment on the packing list. You will also need to arrange your transport to and from the Canoe Base or Ely, MN. For Destination trips, the meeting point will be Duluth, MN.

Scholarship funding is also available to cover trip costs for those in financial need. Contact Melissa Garza, the Director of Property & Program at our council to apply: mgarza@girlscoutslp.org.

By car, you'll reach Ely either on Highway 169 from Virgina, MN or Route 1 from Finland, MN. Once in Ely, Highway 169 north (E Sheridan St in town) will take you past the US Forest Service Ranger Station at 1393 MN Highway 169. This is the meeting point for most trips (excluding Destinations). Continue about 16 miles outside of town and look for Canadian Border Rd on the left with a long row of mailboxes. This road is a well kept, unpaved, and suitable for all vehicles. Once on Canadian Border Rd, continue 1.6 miles to a place where the road has three branches and take the central one to reach our Program Center in about 300 yards. You can park along this road or staff may show you additional parking. You can naviate to Northern Lakes Girl Scout Canoe Base on Google Maps, but your cell phone service will probably drop out between Ely and the Canoe Base. The trip from Ely takes about a half hour.

There is no cell service at the Canoe Base or when you are deep in the Boundary Waters. To properly enjoy the wilderness, we ask that all youth leave their phones at the Canoe Base. For pictures, we suggest bringing a disposable or digital camera. Guides may also take pictures on trips and share with participants.

Keeping our feet protected is essential in wilderness travel, so there is no time during our trips when we wear sandals. While traveling, we wear wet boots with sufficient support, ankle coverage, and good soles. Around camp, tennis shoes are acceptable. For more info on the gear we recommend, check out our packing list.

Safety in the wilderness means protecting ourselves from vegetation and sunburn. Minor injuries can become bigger problems and sunburn can lead to dehydration, exhaustion, and soreness. It's better to keep ourselves in good shape with protective clothing.

The ideal bag is mummy-shaped rather than rectangular to save on weight. Sleeping bags may be stuffed with synthetic insulation or natural goose down. Put a sturdy garbage bag inside the stuff sack as a liner to protect against water splashes while canoeing. A cotton/flannel bag is not suitable, since they are very bulky and do not dry well. Let us know if you have trouble getting ahold of a suitable sleeping bag and we will make sure we have one for you to use.

Sure! We provide all this gear, but you are welcome to bring items in addition to the packing list and your guides will evaluate whether it is suitable to bring on the trip. 

We want our participants to grow into guiding! That's why we offer a Guid-in-Training (GIT) program for Girl Scouts who are 16-17 years old. We can accomodate GITs in one of two sessions (first or second half of the summer). You can learn more about the program here or email GIT@nlcbaa.org. 

Yes! The canoe base has hired many guides who are new to the Boundary Waters. If you over 18, you may apply to be a guide even if you've never come on a trip with us. We appreciate new perspectives and varied experiences! You'll want to have some outdoor experience including camping, hiking, building fires, using cookstoves, cooking, and leading youth to form a solid foundation for learning Boundary Waters-specific skills. For more information on the role and how to apply, look here.

The NLCB program has been operating since the 1960s, mainly through the sweat, grit, and will of a few committed to the mission of bringing young Girl Scouts into the wilderness for the life-changing experiences that build confidence, courage, and companionship. The alumni association was organized in 2006 to carry on this commitment to the future of the Canoe Base. While our council, the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines Council, operates the Canoe Base, the Alumni Association works as an auxiliary to support the program. For example, the NLCBAA subsidizes guides' salaries and travel costs, organizes work weekends at the Canoe Base to address maintenance, and helps the council plan and implement property improvements. Recently, the NLCBAA has overseen construction of a new building to house equipment and a covered drying rack for PFDs (aka lifejackets). We maintain local contacts that make the Canoe Base a part of the outfitting and youth adventure community. We also maintain a network of donor contacts who believe in the program, as well as connect former guides, participants, friends of the base, and community members.