Trips and Adventures
For many of our trips, there is no minimum age requirement to participate. For a paddling trip, we require all participants to wear a personal flotation device (PFD). Families with children under 30 pounds would need to provide their own PFD. For most family trips, children should be able to sit comfortably in a canoe or kayak for 1 hour or more. Please use this criteria to decide whether or not your child would be a good fit on any particular trip.
For family and day trips, youth under the age of 18 must attend with an adult family member or friend who is over the age of 18. If a family trip does have an age restriction, it will be noted on the individual trip page.
Regardless of your individual skills or outdoor background, we believe everyone has gifts to contribute to group experiences. Trip leaders spend time helping you learn and practice camping, paddling, hiking, and backpacking skills and help foster strength and connection as a community in a way that feels supportive and welcoming of unique experiences.
Typical menus include meals like pesto pasta, burritos, stir-fry, avocado caprese wraps, brats and burgers, apple cobbler, and plenty of snacks. The exact menus vary trip-by-trip. On longer wilderness expeditions, we bring more nonperishable foods that keep well for days without refrigeration. On international trips, we tend to eat the local cuisine. We can accommodate most dietary restrictions and preferences — please note this information on your registration form.
Trip fees cover all of your needs while you are traveling with us — including equipment, food, guides, permits, etc. You are responsible for bringing personal clothing and hygiene supplies. Gear such as sleeping bags, pads, and cots can be checked out during the booking process for no additional fee.
Yes. Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to the trip meeting place. This includes airline travel when necessary. We encourage you to wait until you receive your trip confirmation materials before purchasing non-refundable airfare.
If you need help arranging transportation to join us on an adventure, let us know! Our staff will try to meet your needs however we can, but we cannot guarantee transportation on all itineraries.
Registered guide dogs are the only dogs permitted on a Wilderness Inquiry trip. We can include guide/assistance dogs on most of our trips. If you would like to bring your registered guide dog on a trip, please call us at 612-676-9400 to discuss details.
Your trip is dependent on weather, availability, and potential other unforeseen circumstances. All itineraries online are “sample” itineraries that are subject to change. Please check your confirmation packet for the most up-to-date information.
There are many different route choices available within our trip locations for hiking and paddling. The routes will be chosen by Wilderness Inquiry Outdoor Leaders based on availability and the strength of the group.
Yes! In addition to our regularly scheduled trips, we specialize in creating great trips for families, friend groups, youth organizations, school groups, college programs, corporate team-building, service organizations, and more. With a professional staff of well-traveled trip planners, we’ll get you where you want to go on your terms. Our trips include expert guides, delicious meals, high-quality gear, and great accommodations.
We try to include as much detailed information as possible about each trip on our website, so this is a great place to start to browse trips and locations. If you have additional questions, please contact us at 612-676-9400 or customerservice@wildernessinquiry.org.
Accessibility
We have a team of volunteers eager to join and support you so that you can join independently. However, you are welcome to bring a caregiver if you’d like, as they know your specific care needs best. In many cases, caregivers can attend for a discounted price.
We strive to put accessibility at the forefront of our programs so that individuals of all abilities, including people with disabilities, can successfully participate in our trips. 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.
Most Wilderness Inquiry paddling trips are a great fit for anyone with limited upper body abilities. Our canoes and kayaks are fully accessible and we have a variety of adaptive equipment to assist you. Please provide as much information as possible regarding your accommodation needs on your registration form.
We require participants to provide their own manual wheelchairs. Chairs with mountain bike tires, knobby tires, or balloon front tires work best on trail. Most manual wheelchairs are adequate.
We require the use of a manual wheelchair on most of our trips. Please call us at 612-676-9400 or email info@wildernessinquiry.org to discuss the possibility of using a power wheelchair on a specific trip.
The best thing to do is call us at 612-676-9400. Our staff members are ready to answer your questions in a personal and confidential manner. Our number one goal is to make sure that you and the other members of your group are safe, comfortable, and have a great trip.
Health and Safety
Yes, we can accommodate most dietary requests, from preferences to allergies. Be sure to list any dietary restrictions on your confidential health forms during the trip registration process.
If a more specialized menu is desired, participants have the option of providing their own food products. Wilderness Inquiry may be able to provide specific products for an additional fee upon request.
