BIPOC affinity trips have been designed by and for BIPOC folks, including Wilderness Inquiry Outdoor Leaders. We recognize families are often diverse where family members may not all share the same racial identities, however to protect the intention of the affinity group space, we are only allowing BIPOC individuals on our BIPOC affinity group trips, including family trips. If your family or family group has non-BIPOC family members, please visit our Families Together family trip offerings. 

***We recognize the term “family” means different things to different people. Whomever you consider to be a member of your BIPOC family is welcome to join you on this family program as long as they share a BIPOC identity.

LGTBQ+ affinity trips have been designed by and for LGBTQ+ folks, including Wilderness Inquiry Outdoor Leaders. Our LGBTQ+ family trips are open to all family members, whether or not every family member identifies as LGBTQ+. However, to protect the intention of the affinity group space, we are only allowing folks who identify as LGTBQ+ on our adult affinity group trips.

***We recognize the term “family” means different things to different people. Whomever you consider to be a member of your family is welcome to join you on this LGBTQ+ family program.

Financial circumstances should not be a barrier for you to experience these trips. Funding is available in the form of financial assistance for eligible individuals and families. Please fill out this form and we’ll follow up with more information and next steps: Financial Assistance For Individuals and Families

If you’re interested in helping support individuals or families who are experiencing financial barriers to participating in this program, you can make a donation to Wilderness Inquiry and 100% of your donation will go towards offsetting trip fees for affinity group participants.

Regardless of your individual skills or outdoor background, we believe everyone has gifts to contribute to group experiences. Your trip leaders will spend time helping you learn and practice camping and canoeing skills and help foster strength and kinship as a community in a way that feels supportive and welcoming of unique experiences.

All group gear will be provided by Wilderness Inquiry which includes tents, canoes, paddles, life jackets, cooking equipment, first aid kit, etc. You will receive a packing list upon confirmation of your registration. 

If you need personal gear items (sleeping bags, sleeping pads, rain jackets, etc) you can borrow them from Wilderness Inquiry. We are committed to removing barriers so that you are able to have a transformative experience in the outdoors. 

Food is crucial to community, culture, identity, health and wellbeing and sense of comfort. Having delicious, appropriate meals while camping can make a big difference in the overall enjoyment of an experience. We’ll work with you to ensure that the meals reflect our community's vibrant flavors. 

We take dietary needs, restrictions, and allergies very seriously to ensure food is safely prepared so there isn’t cross contamination. You will have an opportunity when registering for your trip to tell us any information you feel is important to know about your diet/food preference and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Wilderness Inquiry strives to put accessibility at the forefront of our programs so that individuals of all abilities, including people with disabilities, are able to participate in programs. If you or a member of your family has a disability, you will have an opportunity to confidentially share more during the registration process for your trip. A member of our team will connect with you further over the phone to make sure we are able to provide the appropriate support or accommodations you need to have a safe and rewarding experience on your trip.

The ability to swim is not required to participate in Wilderness Inquiry programs. All participants regardless of their swimming ability will be required to wear an appropriately fitted PFD (personal flotation device also called a "life jacket") provided by Wilderness Inquiry at all times while on the water. Participants who choose to swim while on a wilderness trip will be required to wear their PFD while swimming and a lifeguard trained Wilderness Inquiry Outdoor Leader will supervise.

Wilderness Inquiry staff are trained in well-proven and comprehensive safety policies, procedures, and risk management protocols. Staff are trained or certified in first aid, lifeguarding, vehicle driving safety, and canoeing and backcountry travel skills, as well as a repertoire of interpersonal, adaptive, group leadership, and social and emotional learning skills to provide support for a variety of different participants on programs. All this to say, the concept of “safety” or “feeling safe” is a relative term that means different things to different people in different situations. We recognize that new experiences in new places can stretch comfort zones which is why our programs are designed to be as inclusive and supportive as possible. You will be traveling with a group of people who have all agreed to join this adventure as a community unit, therefore you will work together with support from Wilderness Inquiry staff to make sure everyone feels as safe as possible on your adventure together.