UWCA: Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures

Discover the Wilderness in your Backyard!

The Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures program connects thousands of Minnesota youth to the natural world through hands-on learning adventures in environments that are close to home. The UWCA is a collaborative effort of Wilderness Inquiry, the National Park Service, and many other partner organizations—representing the best principles of what is known as Collective Impact.

Since 2008, UWCA has served more than 70,000 youth and families in the Twin Cities and rural Minnesota. Its outreach program, the Canoemobile, has reached thousands more youth in cities across America. The UWCA offers numerous opportunities for youth, teachers, families, community groups, volunteers, and other supporters to experience the outdoors close to home. Whether hiking with our expert guides or a National Park Service Ranger, or paddling a handmade, 24′ Voyageur Canoe on your local waterway, your UWCA experience is sure to be memorable and life-changing.

Discover More With UWCA

Since Wilderness Inquiry was founded in 1978, our mission has been to bring people from a variety of communities closer to the outdoors, build a land stewardship ethic, foster appreciation for nature’s gifts, as well as to introduce youth to opportunities in outdoor recreation, environmental sciences and natural resource management. Please read further for more information about UWCA’s mission, trips, news and find out how to support and get involved with the program:

• UWCA’s Mission & Vision
• Program Information
• Leadership & Partners
• Get Involved with UWCA
• Educator Resources
• UWCA on our Blog

With the help of our generous supporters, partners, volunteers, and dedicated staffers, UWCA provides more than 13,000 youth with hands-on, place-based, experiential nature opportunities annually.