Wilderness Canoe Base
Find Your Story. Experience Your Journey.
Live in Community.
Wilderness Canoe Base provides a unique way of living in community. We offer on-site experiences and boundary waters exploration that will help you slow down, reflect, and reveal how strong you truly are.
This spirit is reflected in our central mantra: You are welcome. You are loved. You are strong.
With over 60 years of camp tradition and history, you can go higher, wider, longer, and deeper to create memories that will last a lifetime.
Wilderness Canoe Base Programs
Wilderness Canoe Base offers a unique experience compared to our other Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp camps. With access to gear and highly qualified counselors and trip guides, we have year-round opportunities for a safe and fun Boundary Waters experiences for every age.
Programs for Groups
Group Canoe Trips (Grades 6-12)
Group Island Camp (Grades 6-12)
Group Work-Service Camp (Grades 6-12)
Group Hybrid Trip (Grades 6-12)
Wilderness Summer Family Camp (All Ages)
Group Facility Rental at Wilderness
Programs for Individuals
Open Canoe Trips (Grades 6-12)
Creators’ Retreat (Ages 18+, children are welcome if accompanied by a parent)
Women’s Wilderness Adventure (Ages 18+)
Swamper Program (Ages 15-19)
Activities for All Interests and Levels
From intense, challenging activities (like rock climbing) to slower, refreshing activities (like nature hikes and vespers), Wilderness Canoe Base offers a chance for every type of person to find focus and joy. Our camps and retreats will stretch you to experience meaningful life together. See your favorite activity on the list? Want to experience something new? Register now for a week or weekend camp experience.
Warm Weather Activities
- First Word and Last Word
- Guided Backcountry Canoe Camping
- Public Sunday Worship Services
- Rock Climbing
- Swimming
- Vespers
- Voyageur Canoe Paddles
Cold Weather Activities
- Broomball
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Ice Fishing
- Snowshoeing
- Winter Camping
Year-Round Activities
- Camp Store
- Community Meals
- Fishing
- Guided and Self-Guided Nature Hikes
- Traditional Wood-Fired Sauna
Latest News
The Lasting Impact of Camp
Upcoming Events
How To Register
Ready to plan the best week or weekend of your year? Depending on the program you choose from the list above, here is how to start your camp experience:
Group Programs
To register your group for any of our group programs, please contact the Wilderness Canoe Base director for more information.
Individual Programs
To register a camper for one of our individual programs, create or log into your account and select your program and dates.
Churches, Schools, and Organizations
If your church, school, or organization has already scheduled a camp experience, please contact your group leader for your personalized registration link.
“The community and people at WCB do a great job of showing their love: love of God, love for children, and love for each other. WCB is a place which serves many functions. A place for fellowship and hard work. A place where you will be so tired and so full of love. A place to recharge when you are ground down, and then prepares you for new growth.”
“The connection one finds with people, with nature, and with the Divine at Wilderness is unparalleled in most other places. I leave each summer with a renewed sense of belonging and an ignited spirit.”
“I kept repeating mantras to myself that reminded me that God is with me. I saw God in my falls when I miraculously didn’t get hurt and just laughed, in the wilderness, and in the group’s positivity in the hard moments.”
“The trip exceeded my expectations in every way. Facilitated by our outstanding guide, our group came together to have a fun, challenging, and memorable experience that will stay with us for a long time! Thanks for an amazing trip.”
“I always marked the endless contrasts. The warmth of the fire after a rainy day. The calm of the lake after a thunderstorm. The supreme silence after a loud litany of stresses. WCB is a place where God whispers into the community and creates something bigger than the sum of it’s parts.”
“Being the Director of Health and Safety helped guide me as to what type of nurse I strive to be: listening, advocating, and guiding all with the loving hands that Christ has blessed me with. Serving at WCB was one of the most influential experiences in my life.”
“I learned how little I need to be truly happy. This week was so refreshing and carefree (mostly) for me!”
“I have enjoyed this summer more than I could have guessed. Confidence, intentionality, timelessness, fire-building, navigation, endurance—I learned much in times of challenge. I relied on God for everything, and even when I didn’t, He still provided. The ways He provided allowed me to grow and see how it was only because of God that I am now so capable.”
“This is the blessing of camp. Memories are made. Faith is deepened. Relationships are formed. At camp, kids are given resources which will serve them for the rest of their lives.”
“There are a lot of tangible learning experiences that happen here and therefore people are able to learn a lot about themselves and learn a lot about God. I’ve experienced God’s fingerprints in picking blueberries, wearing rain gear to church, and laughter while washing pot and pans. I’ve been encouraged to ask tough questions, challenge structures, and grow deeper.”
“When looking at Seagull Lake from a rock, I thought, ‘God is here.’”
“I can do more in the wilderness than I thought I was going to be able to.”
“I have learned many life lessons that go far beyond a five-day canoe trip: hard work, perseverance, teamwork, and the ability to laugh in difficult situations. But the most important thing I’ve taken is friendships that will last a lifetime.”
“I see God in the relationships built, in the care for one another, and appreciation of God’s creation.”
“I learned that I can be a leader and focus on things that are integral to success.”
“I learned that I am stronger than I thought—that I should not be ashamed for who I am, that I am the light and love of God. I learned about trusting in God and each other”
“It was the most humbling, empowering, and transformative summer I’ve had in 22 years, and I hope you’ll be portaging alongside me in the upcoming season as we continue to encounter God in the new adventures every day at Wilderness.”
“I see God everywhere, in each and every moment.”
“By the end of the summer, something about the way I carried myself had changed. I no longer smiled just with my mouth; I smiled from the width of my stance to the looseness of my hips to the openness of my chest. It was like I had settled into my own skeleton. I knew I could turn in any direction and confidently jump into any task I saw. I was simultaneously alert and relaxed. I was absorbed in the flow of life around me.”
“I see God in the bonds we formed together.”
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How to Find Us
Located at the end of the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota, Wilderness Canoe Base is your entry point to the Boundary Waters.
12477 Gunflint Trail
Grand Marais, MN 55604
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Wilderness Witness
Wilderness Witness is a history of Wilderness Canoe Base in its founding years.
Camp Wapo
1204 74th Ave
Amery, WI 54001
(715) 268-8434
Ox Lake
1442 120th Ave
Amery, WI 54001
(715) 268-8434 (camp office)
Wilderness Canoe Base
12477 Gunflint Trail
Grand Marais, MN 55604
(218) 388-2241
This business operates within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the Superior National Forest. As a BWCAW Cooperator, this business is an equal opportunity service provider.