Yes. Wilderness Inquiry provides personal floatation devices to all participants, which must be worn at all times while on the water. Most of our paddling routes keep the group close to shore and in shallower water. While tipping can happen, it is very rare, and Wilderness Inquiry Outdoor Leaders are trained to complete water rescues.
Prior to departure, we recommend that you check with your doctor as early as possible to ensure you are up to date on your standard immunizations. Your doctor is in the best position to recommend specific vaccinations for specific destinations.
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, 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. You will work together with support from Wilderness Inquiry staff to make sure everyone feels as safe as possible on your adventure together.
Scholarships and Payments
Yes! We believe the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors should be available to everyone. To keep our programs as financially accessible as possible, each year we raise funds to support need-based scholarships for both individuals and groups traveling with Wilderness Inquiry. Certain restrictions apply. Financial aid is available for a select number of trips and is typically not available for international trips. Visit our Financial Aid page to learn more and apply.
Yes! A purchased gift certificate can be applied toward any Wilderness Inquiry trip, and it never expires. To purchase a gift certificate, please call Anne Strootman, Participant and Volunteer Engagement Manager, at 612-676-9423.
Trip deposits are due upon booking and are generally non-refundable.
Within five weeks prior to trip departure (0-34 days):
- You are responsible for 100% of trip fees. No refunds issued.
- For a few types of extenuating circumstances, we may be able to credit your deposit to a future trip. (Note: Credit must be used within one year of the original trip departure date.)
Five to ten weeks prior to trip departure (35-70 days):
- We will refund up to 50% of your trip fee, minus your deposit.
- For a few types of extenuating circumstances, we may be able to credit your trip fee to a future trip. (Note: Credit must be used within one year of the original trip departure date.)
Ten weeks or more prior to trip departure (71+ days):
- We will issue a refund of all trip fees paid, minus your deposit.
- Deposit may be credited to a future trip. (Note: Credit must be used within one year of the original trip departure date.)
Please see our full Cancellation Policy for complete details.
Programs and Partnerships
We offer a number of programs designed for youth, students, families, and communities. Please see our Programs section for a complete list of available programs and details.
Yes! Canoemobile is our “floating classroom” that brings students out on local waterways in 10-person canoes to learn about science, history, geography, and culture. Canoemobile brings classroom learning outside, engaging youth in an immersive curriculum that helps improve school performance, cultivate a stewardship ethic, and create lifelong social-emotional skills needed for personal success. We also offer youth extended adventure opportunities.
Email canoemobile@wildernessinquiry.org to learn more.
We work closely with multi-sector partners to advance our mission and deliver programs. This means that partnership can take many forms – from bringing Canoemobile to your community to planning an extended camping adventure for your organization or group to co-developing presentations or trainings on accessibility in the outdoors. Visit Our Partners page for more information and to fill out our partnership form.
Yes! We have several opportunities to volunteer, including for individuals and for organizations or companies. Learn more about volunteering with Wilderness Inquiry and how to sign up on our Volunteer page.
Giving and Support
Yes. Wilderness Inquiry is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, tax ID: 93-0708637. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Gifts made via online transaction will receive an automatic email receipt. Gifts made via mailed check or credit card form will be sent a mailed receipt within two business days of Wilderness Inquiry receiving the gift.
Yes, your gift – and all your information – is secure. We implement appropriate and reasonable technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process.
We accept all major credit and debit cards, ACH, mailed checks or credit card payments, cash, Donor Advised Gifts, stock, Qualified Charitable Donations from IRA contributions, estate gifts, and gifts-in-kind.
In some cases, you can designate your gift to a specific program. Most people choose to give to our annual fund, which supports all of our programs and vital operations. To designate a gift to a specific program, email development@wildernessinquiry.org.
Yes, you have the option to give anonymously. Simply check the box on our web form if giving online, or include a note requesting to remain anonymous if giving another way
If necessary, we may share your data with third-party vendors, service providers, contractors, or agents (“third parties”) who perform services for us or on our behalf and require access to such information to do that work. We have contracts in place with our third parties, which are designed to help safeguard your personal information. This means that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do so. They will also not share your personal information with any organization apart from us. Third-party vendors also commit to protect the data they hold on our behalf and to retain it for the period we instruct. See our full Privacy Policy for details.