Wilderness Trip Information
Each trip is unique in its own way, many of the girls find that
being on the trail is AMAZING! Learning to live without modern
conveniences can be an incredibly growing experience. While in camp,
the girls will help their Trip Leader and Counselor plan their route,
meals, and packing necessities. All items brought on their trip will
be looked over by the Trip Leader and Counselor to make sure they are
adequate and useful during the trip.
All participants and staff attending wilderness trips are trained in
emergency signaling procedures, where the nearest help is for each day
of travel, and how to obtain help if necessary. In addition, all trips
carry an InReach Device or cell phone with them for emergency use.
Since trips are in backcountry areas, we cannot guarantee that the
cell phones will work in all areas. Even with cell phones, additional
emergency assistance on trips may take hours or longer to reach a
group. Camp will drive the group to their starting spot and then pick
them up when the trip is over and bring them back to camp.
All trip leaders are trained and certified in Wilderness First Aid
and CPR/AED, Lifeguarding, and participate in an intensive training
prior to camp.
All trips carry certain risks to persons and equipment. These risks
include but are not limited to the following: falling, animal
encounters, encounters with the public, injury from equipment, natural
disasters, drowning, severe weather, etc. Camp Birch Trails does all
it can to reduce risks inherent in trips by following American Camp
Association and Girl Scouts of the USA standards.
All campers are expected to be in good physical condition to go on
Wilderness trips. Girls are strongly encouraged to do conditioning
exercises before coming to camp. If new boots are purchased, make sure
your daughter wears them many times to break them in before camp.
If a camper has any special medical conditions, her physician should
be made aware of the type of trip she is going on and the
accessibility of professional help in case of emergencies. This is the
responsibility of the parent or guardian.
Camp Birch Trails will provide specific equipment for Wilderness
Trips, if your daughter would like to bring something of her own she
is welcome to however staff may decide that, that equipment is not
able to be used. Equipment is set up, gone through, and packed before
the girls leave for their trip, counselors will help the girls go
through everything to make sure they have everything they need and
that everything is in working order.
Q: Description says trip is X days long, what do they do the
rest of time?
A: Girls will spend time learning to work together as a team,
get prepared and packed for their trip, and then clean up after their
trip as well as doing any other in-camp activities they choose
Q: What does experience mean for wilderness trips?
A: We want to let all girls have a wilderness trip experience,
if it says experience recommended or required, we ask that the girl
has some tent camping experience, cooking over a fire knowledge and is
comfortable being away from home
We will not turn a camper away and we can help them find the best
trip for their experience level! Contact us.
Pre-requisites for Trips-these are important for the girls to
follow so that they are developing the skills they need for each
level. If they skip around too many they will have a tough time trying
to learn a skill that someone who has done multiple years will find
easy-this also creates animosity in groups who have been going on
trips together for several summers and the new person in their group.
We hope that each group of Wilderness Trippers will continue to grow
in their strength and bond as a group year to year-this creates
amazing trips for them.
Level 4 and 5 Trips have specific pre-requisites so that girls
are ready for the longer level trips. This must be followed and are
not allowed to be flexible.
Campers and parents with further questions or need specific
information for a certain trip should contact the Camp Director.
Wanderers one-week program
The girls will take a day trip down the Wisconsin River in canoes
and will backpack and kayak around camp to decide which trip they
would like to participate in, in the future. They will also camp out
in tents around camp one night during the week.
- Arrival on Sunday is 3:15 p.m. and departure on Friday is 1:30
p.m. This is a one-week program. The campers will be staying in the
Maple Cabins.
Please use the in-camp packing list and not the wilderness trip
packing lists.
Super Survivalist
This is a great program for girls who want to get back to nature and
learn some survival skills.
They will paddle out to our island at camp and build a shelter to
sleep in for the night and then learn to start their first with flint
and steel.
- Arrival on Sunday is 3:15 p.m. and departure on Friday is 1:30
p.m. This is a one-week program. The campers will be staying in the
Maple Cabins
Please use the in-camp packing list and not the wilderness trip
packing lists.
Canoeing
All canoeing trip girls should be able to carry 30-50 pounds of
weight with the potential to carry a 90lb canoe and be able to paddle
a canoe for several hours at a time.
- Arrival for level one, two and three trips is 1:45 p.m. on
Sunday and departure home is 1:00 p.m. on the second Friday -these
are 13-day programs.
- Arrival for level four and five trips
is 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and departure home is 1:00 p.m. on the
second (level four) or third (level five) Friday.
While in camp, the campers will sleep in the platform tents in Leafy.
