
Now’s the time to finalize your planning for Scouting America’s high-adventure offerings for summer 2026.
The registration window for 2026 treks at the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, Northern Tier National High Adventure Program and Sea Base opens this week.
Registration for treks at Philmont Scout Ranch opened last fall.
Treks can and do sell out, so Scouts, parents and unit leaders are encouraged to finalize their plans now and register as soon as they are able.
Participants can sign up for treks at the Summit in West Virginia on Tuesday, January 14. Registration for adventures at Northern Tier in Minnesota and Canada opens on Wednesday, January 15. And participants can register for treks at Sea Base in the Florida Keys on Thursday, January 16.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. Eastern each day.
Scouting America’s National Council develops and administers the high-adventure programs for older Scouts, Venturers and Sea Scouts offered at the four national high-adventure bases.
Each location offers exciting, fun, rewarding programs. Which one you choose depends simply on what kind of activities appeal the most to your group.
The Summit Bechtel Reserve
Scouting America’s newest high-adventure property is a multipurpose, year-round destination for Scouting activities and adventures. Located near Beckley, West Virginia, within an eight-hour drive of 60% of the U.S. population, activities include whitewater rafting, rock climbing, biking, skateboarding and zip lining.
The property’s location provides participants access to the New River, one of the most sought-after recreational rivers in North America, and along with it, the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve.
One of the most popular treks offered at the Summit is the New River Experience, a 50-mile paddle trek down the river.
“You start off in an inflatable kayak, kind of learning the ropes, and the river just progressively gets more exciting and more difficult as you go,” says Bill Lehrter, program manager of the treks and aquatics adventures at the Summit. “And that all culminates in some pretty big Class IV whitewater rafting.”
Click here to learn more about the experiences available at the Summit.
Once you’ve chosen the right experience for your group, click here to register.

Northern Tier
The Northern Tier National High Adventure Program consists of the Charles L. Sommers High Adventure Base in Ely, Minnesota; the Northern Expeditions Base in Bissett, Manitoba, Canada; and the Donald Rogert Canoeing High Adventure Base in Atikokan, Ontario, Canada.
Each serve as a launching point for canoeing, fishing, camping, and other exciting activities. Cold-weather camping is offered at the Ely base camp.
Northern Tier’s signature programs are its multiple canoeing adventures, which run throughout summer and autumn and stretch anywhere from seven to 10 nights. The bases provide access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, one of the best canoeing spots in North America.
“In some places, you might put all of your gear in a backpack and walk with it,” says Blake Ferree, the associate director of wilderness adventures at Northern Tier. “We put all of our stuff in a canoe and paddle throughout the lakes.”
Click here to learn more about the opportunities at Northern Tier.
Once you’ve chosen the right adventure for your group, click here to register.

Sea Base
Sea Base is the home of multiple aquatics adventure programs, including canoeing, sailing, scuba diving and exploring the reefs of the Florida Keys, the Bahamas and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Its offerings include a stay on Big Munson Island, where there are no permanent structures, making it one of the most pristine locations in the area.
“You kayak 5.6 miles out into the ocean toward Cuba, it’s actually closer to Cuba than it is to Miami,” says Tim Stanfill, assistant general manager at Sea Base. “From that point on, you have an amazing adventure in which you’re deep-sea fishing, you’re fishing from the shore, you’re catching and tagging sharks, you’re kayaking, you’re paddle boarding — you’re doing a little bit of everything.”
Click here to learn more about the adventures offered at Sea Base.
Once you’ve found the right one for your group, click here to register.

All photos by Scouting America
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