- FAITH-BASED WILDERNESS COURSES
Gain the confidence to face life's toughest challenges
Rugged, small group wilderness courses designed for you to grow in faith and character, and experience life to its fullest
Deepen Your Faith
Strengthen Your Voice
Experience Life Together
Choose your start
Navigating life is hard.
You’ve been told: Avoid risk. Stay comfortable. Make sure you look good. Don’t mess up.
But you need challenge in order to grow.
At Coldwater you won’t avoid struggle. You’ll face it, and not be alone. You’ll be ready navigate whatever comes next.
You need more than a canoe trip.
Wilderness Courses for Building Faith & Growing Leaders
A Coldwater course is not just a fun summer adventure. It’s training for life.
Through Wilderness –
The wilderness is the best classroom for shaping a person’s character and faith. In wilderness your choices matter, and every decision has weight. This kind of consequential, hands-on learning becomes the perfect training ground for personal maturity. Out there, distractions fall away and you become fully present to the beauty of God’s Creation.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1
In Community –
The Coldwater experience is a community experience. You learn to trust, rely on others and discover together what none of us can find alone. In order to grow, you need to wrestle through challenges in the company of others, and follow the steady guidance of trusted leaders.
“It is not from ourselves that we will learn to be better than we are.” Wendell Berry
We are “…members of one another” Ephesians 4:25
By Experience –
People need real life experience in order to mature. Coldwater leaders won’t spoon-feed you information, but will encourage you to ask questions and participate in the search for answers. Coldwater experiences follow a pattern of action and reflection. With each significant experience, you will stop to reflect, and own the learning available to you.
Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand.
A small ministry on the edge of a big wilderness
We’re small, on purpose. With small groups of up to 7 students and 2 instructors, Coldwater trips have the opportunity to travel into a massive expanse of wilderness and experience the raw and rugged terrain together.
:
Minimum Instructor to Student Ratio
Students Completed Courses
Years In Operation
- 3.9 million acres of Minnesota wilderness
- 2000+ lakes
- Countless streams and rivers
This is what transformation looks like.
Coldwater participants are given opportunities to walk away changed — with deeper faith, confidence, and purpose.
3 Steps to Your
Coldwater Wilderness Course
1. Find A Course
Browse youth, college, and adult expeditions to find one that fits your goals and schedule.
2. Register & Prepare
Once you register, you will receive a list of everything you need to pack for your trip!
3. Join Your Adventure
Step into challenge, community, and growth. Return home with confidence and faith that lasts.
Invest in the next generation of faithful, courageous leaders
Join over 600 donors giving annually to make this ministry a reality.
Because of you:
- Coldwater Instructors are highly trained
- Mink Lake Wilderness Camp is a thriving ministry facility
- Students lives are changed every year
Your generosity makes wilderness experiences accessible to everyone.
Coldwater Foundation is a registered 501c(3) non-profit organization EIN#27-1609731 in accordance with the standards and regulations of the Internal Revenue Service. No goods or services are provided in exchange for these gifts. All donations are made with the understanding that Coldwater Foundation has complete discretion over donated funds. Contributions are 100% tax deductible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have other questions? If you still don’t find your answer, feel free to contact us directly.
What's an average day like on a Coldwater Course?
After waking up, our morning routine includes a hearty breakfast with hot drinks, a reflection or teaching time, followed by journaling, and packing up camp to head out for the day! Most days are spent travelling through the wilderness together, and students work hard to master skills such as: paddling, portaging, navigation by map and compass, cooking, shelter-building and campcraft. In addition to learning new backcountry skills, the wilderness environment itself presents ample challenges: changing weather, pesky bugs, and tricky terrain. These very challenges are the means by which the group learns about God, themselves and each other. The group will prioritize reflection along the way, through conversation, writing, sharing, rest and celebration- being sure to capture the learning available through the adventure.
What does faith-based mean?
Coldwater is rooted in and motivated by historical Biblical Christianity. Coldwater staff are all committed to a personal relationship with Christ and their community of faith. Coldwater is not affiliated with any single denomination, and is eager to serve all students, regardless of faith background, or even if you have no faith background. Coldwater trips include Scripture, community, reflection and prayer.
Where do students go on their trips?
Coldwater programs primarily take place within the 50-mile radius of wilderness to the West and North of our basecamp, in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and surrounding Superior National Forest. Occasionally Coldwater has been known to venture into wilderness areas beyond, such as Montana’s Bighorn mountains and Ontario’s vast provincial parks.
How do I register?
Just click the button below! It will take you to our registration page where you make an account, select the trip you are signing yourself or your child up for and walk through the guided process until you’re finished and can click submit! It usually takes no more than 10 minutes.
Who are Coldwater Instructors?
Coldwater instructors are college-age and older. At minimum, they have all gone through a rigorous 6-week Coldwater Instructor training program, including an intensive 3-week wilderness expedition of their own. They also hold a Wilderness First Responder certification. Instructors are well equipped to navigate whatever challenges come up on a wilderness expedition.