* Offered in 2022 Level One-Upper WI River. 3 to 5 days on the
water canoeing. The girls will plan their meals together with their
Trip Leader, pack all of their equipment, and paddle out on their
adventure. They do not need any prior experience for this trip.
Level Two-Michigamme River- 4 to 7 days canoeing from site to
site. The girls will plan their meals together with their Trip Leader,
pack all of their equipment and hike out on their adventure. The girl
should have participated in at least a level one trip but it is not necessary.
Level three- Manitowish Waters Canoe-Spend 6 to 9 days on the
water canoeing Manitowish in Northern Wisconsin.
Level Four-Boundary Waters Canoe Area-spend 8 to 12 days
canoeing northern Minnesota in the Pristine Boundary Waters. Girls
must have participated in the Manitowish Waters Level Three Canoe trip
in order to qualify for this trip.
Level Five -Quetico Canoe Area-spend 14 to 18 days on the
Canadian side of the Boundary Waters canoeing the area. The girls MUST
have a US passport to enter Canada and to enter back into the US at
the end of the trip. Girls must have participated in the Boundary
Waters Canoe trip in order to qualify for this trip. Summer 2021 this
trip will take place in a different section of the Boundary Waters
since the Canadian border is closed at this time.
Trips will be offered as the groups of girls progress through the
current program. The trips get longer and longer out of camp for each level.
Backpacking
Girls should be able to carry approximately 50lbs on their back and
walk several miles concurrently with the pack on. They do stop for
breaks throughout the day as well.
- Arrival for level one, two and three trips is 1:45 p.m. on
Sunday and departure home is 1:00 p.m. on the second Friday -these
are 13-day programs.
- Arrival for level four and five trips
is 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and departure home is 1:00 p.m. on the
second (level four) or third (level five) Friday.
While in camp, the campers will sleep in the platform tents in Leafy.
* Offered in 2022 Level One-Ice Age Trail - 3 to 5 days hiking
from site to site. The girls will plan their meals together with their
Trip Leader, pack all of their equipment and hike out on their
adventure. They do not need any prior experience for this trip.
Level Two-Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore - 4 to 7 days
hiking from site to site. It’s a beautiful trail along the lake shore.
The girls will plan their meals together with their Trip Leader, pack
all of their equipment and hike out on their adventure.
Level Three-North Country Trail in Northern Wisconsin - Spend 6
to 9 days hiking in northern Wisconsin.
* Offered in 2022 Level Four-Superior Hiking Trail - Spend
eight to twelve days backpacking through the Superior Hiking tail in
northern Minnesota. Girls must have participated in North Country
trail level three trip in order to qualify for this trip.
Level Five -Isle Royale National Park - Spend fourteen to
eighteen days backpacking through Isle Royale on Lake Superior. Girls
must have participated in the Superior Hiking Trail level four trip in
order to qualify for this trip.
Trips will be offered as the groups of girls progress through the
current program. The trips get longer and longer out of camp for each level.
Kayaking
All kayaking trip girls should be able to carry 30-50 pounds of
weight or more and be able to paddle a sea kayak for several hours at time.
- Arrival for level one, two and three trips is 1:45 p.m. on
Sunday and departure home is 1:00 p.m. on the second Friday -these
are 13-day programs.
- Arrival for level four and five trips
is 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and departure home is 1:00 p.m. on the
second (level four) or third (level five) Friday.
While in camp, the campers will sleep in the platform tents in Leafy.
Level One-Manitowish River - 3 to 5 days on the water kayaking.
The girls will plan their meals together with their Trip Leader, pack
all of their equipment and paddle out on their adventure. They do not
need any prior experience for this trip.
Level Two-Chippewa Kayak - Spend 4 to 7 days kayaking the
Chippewa Flowage.
Level Three-Namekagon Flowage - 6 to 9 days paddling down the
river from site to site. The girls should have completed at least a
level 2 trip. This is a longer trip out of camp and sleeping in tents.
Level Four-Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - Spend eight to
twelve days paddling between islands on Lake Superior. Girls must have
participated in the Namkagon Flowage level three trip in order to
qualify for this trip.
* Offered in 2022 Level Five-Kayak Superior - 12 to 18 days
paddling along the coast on Lake Superior in Canada. Girls must have
their American Passport to cross the border into Canada. This trip is
very intensive as they are out in open water kayaking, waves can be
very large and tiring. The weather can also be unpredictable on Lake
Superior-the lake is the boss. Girls must have participated in the
Apostle Islands level four trip in order to qualify for this trip.
Trips will be offered as the groups of girls progress through the
current program. The trips get longer and longer out of camp for each level.