Location
Charles L. Sommers Canoe Base
8291, 14790 Moose Lake Rd, Ely, MN 55731
OA Northern Tier Programs
Note – Registration is open for the 2024 season!
OA Wilderness Voyage
The Order of the Arrow Wilderness Voyage program is an experience like no other! For two weeks, you will join together with Arrowmen from around the country and experience all that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota has to offer.
The first week of the program is spent giving back to the Boundary Waters through portage trail restoration work. Participants have the opportunity to leave their mark on the Boundary Waters that will enable thousands of visitors each year to better enjoy their experience. Trail work involves restoring and protecting trails that have existed for centuries and are in dire need of repair.
The second part of the program is a trek planned by the crew! From travelling to historic sites such as the Height of Land or ancient pictographs or seeing natural wonders such as untamed waterfalls or geological formations, each Voyage is as unique as your crew.
Cost: $325 per participant - Travel to and from Northern Tier is not included in the fee (Shuttle cost is currently $275 round trip). A shuttle from Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP) for an additional charge. Participants who fly should plan to arrive the day their program begins and depart on the final day. $25 of your deposit is nonrefundable. After your approval, your entire deposit is nonrefundable. Please do not book travel until you receive your participant packet. The Order of the Arrow is not responsible for costs associated with travel or changes
OA Wilderness Voyage Requirements
To attend the Order of the Arrow Wilderness Voyage program, you must meet the following requirements:
- Every participant must be at least 16 years of age by the day your program starts, but not yet 21 by its conclusion.
- Participants must also be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America and an Order of the Arrow Lodge.
- A complete physical examination is required. (BSA's Health and Medical Record will be sent to those who are accepted.)
- To comply with the BSA Youth Protection requirements, each session must have a minimum of two participants from the same gender attend. Individual youth participants may register without a buddy of the same gender, however, if no other youth participants of the same gender register, your session date may need to change or be canceled to comply with YPT.
There are no exceptions to these rules. Selection for the Wilderness Voyage program is both an honor and a privilege.
OA Canadian Odyssey
The Order of the Arrow Canadian Odyssey program is an experience like no other! For two weeks, you will join together with Arrowmen from around the country and experience the wild beauty of the Quetico Provincial Park of Ontario, Canada.
Like its U.S. counterpart, the first week of the OA Canadian Odyssey program is spent giving back to the Quetico through portage trail restoration work. Participants have the opportunity to leave their mark on the Quetico which will enable thousands of visitors each year to better enjoy their experience. Trail work involves restoring and protecting trails that have existed for centuries and are in dire need of repair.
The second part of the program is a trek through the Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada designed to challenge and inspire. Due to the international travel involved with this program, it is required that all participants must have a valid passport as well as a clean criminal record or they will NOT be permitted to cross the international border and will be sent home.
Cost: $325 per participant - Travel to and from Northern Tier is not included in the fee (Shuttle cost is currently $275 round trip). A shuttle from Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport (MSP) for an additional charge. Participants who fly should plan to arrive the day their program begins and depart on the final day. $25 of your deposit is nonrefundable. After your approval, your entire deposit is nonrefundable. Please do not book travel until you receive your participant packet. The Order of the Arrow is not responsible for costs associated with travel or changes.
OA Canadian Odyssey Requirements
To attend the Order of the Arrow Canadian Odyssey program, you must meet the following requirements:
- Every participant must be at least 16 years of age by the day your program starts, but not yet 21 by its conclusion.
- Participants must also be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America and an Order of the Arrow Lodge.
- A complete physical examination is required. (BSA's Health and Medical Record will be sent to those who are accepted.)
- Every participant must have a valid passport as well as a clean criminal record or they will NOT be permitted to cross the international border and will be sent home. It is critical that the paperwork for a Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) permit be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to arrival. Failure to do so will mean you will not be allowed to cross the international border into Canada. Instructions on how to do this will be communicated after your registration has been approved.
- To comply with the BSA Youth Protection requirements, each session must have a minimum of two participants from the same gender attend. Individual youth participants may register without a buddy of the same gender, however, if no other youth participants of the same gender register, your session date may need to change or be canceled to comply with YPT.
There are no exceptions to these rules. Selection for the Canadian Odyssey program is both an honor and a privilege.
$25 of your deposit is nonrefundable. After your approval, your entire deposit is nonrefundable.
Participants will receive an email when their registration is submitted and a second email when the Lodge and Council have approved the application. These emails are automated and may be flagged as junk/spam. Please add no-reply@registration.oa-bsa.org to your safe sender list and check your junk folder if you do not see the emails.